Ah, Madrid. The tourist attractions are few compared to other international cities, but it is incomparable as a city made for walking, eating, and people-watching. And for two glorious days this just what I’ve done. I napped off my jet leg, meandered the warren of streets around my hotel, laid in bed all morning to watch the royal wedding, and spent 2 short afternoons contemplating art at the Prado. The museum waives its’ admission the last 2 hours of each day, which is the perfect window of optimal viewing time before art-overload sets in, and 6-8pm nicely fills the void before the tapas scene starts.

I walked the length of Calle Mayor twice today trying to gain entrance to the Church of Santiago for my first credential stamp, but to no avail. By 7:30pm the closest I had come to anything Camino was this nice little statue of a pilgrim near the Plaza de Sol (and a very old painting of St. James & his stone boat in the Prado).

The weather has been perfect but the skies are darkening now – the rain is on it’s way…