After the chilly northwestern towns, Madrid is scorching hot. But it doesn't have the same Toronto humidity: you can sit in the shade and instantly cool off.

Today we visited the Museo del Prado. Opened to the public in 1819 and inspired by the Louvre, the Prado houses masterpieces by Raphael, Goya, Velázquez, Caravaggio, Bosch, Rembrandt and many others. The collection of art at the Prado is considered by many to be among the greatest public collections in the world.
It would take several trips to fully appreciate the entire collection, so Dana and I named a few of our favourite artists and sought them out down the vast corridors with vaulted ceilings and numerous chambers extending every which way. Half the joy of the hunt was the unexpected treasures that lined the way, like the intricately designed 16th C marble inlay table supported by, not legs, but four golden bronze lions. I'll never settle for plain old table legs again.

A few personal highlights:
- The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch
- Christ Fallen Under the Cross by Raphael (brought tears to my eyes)
- David and Goliath by Caravaggio
- The Three Ages of Man and Death by Baldung
- Archduke Leopoldo Wilhelm at his Picture Gallery in Brussels by Teniers
- Mona Lisa (a stunning version of da Vinci's work that experts speculate was painted by a pupil alongside the master).

I'll stop there. I'm saturated with art!