Strolling Along the Royal Palace in the Moonlight in Madrid, Spain
You will wade through the crowds to reach the palace by day; and for the purpose of entering within its walls, by all means, you should. However, to simply take in the majestic façade of this centuries-old building, you will find the crowds completely dispersed after dark. The surrounding Sabatini, Cabo Noval and Lepanto Gardens take on a entirely different character, their serenity unmatched in the light of the moon. And in the glow of the surrounding lamplights, there is a sort of romantic air only possible in the soul of this great Spanish capital.
If he hadn't played a part in the disastrous handover of Spain to Napoleon and the even worse reign of his (alleged) son, Fernando VII, you could almost feel sorry for King Carlos IV. Some of his misfortunes: his much smarter wife and first cousin, Queen María Luisa de Parma, seized control of the kingdom for her lover (and probable father of many of her children), Manuel de Godoy. The court painter, Francisco de Goya portrayed this unattractive, inbred bunch with grotesque glee (and eventually lost his job). Uninterested in politics, the rather simple-minded Charles retreated into his own world, hunting and collecting clocks while the once-mighty Spanish Empire went to hell in a handbasket. His taste in timekeepers was excellent and the clocks scattered around the Royal Palace—along with a room of priceless Stradivarius violins—are a highlight of the tour.
You will wade through the crowds to reach the palace by day; and for the purpose of entering within its walls, by all means, you should. However, to simply take in the majestic façade of this centuries-old building, you will find the crowds completely dispersed after dark. The surrounding Sabatini, Cabo Noval and Lepanto Gardens take on a entirely different character, their serenity unmatched in the light of the moon. And in the glow of the surrounding lamplights, there is a sort of romantic air only possible in the soul of this great Spanish capital.
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