The Day After

After the fantastic birthday party on Saturday, there was still more celebrating on Sunday.  Many of the out-of-town guests were leaving that day, so in the morning there was a farewell brunch at the hotel.

Peter disassembled his Alpenhorn for the flight home to Zurich.

After the brunch, I checked out of the hotel, and rolled my suitcases down the street to Werner's flat, where I am staying for the remainder of my time in Madrid.

Werner's cousin, Hans Peter, and his children Sophia and Alexander, were staying another night before flying home to Bergen, Norway.  They were planning on taking the "hop-on, hop-off" city bus tour, and they asked me to join them.  

 

I have never been able to get good photographs on those city bus tours.  The only decent picture I got was this one of the Gate of Alcalá.

 

It was, however, a pleasant ride, and I enjoyed spending time with Hans Peter and the kids.  We hopped off the bus at the Prado Museum, Madrid's most famous collection of art.  Hans Peter asked me if I could give Sophia and Alexander a quick tour of some of the most famous paintings.  I accepted and switched into "teacher mode". (I used to teach a unit on Spanish art to my upper level classes.)  I concentrated on about a dozen masterpieces by the painters Velázquez and Goyá.  They all seemed to enjoy the quick tour.  Sophia and Alexander are both very bright young people; I am sure that they are a joy to their teachers!

 Alexander and Sophia by the Goya statue outside of the Prado.

We got off the bus at the Puerta del Sol, where they posed with the statue of King Carlos III and the iconic "Tío Pepe" Sherry advertisement in the background.

The day was not over.  Those of us who were still in Madrid (about 14 of us) were invited back to Werner's place that evening for supper.  After a nice meal, Brigitta came out with yet another birthday cake for Werner.  

That brings Werner's 60th birthday bash to a close.  I look forward to attending his 70th birthday!