Easter Tuesday afternoon we headed back towards Madrid and took a little detour to visit another castle for the boys. It was a beautiful day; the Spanish springtime skies are so blue! This is the Castle in Real Del Manzanares which was first built in 1475-79, and was inhabited by various dukes until 1566. Note of interest: this castle was featured in the 1961 movie El Cid. The exterior was completely remolded to fit the original design and boasts a lovely view of a lake.
Due to a few renovations, the interior of this castle was quite modernized, so felt more like a museum, but the boys enjoyed the few displays.
The ladies' bower complete with brilliant tapestries.
The highlight for us all was walking the ramparts. We had the castle all to ourselves! Perk of traveling before tourist season.
Michael was upset that the staircase to the very top of the turrets were blocked off. He always wants to climb to the very top!
We were glad that boys enjoyed it, and that it tired them out enough to sleep for the remaining 45 minute drive into Madrid. Papa did a great job of finding our hostel - dropped us off, doing a grocery store run, returning the car at the airport and making his way back all on his own while I put the boys to bed.
Coffee, fresh-squeezed Spanish orange juice, and croissants in Plaza del Sol the next morning. We walked around Madrid a bit before heading out to meet my mother's long-time friend, Isabel.
Marching.
Being the 500th anniversary of St. Teresa of Avila's birth, it was fun to see the extra adornments in her shrines on this trip.
Walking by the Palacio Real, the official residence of the Royal Family of Spain; however, they live in a more modest palace outside the city now, and only use this palace for ceremonies.
We happened to catch the guard parade and the military band's classical concert.
We met Miss Isabel at her cousin's home for a lovely light Spanish lunch. My mother au paired for Isabel's three sons for a year a long time ago and they have kept in touch and visited each other since. She was great with the children, and knows all the English nursery rhymes and songs.
Playing "king of the castle". For an almost-80-year-old, Miss Isabel is highly energetic and very spry. Michael didn't quite know what to make at first, of an adult who constantly made faces back at him and imitated all his loud noises. :)
I didn't take pictures of us eating out, which we only did a few times on this trip. But this evening, I snapped a quick shot, because...we went to a TGI FRIDAY'S and I had a COSMOPOLITAN and there was the STATUE OF LIBERTY, and we felt so American and revealed in our burgers and fries and crispy chicken tacos.
The next day, we met Miss Isabel downtown. It rained on and off on our very last day, so we bore it thankfully and happily, as we had had such pleasant weather the rest of the trip. We had a lovely breakfast then set off to see a few churches and parks.
In the Parque de El Retiro.
How Michael loved playing with Miss Isabel and always wanted to hold her hand.
San Jeronimo el Real.
Chatting on the metro. Isabel keeps up to date with politics and Catholic cardinals and the latest movies (um, we haven't been to one in 2 years) and even filled us in on the latest networking project of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg.
This church was definitely the highlight for us! San Francisco El Grande was designed in the Neoclassic style in the second half of the 18th century.
Glorious paintings by Goya, Contreras, and Zubaran.
Each side chapel was more magnificent than the next.
Michael has a precious habit of kissing the altars when he can.
Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.
Behind the sacristy was an extensive collection of art, based on the life of St. Francis, donated by the Prado - what treasures to peruse for FREE!
Isabel got a big kick out of hearing Michael point out each body part on these naked cherubs.
St. Andrew's church in Old Madrid where Isabel's grandparents had been married. It was lovely to hear her reminisce about what fine people they were.
We enjoyed a coffee and pastry with Miss Isabel here at a lovely cafe before we said our goodbyes. We will see you again!
