Both of us had trouble sleeping, so we’re still working through the jet lag. We were up early to pack before heading to the Picasso Museum. After checking our bags at the hotel, we walked the roughly 20 minutes to the museum and arrived before it opened, so we took a quick loop around the block. Inside, we used audio guides to learn about Picasso and his work. He was a highly accomplished traditional artist, winning awards as early as age 14, before eventually evolving into his Cubist period. It’s impressive, although I’m fairly certain that if I tried Cubism, it would not be considered a “period” so much as a problem. There were plenty of people taking photos of the artwork, but luck for you, I was not one of them so I can’t include them here.
After a stop in the gift shop, we returned to the hotel and took a taxi to the train station. We had a short wait in the lounge before boarding. With first-class tickets, lunch was served on the train, and we spent the ride enjoying the Spanish countryside and getting some rest. It was striking how rural the landscape remained—we saw mostly farmland and wind turbines with only a few deer and sheep, and very few people or cars until we neared Madrid. The trip was a little over 3 hours or about 400 miles. We both agreed it was far more pleasant than flying.
From there, we took a taxi to the hotel, which is very nice but not especially close to the center of Madrid. As we arrived, we spotted Gail—Deb’s friend—already here, and out walking. She’s in Madrid for her role on an advisory board for IE University, so our timing worked out perfectly.
That evening, we joined her for a reception at a local restaurant with the rest of the board. It was a pleasant night of wine, appetizers, and conversation with her colleagues—just enough socializing to feel accomplished without overextending our jet-lagged selves.