Our trip to Spain did not begin under the best of circumstances. Even with careful planning, we could not foresee a flight delay which caused us to miss our connection, leaving us stranded in the Paris airport for 7 full hours. Despite losing most of day one, we caught the last portions of the Sunday evening bullfight shortly upon arrival, and even took a stroll around the touristy El Centro and Plaza Mayor before returning to the hotel. Our second day began with equally poor luck. A combination of outdated guide books and recent changes in train services led us to lose another morning to useless commutes, leaving only enough time to visit the Palacio Real that afternoon. Determined to overcome our fate, we ascended the slopes of Toledo early Tuesday morning. Though the main attraction of the small town was closed (of course), we nevertheless scored some souvenirs including a pair of Damascan earrings for Melody and some handmade marzipan for myself. Upon returning to the city for lunch, we were blessed with a most delicious Spanish stew which brought a smile to both our faces. After the meal, we ventured through the halls of the famous Museo del Prado, perusing the many works of Velasquez, De Goya, and El Greco among others, followed by a tour of the adjacent botanical gardens. Our stay in Madrid concluded with a visit to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. Unlike the Prado, this hospital-turned-museum focuses instead on 20th-century art, with works by Dali and Picasso, as well as some ridiculously eccentric pieces which can only be described with one word: weird. As we flew out of Madrid on Wednesday, it was hard not to compare the city with Paris, which we visited 2 years ago. Despite the many palaces and museums in both capital cities, we felt that everything in Madrid was just a little less impressive, leaving us only a mediocre opinion of the city overall.