Madrid is a great place just to walk around. Look up! The tops of the buildings are beautiful as you can see by this example you pass when you walk from
the Plaza del Sol to the Prado Museum.

A big part of life in Madrid, the capital of Spain, is manifestaciones or demonstrations. This one is at the Puerta del Sol; you can just make out in the treetops the "oso," the bear eating chestnuts from a tree, the symbol of Madrid. This demonstration is by survivors of the terrorist attacks of 11 March 2004.

You'll spend a lot of time walking towards these towers of the Instituto de San Isidro.
That's where your classes are held.

The entrance to San Isidro: We're through the gate, now it's down the gallery, through that door, turn left and go up several flights of stairs to your classroom. Bring some water with you!

Just steps away from the Colegiato de San Isidro, every Sunday morning you will find the Rastro, Madrid's world-famous flea market, heaven for shoppers and pickpockets alike. Look for bargains and hold on tight to your wallet.

There are many museums to visit in Madrid. Check out the "Sitios de internet" page for links to get information. The Prado is one of the most important art museums in the world and contains works by Velázquez, el Bosco (Bosch) and Goya.

The National Archaeological Museum contains artifacts from a reproduction of the cave paintings at Altamira to medieval times. Of course, it also has the Dama de Elche.

The Centro de Arte Reina Sofia and the Thyssen, the Instituto de Bellas Artes and the Museo Sorolla are all worth a trip.

corrida de toros : Can you take it?

You may have a chance to go to a corrida de toros at Ventas. It is sometimes referred to as a "bull-fight" but this is a misnomer. It is actually more like a ritual killing. The killing of the bull is a highly organized, cooperative process consisting of several stages: wounding the bull, tiring the bull and eventually executing the bull. It is not one man against one bull, but rather, a team of toreodors and matadors work together to kill the animal. It's dangerous and violent but highly stylized. The crowd respects bullfighters who don't show fear, who get close to the bull and who know their business and carry it out so skillfully that the bull does not suffer a long and painful death. Going to the bullfight is an interesting and memorable experience, but it is probably not for the squeamish. Vegetarians would most likely find it unpleasant. However, if you are a carnivore, you may wish to participate as a spectator in this skilled and aesthetically appointed ritual, a community confrontation with our need to take life to eat meat.