Guillermo invited me to lunch with his former dissertation adviser, and colleagues from Mexico and Italy.

After that, while walking, we came across this great place . . .

We stopped in for more conversation

We walked by the Opera House

The tower of this church dates to the 14th century.

The Center has a striking exhibition of drawings and paintings from the 20th century.

This Museum may be more Grand Store for Ham.

Your choice of ham.

Or you can get a ham sandwich

Bears used to live outside of Madrid. The madroño tree produces a berry used in a liqueur. This has been a symbol of Madrid for centuries.

The hero of the Puerta del Sol

This marker on the Governor’s office notes that people assembled here in 1808 to oppose the French occupation.

We have our 9/11; Spain has its 4/11, when it suffered a major terrorist attack, noted here.

People being interrogated by Franco’s police sometimes died trying “to escape by jumping” from windows. of the Governor’s House.

And then there are the eccentricities to attract tourists in the Puerta del Sol

And then I came back to watch the live feed of President Trump’s inauguration.  Carnage is not the the word that I would use to describe contemporary America and being first is not a goal I would propose.

Day 4