The organist librarian

11.9.17 Good breakfast woke in night. Coach tour of old Madrid stopping to see Cervantes monument. Guide Sergio got us in front of Las Meninas before other groups. I stayed in the Prado and Liz went to Segovia. Great colelction sketched El Grecos but not enough places to sit.Lovely Goyas, Velasquez, one Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Titians, Tintorettos. To Museo Thyssen-Bomemisza which covers all periods. Impressionists, Cubists, Caravaggio Had coffee and salad at Starbucks. Walked round the Royal Botanical garden - it was hot -  two sketches. To Museo Sophie Reine which is huge and not very well signed. Miros, Picassos including Guernica. Lee Lozana special exhibition just plain rude and crude. 4th floor even more modern stuff but had had enough! Tired and back to the hotel which is very well placed. Liz bought delicious Segovia confectionery. Excellent dinner at Plaza Major with singing and guitars. Tapas, lamb (too much) millefeuille. Sat with Melbourne couple. We are only Brits - Auss...

Now begins the task of transcribing my notes from an amazing trip (if I can read them!) 10.9.17 It was not a great start to our holiday! Best of Spain and Portugal Insight vacations. Got to Gatwick in good time taxi and train from East Croydon £2.95 each only to find Iberia flight delayed by 3 hours from 10.50 to 2.10. Arrived Madrid on a lovely sunny day. Missed the coach connection so put in a claim for the taxi fare 30 Euro. Taxi dropped us near station and explained where to walk to the hotel which was very central. There was a huge cycle race through the city and we watched it on TV. Met Peter our tour director at 9 when he got back from the welcome dinner and reception. 40 on tour. We had wine and a good chat then had delicious meal at the hotel downstairs - duck, hake and orange sorbet E25 and we got 20% off that. However we soon discovered Iberia had messed us up yet again as we never got people's names. 8  people on the trip NEVER spoke to us (the group of 4 Russians...