Recap: Thursday in Toledo

The next day, Thursday, began with a trip to the Museo del Prado, a famous art museum with the largest collection of Spanish paintings in the world.  Art has never been my thing, but since we had a tour guide explaining the background behind the famous works to us (in English), I really found it to be interesting.  We saw some great paintings by Goya, El Greco, Rafael, Velazquez, and many others.  

Next, we visited the nearby Royal Palace of Madrid, which is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family but is actually only used for state ceremonies.  The views of Spain that it offered were unbelievable, and the palace itself was exquisite.  

Following our visit to the Royal Palace, we took a short drive to Toledo, an ancient city which was one of the former capitals of the Spanish empire.  Among other things, we toured the biggest and most beautiful cathedral in which I have ever stood.  We also saw an old synagogue and walked through the streets of the city.  It was spectacular.

Upon our return to Madrid, we put our newly-acquired appreciation for soccer into action by watching the Germany-Italy semifinal game (the winner of that game, Italy, will play Spain tonight in the finals) in a bar near the hotel, accompanied by some delicious sangria.  My friend Ling, who is studying in Madrid, took the Metro to visit me.  It was almost surreal to be meeting up with a friend in a foreign city!