A different view of Spain

by Tony Karp

Looking out of the window of our little house in Miraflores de la sierra

In 2002, the Muse and I took a trip to Spain. Instead of staying in a hotel, we rented a little house in Miraflores de la Sierra, about 40 miles north of Madrid. It's a beautiful little mountain town that's set into the side of a hill, so everywhere you go is either uphill or downhill.

We had a car, so we were able to travel to the local attractions, and even went as far south as Toledo, where we saw el Greco. (Hint: not one of his paintings.)

Madrid is a great city, with lots of great museums and a spectacular royal palace.

I tried to stay away from the usual tourist shots and ended up with a slightly different view of Spain.

The birds of the castle in Manzanares

A story told in a tapestry in an old Spanish castle.

An ancient face at the National Archaeological Museum of Spain.

Through a window at el Escorial

A bloody tale told in another tapestry.

A colorful moth alights in Guadalix

A black and white view of the buildings on a Spanish hillside

Another face from the archeological museum. I think of him as the blue Madrileno

Looking out from the city of Toledo, you can see the distant hills and the sky and clouds above them in this vertical panorama

A warrior's face from inside the Royal Palace

We saw this cloud that looks like an ocean wave on our trip to Buitrago del Lozoya.

The two main religions in Spain

A bird soars above the hills at El puerto de la Morcuera, a mountain pass north of Miraflores

Storm clouds seen from the wall at Avila

In the courtyard of the Royal Palace, Madrid.

The sun over the river in Buitrago del Lozoya, home of the world's smallest Picasso museum

The ancient pharmacy at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

The trees in El Escorial.

A lovely face from the National Archaeological Museum of Spain.

More storm clouds seen from the wall at Avila

A lovely pair of Spanish knockers

The ancient face of pain in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain.

The trees in the forest along the way from Rascafria to Miraflores de la Sierra.

An unhappy old face in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain.

An angel calls from the ceiling of the Royal Palace in Madrid.

This was a real adventure, with little if any advance planning. So every day was full of surprises and events.

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