Spain So Far

So the night train from Lisbon to Portugal was uneventful. The Korean guy I was with watched movies all night and the Japanese guy fell asleep instantly. I listened to Kyuss and Fu Manchu who are oddly perfect for a train ride. I awoke in Madrid where it was cool and quiet at the train station. My new hostel has my room in the back of someone´s home, complete with a gramma and grandpa in the room by mine and the bonus of religious icongraphy in my own room, including 2 cherubs and one Madonna. As I was unable to get into my room upon arrival I decided to make the most of it and I went to the Prado, one of Europe´s premier museuems (Madrid has three of them). Highlights included May 2 1808, May 3 1808, Saturn Devouring his Young (all by Goya), and perhaps the greatest paiting in the world after the Sistine Chapel and Guernica...Bosch´s The Garden of Earthly Delights...It was a great moment as the last time I was in Madrid the painting was being restored. Next I went to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museuem which had an exhibition on Joan Miro (fabulous) and a permanant collection rivalling the world´s best. My favourites there inlcuded Miro´s The Lightning Bird Blinded by Lightning and Dali´s Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegrante a Second Before Waking Up...A great one with tigers, elephants, and bees...El Greco is creepy...St. Jerome and St. Anthony are my fave saints artistically...the former gets a lion and the latter is always tempted by devils in the guise of hot women...he does not give in though. For supper, I had tapas (calamari, olives, salad, bread) and some Mahou beer for good measure. However, it was an early night...will check out the pub crawl from here tonight. Off to the Sofia to see Guernica and wonder again how Spain was able to crank out so many amazing artists...