Madrid(Spain)

Trains were comfortable in Spain..it took 8 hours..
it's nice to see the countryside away from the coastal towns..
typical Spanish dormant villages..different mentality then big cities..
we reached Madrid safe..and booked 3 nights at the youth hostel..
it was rather crowded there...Madrid was a popular destination..
somehow...I did like Barcelona much better..Madrid is different..
it's a vast city..it can get very hot there in summer..
second day..we did the famous El Prado museum..
link for this museum.. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2003/11/08/etprado08.xml
now..this was a worthwhile art museum..nice old building..
we got a booklet guide to see what this museum had to offer..
as in other famous musea..lots of tourists..the usual crowds..
one can expect in a famous world museum..it's divided into rooms..
with Spanish art from Goya,El Greco,V?lasquez etc..
I did like the works of Goya the most here=La Maja etc..
there was a Flemish room with Rubens and Bosch etc..
Italian art was represented by Titian,Botticeli etc...
then French,Dutch and German art...recall Rembrandt only..
it's not possible to see this museum in 1 day...
we went trough it in a glance really..because we decided..
to make a walk through Madrid's main boulevards afterwards..
I bet we stayed 2 hours in the Prado..not enough of course..
then walked towards Puerta del Sol..now..that's a hectic place..
Plaza Mayor..Palacio real=Royal Palace...lots of Plaza's=squares..
spacious wide boulevards,parks,fountains,hectic traffic..
that's Madrid..it tired us out really..we went for a paella..
the best ones are in Valencia..but it tastes good everywhere..
went back to the youth hostel tired...next day..daytrip..
to the town of Toledo=about 1 hour train ride..I loved that place..
will tell you peeps more about Toledo town..linked a lot to El Greco..
Tiger