Marvellous Madrid

What a fascinating city to visit. It is a pity we had not booked for an extended stay as we have a great apartment very central to the historic area and the art galleries we hoped to visit.
The vibe is good here and the weather very warm. It is lovely going out for a meal at night and walking home without a cardigan. Warm air envelopes you as you emerge from the air conditioned buildings.
So far we have been lucky as we arrived into Madrid early morning from our overnight train trip and found our way via the metro to the nearest spot to our apartment. We could not check in until 15.00 hours but they stored your luggage at another place a few blocks away which was a great advantage.
We checked out the street where we were staying and found a nice cafe across the street which was perfect for breakfast. We had thick toast and home made jams with great coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice so not a bad start to our day.
We decided to visit the Thyssen Art Gallery until the apartment opened and then go back for a second visit late in the afternoon.
The museum is very large with different floors containing the collection built up and donated by the Thyssen benefactors plus ongoing purchases. Masterpieces abound and I liked the Reniors particularly The Wheatfield but the Monet of Charing Cross Bridge was not one I knew plus there were so many Sisley, Pacarriso,and other impressionists that were unknown to me.  A treat to be able to see so many works. Three colour and intensity of these originals make the trip worthwhile.
We headed back before three to get our bags and check into our apartment. It was only a few blocks but in the heat of the day I was glad to find it and horror of horrors,three flights of stairs to negotiate.  My back is unforgiving!!!!
After a rest we headed back to the museum and stayed until closing time at 7.00 which was perfect as it gave me time to revisit my favourites and finish seeing the collections. Well worth a visit. Highly recommended.
We dined at a little cafe down the street that had been recommended to us by the cafe owner we visited in the morning. Brad is great at extracting places to eat from the locals and getting her hot coffee translation.
Felt into bed knackered I have to say. It seemed a long day and I expected to sleep well but I could not turn the air conditioning off so it was a long night!😶😶😶😶😶😶😶