First Sketches, and a Canadian Camper in the Crystal Palace?!

Another great day of wandering yesterday. We shopped our way down Fuencarral from Gran Via, visited the museum of history, then cabbed our way east to explore Plaza Mayor, Mercado de San Miguel and the Palace 

True to my word in my last post, I finally hunkered down at a cafe table to sketch. We found a great little pub on Calle Mayor. Part way through this top drawing the proprietor came out to ask us to move. I tried to explain that that would change my perspective and so was not possible. He pointed out the policia who was about to write him a ticket for having his terace sprawl too far into the street.  Policía trumps perspective. We moved. 

Tomorrow we head to Barcelona. The only thing that was left undone on my must do list was visit Buen Retiro Park. Greg wasn't feeling great so I headed off on my own. I wanted to see the row boats on the lake and the crystal palace. They were goth amazing, but the big thrill was inside the crystal palace. Parked in the middle of this big open glass covered space was a circa 1960's Canadian travel trailer with BC plates! The windows were removed so we could peek inside.  It was filled with magical little mechanized puppets, both finished and under construction. One side of the camper was converted into a tiny puppet theatre, and the puppetress could be seen sleeping on the berth at the back of the trailer. She was made of wax, and was so real you could see the tiny spider veins on her legs poking out from under the sheet. There was a big odd antiquated speaker turning slowly on the top of the camper, broadcasting warmly carny music out into the glass shell.

Trippy.