I woke up feeling much more prepared today. After doing a
little research on how to tackle museums with children, I bought tickets to the Prado in advance, made sure we
were out the door as close to opening time as possible, and had a scavenger
hunt waiting for Keller when we arrived. It all worked like a charm.
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| A snapshot of some of Keller's scavenger hunt finds. |
Keller had a blast searching through the galleries for
Velázquez, Goya’s, and more. Some of my favorite comments of his are included
as captions with the relevant works of art below.
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| "I think that one is called the upside down Jesus." The Apparition of the Apostle St Peter to St Peter Nolasco |
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| "Mom, I found the naked lady!" The Naked Maja |
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| "Why is that a monster eating a baby that looks like an ice cream cone? He looks like the Bloodgottler from the BFG." Saturn Devouring his child |
After the Prado we strolled down Paseo del Prado to check
out the fountains where Madrid’s biggest soccer teams celebrate victories
(Fuente de Neptuno - Atletico and Cibeles – Real). Since we pull for neither of
these teams, I did not feel compelled to cross the busy street and let the kids
take a dip for themselves. Instead we opted for a smaller splash garden just
off the road and then headed to Puerta del Sol for
a quick picture and then into El
Retiro park for a play. It always amazes me how quickly kids can mix and
mingle. Lochlan, in particular, made herself at home. These types of moments
are exactly what I was hoping for when I planned this trip; there’s just no way
to beat immersing yourself in a community and interacting with the locals.
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| Lochlan's happy place. |
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| The obligatory photo at Puerto del Sol. |
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| Loch Loch jumping right in with the kids at the park. |
For dinner we headed to an area of town recommend by a
friend called La Latina. And what a great recommendation this was! It is close
to everything but just far enough off the beaten path to be away from the
tourists. We spent the evening bar hopping our way down the quaint little
street. As Keller and Lochlan chased pigeons in the plaza nearby, we enjoyed
mojitos, tapas, wine, and dessert. It was indulgent and delightful.
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| One of the stops along our gastronomy tour. |
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| I had forgotten about these meat shops. Keller, by the way, is now claiming to be a vegetarian. |
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| Salud mojitos. |
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| Loch enamored with the birds. |
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| Keller terrifying the birds. |
Tomorrow we are off to Granada. Madrid, once again you have
been absolutely wonderful to me! Until next time…
P.S. You know it's been a good day when your kid's feet look like this. And I washed them before his nap! So this is just a half-a-day's work.
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| Spanish tattoos. |
Mom travel notes:
- Check to see if where you are going allows backpacks. It’s
so much easier to re-arrange your “war chest” ahead of time and opt for a
smaller bag than it is to pull things you think you might need out on-site and
store the rest in a locker.
- Bring a double stroller to Europe – even if you think your
older child will have no problem walking! Over the past 48 hours I have
stacked, carried, and dragged a second child through the streets of Madrid.
Finally, I gave in. Keller and I dropped the (single) BOB at the hotel we will
be staying at on our way home and bought a double pram. Mike, I know you will
cringe over this. Sorry in advance! The good news is that I don’t think we will
need to rent a car. So I kind of saw it as a wash. :)
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| The schlepping in action. |
