The Royal Palace

We slept in a little bit today.  It's Monday and many museums and monuments are closed on Mondays in Madrid.  The Royal Palace is one of the few places open today.
After some breakfast at Starbuck's, we headed down to the Royal Palace. 

Brandon entertains himself with his Ipod

Katrina takes photographs along the way

This dome was really cool.  Very beautiful.

This guy played for the crowds lined up to enter the Royal Palace.  He was very energetic and enthusiastic. 

The Royal Palace is considered Europe's third greatest palace, after Versailles and Vienna's Schonbrunn.  It stands where a fortress once stood and was built by King Philip V.  He ordered this palace to be built as his own Versailles.  Inside there are more than 2000 rooms.  Today, the royal family lives in a mansion a few miles away, but the Royal Palace is still used for formal state receptions, weddings and tourists. 

The self guided tour allows visitors to see about 25 of the rooms, a very small but very interesting portion of the palace.  The royal armory is the best I have seen at any castle or palace we have visited.  Unfortunately, no photography allowed inside the palace. 

Ornate lamps in the courtyard

Royal Palace

Time for lunch.  We headed to El Gaucho for the best sausages and steaks we have had in a long time. 

After lunch, Brandon and I rode the blue line of the City Sightseeing tour while Katrina visited the Reina Sofia art museum.

Brandon and I finished our bus ride before Katrina finished at the museum, so we met her there.  Katrina really didn't like the exhibits at the Reina Sofia museum. 

This evening we relaxed in the room.  All this sightseeing can be tiresome.  We did manage to walk two blocks to pickup some takeout for the room....McDonalds. 

Tomorrow we will visit the Prado...