Galileo Galileo

I am making an oblique reference to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody today as it was Galileo Galilei himself who made the mathematical calculations that enabled Pietro Tacca, the Italian sculptor of this magnificent equestrian statue to have the horse rearing up on its hind legs. The entire weight of the horse is balanced on the rear legs and tail. It gives the statue great dynamism and a marked departure from most equestrian statues I've ever seen. The  statue is a memorial to King Philip lV of Spain. It was shipped to Madrid in 1640 and has been in its present location in the garden square in front of the East Wing of the Royal Palace since 1843. Today has been packed with interest, thanks to the guide we had arranged to take us on a tour of the main sights. Edgard, originally from Brazil, was a mine of information. We had booked him for 4 hours but it was close on 5 hours when we finally bade him farewell. We also struck up a brilliant conversation with a couple who, like us, had just bought biscuits from a convent where the nuns have no contact with the outside world other than through a hatch where you can buy the biscuits but don't see who you are talking to - the biscuits come round on a revolving shelf which is also where you place the money for them. The couple were from the US, a really nice guy, and Poland. They were living in Barcelona and had come to Madrid for the day. In the evening we went to a flamenco show where you could have a meal before the performance. Flash photography was not allowed but my daughter took some video. The other extra is of the Plaza Mayor, a spectacular enclosed square, which used to be the city's central market. We finished the evening just off the square at the San Miguel market. It was a shame we'd already eaten as there were lots of tapas bars inside but we did have a fruit bowl each - grapes, kiwi fruit, mango, strawberries. All in all, a memorable day with, again, a lot of back blip material to be shown at a later date.