we had one more mostly full day back in madrid--so we did some sightseeing. this is a famous square.
this was a basket shop that was selling a basket cactus.
i had heard about these unusual drinking decanters.
the side of a building missing the outside layer.
the palace.
what?! a bajai!
the real mona lisa.
europeans seem to love their bears.
a green wall. 
we went to the modern art museum (which was about 200 yards from our hotel) and saw the big picasso exhibit and guernica, which we had both always wanted to see. it is a magnificent painting, and i like a lot of picasso's work and his style, but i have to say by the time we finished this exhibit i was really tired of him. i felt this great craving for female-produced art. his art harshly renders women--and i don't mean the cubist style. i like that. but the way to depicts women is often crass--the women often seemed like objects. and that got tiresome and made me feel sad.
this was another exhibit at the museum that we wanted to see more of, but we ran out of time.
an art installation of hanging bells. i thought b pictured these beautifully.
and now our last day and our trip to toledo!
the train station in toledo was small but so beautiful.
i have always loved poppies. they are such a cheerful flower.
we got to walk from the train station into the old city. it was a nice walk.
this place was gorgeous. look at this moorish architecture.
i love this picture.
some old roman caves we toured.
yucca!
we toured el greco's home. 
the anachronistic clothing here seems, well, really out of place.
here is the series of el greco's apostle paintings. 
i believe this one is actually jesus.
ah, just what i had been craving from the night before--a female artist. and gentileschi at that (she's a woman)! this was a breath of fresh air, although i did very much enjoy el greco's work. his style is very interesting (and he doesn't objectify women).
such an elongated figure. even from down below this tall painting you can tell that that head should be way bigger. oh, el greco!
we bought some of the world-famous convent marzipan. i had hoped to get some of the chocolate-covered marzipan, but the nuns were sold out. in fact, we were lucky to get any at all. the little shop where you could by it wasn't even really "open" since we came by during prayer time.
we bought it from a nun through this barred window.
what a cool place this was. jesus in the mandala in the ceiling, and him hanging on the cross with the shadows on the sides. wow.
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