Our next day in Madrid broke sunny and cold. Really this whole first part of our trip was marked by pretty low temperatures compunded by frequent, stiff breezes. We weren’t letting that stop us (although John at least had to screw his courage up before stepping out; Lisa has always handled the cold weather better). Off we went to one of the must-sees of Madrid: the Royal Palace, official residence of the King and Queen of Spain and one of the largest palaces in Western Europe. It’s pretty amazing, evoking Versailles, Belenheim, and the Grand Opera of Paris.

(Warning this is a graphic heavy post.)

After a security scan, we walked through what was once the carriage entrance and into the central courtyard.

The main hall is imposing, although if you look at the picture below you’ll see something strange. The two figures, one on either side of the window, seemed to have been added later than the original decorations and it is… not done well. Our best guess is that some descendant of the originators of the Palace wanted to bring the feel of the fresco on the ceiling down into the room, but the painting was done on the existing surfaces, which had those same textures you can see in the otherwise-exposed bits. There’s no way that the artists assigned to the task had to bite their tongues and do as they were bidden, because this is in line with no thinking person’s aesthetic.

But it’s the Throne Room that takes your breath away with it’s ceiling mural giving the illusion of opening into the blue sky and heavens.

Each corner boasts a gilded bas relief and painted scene corresponding to each of the four seasons.

A gilded railing illusion runs around the room, giving the sense of characters — mythological and historical, peeping in and keeping an eye on the goings on. It’s really one of the more astonishing effects we’ve seen in these sorts of places; not just the beauty of it but the precision of the layout, having the railing affect going in front of some images and behind others, and it’s not just paint there’s a texture to it with plaster or something. Truly amazing.

Unsurprisingly, the Royal Palace is filled with magnificent treasures from the 17th century onward.

I especially enjoyed the crystal chandeliers, each unique in size and shape.

Several rooms were particularly special because of the quality of the craftsmanship. One was the Porcelain Room, made up of 100s of hand cast porcelain figures mounted on wood panels and fitted so carefully that it looks seamless. This and one other room in another royal residence outside of the city are the only examples of these all-porcelain rooms, considered the masterpieces of the porcelain studios of the era. When you see it, you can’t help but agree.

It is a truly opulent and beautiful place. We enjoyed ourselves greatly.

It being Christmas Eve, the city was closing down pretty quickly. We made a grocery run to lay in supplies of grapes, apples, juice, and (of course) some wine. With room service rounding out our gatherings by bringing us hummus, pumpkin soup with soft shell crab tempura and a chicken caesar salad, we felt well feasted.