Day Two

Today has been a much better day that allowed me to better explore the center of Madrid, the Palacio de Madrid, Plaza Mayor, and the Galleria. I am happy that the older parts of the city provided me with that European charm that I was looking forward to experiencing on this trip. We started out the morning at 8:30 AM where we figured how to use the metro system which is very clean and accessible. For breakfast we got Starbucks and I thoroughly enjoyed my ham and cheese croissant. After experiencing the Spanish Starbucks, we went over to the Palacio de Madrid. 

The Palacio de Madrid is as grand and imposing as one would expect and I thoroughly enjoyed walking through all of the gilded rooms filled with all of the luxuries you could imagine. The interior of the Palacio Real is impressive, with lavish decorations and a vast collection of art, furniture, and historical artifacts. Some of the most notable rooms include one of the many throne rooms adorned with red velvet walls, a grand chandelier, and frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, this room is where official ceremonies and receptions are held. The royal chapel was a beautiful chapel with a domed ceiling, adorned with frescoes and an impressive altar. The exterior of the palace is grand and imposing, with a facade made of granite and white Colmenar stone. The main facade faces the Plaza de la Armería, a large open square where military parades and state ceremonies are held. The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens, including the Campo del Moro and Jardines de Sabatini. The Plaza de Oriente, located on the eastern side of the palace, is a square featuring statues of Spanish monarchs and offers a spectacular view of the building. 

After exploring the palace from about an hour, we went across the Plaza de la Armería and went to the Galleria where there were exhibits on the Hapsburgs, Bourbons, and various modes of transportation. The Hapsburg collection was very interesting as it housed many tapestries as well as suits of armor consistent with that time period. 

Most of the collection was focused on Charles V and Phillip II who were famous rulers of Spain. The Hapsburg dynasty is often cited as a historical example of the dangers of inbreeding, a practice they employed to maintain their power and keep wealth within the family. Over generations, the Hapsburgs frequently married close relatives, leading to a high degree of genetic homogeneity. This inbreeding resulted in a number of physical and mental health issues, the most famous being the "Habsburg jaw"—a distinctive protruding lower jaw and large chin that became more pronounced over generations. The most notable victim of this inbreeding was King Charles II of Spain, who suffered from severe physical and intellectual disabilities and was unable to produce an heir, leading to the end of the Spanish Habsburg line in 1700.

After walking through the Hapsburg collection, we walked through the collection of the Bourbons Royal Family which is the current reigning family of Spain. A little background on the bourbon family is that the Spanish Bourbon line was established when Philip V, the grandson of France's King Louis XIV, ascended the Spanish throne in 1700 after the death of the last Habsburg king, Charles II. This succession led to the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714), which ended with the Treaty of Utrecht. The treaty allowed Philip to remain king of Spain but required that he renounce any claim to the French throne, thus establishing a separate Bourbon line in Spain. After the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, the monarchy was restored in 1975 with the ascent of King Juan Carlos I, a Bourbon, who played a crucial role in transitioning Spain to democracy. His reign was marked by efforts to modernize Spain and strengthen its democratic institutions. In 2014, Juan Carlos I abdicated in favor of his son, King Felipe VI, who is the current monarch. Back to the art, there were many pieces of art commissioned by the royal family including a statue depicting the Angel David defeating the Devil which was actually carved by a woman named Luisa Roldán who was the first female sculptor hired by any Spanish royal family. 

The last collection we saw was all about transportation that the royal family used which mostly consisted of gilded carriages but also included two armored cars that were gifted to Franco by Hitler. 

Most of the carriages were heavily embellished with gold and silk and were surprisingly very high off the ground. As fancy as they looked, I can't imagine any of those carriages would be a comfortable ride. 

After exploring the Galleria, we decided it was time for lunch and we decided to go to lunch at a restaurant called Botin which is one of the oldest continuously running restaurants to exist as it has been operating since 1725. However, it is not the oldest restaurant as that title belongs to Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House which I personally think is absolutely hilarious. I got roasted cod in a tomato and red pepper sauce which was absolutely to die for, so I highly recommend. 

This pretty much concluded my day as I am still quite tired and not at all used to the time change. Tomorrow I don't have any concrete plans, but I will probably explore the SLU campus and the surrounding area as well as the area where my host family apartment is. I will try to post the many photos I took today of various artifacts in another page if you are interested. Adios!