Yesterday, we went to the Royal Palace (Palacio Real). Before I go on, now is a good time to invoke the quote by Lord Acton about absolute power corrupting absolutely.
It has become almost mandatory nowadays to condemn all of the past that doesn’t fit today’s modern morality. I am not one of those people. (If you are, God help you if you read the Bible.)
No, visiting the seat of an empire that ruled over half the Western Hemisphere does not mean I’m for rape, slavery, exploitation, and the whole set of other -isms. Like it or not, Spain had impact on the world. Of course, we don’t want their modes of conquest repeated.
I just think it is interesting that what we’d consider a patio is big enough to park a few blimps.
Andrea wore red. That is her and her mom, Sandra, on the center-right. As you can see, few potted plants could make it more inviting.
Here’s what we’d call the foyer. I’m at the base of the first flight of Cinderella stairs.
These are my traveling companions—beautiful wife and her endearing mom—at the top of both flights of stairs. The marble gentleman on the left is a composite sculpture of Spanish kings dressed up as Caesar. See? Everyone has a character they think expresses themselves—just like the attendees at a science fiction/comic book festival.
I do not have pictures of the chambers, halls, and salons due to photography being prohibited So we bought a book at the gift shop. Probably ideal so we could fully gawk at the opulence.
Here’s a shoutout to my niece, Izzy, in California. Aren’t you glad you don’t have to dress like your namesake?
Now to a random walk of things to share…
Sometimes the best moments are small and completely unplanned. Like sitting and having cold drinks as we walk back from the palace. You know I had to get that brand, right?
Seeing a scooter with Andrea’s nickname, “Bird”.
Perfect timing to show how thick the chocolate sauce is. Clings to churros superbly.
Or the gorilla by our metro station.
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