El Escorial

We went to visit El Escorial for a day trip while we were still staying in Madrid and it was a really great trip.  It’s a monastery, palace, library, college, and tourist attraction now.  When I set off the metal detector the girl asked me if I spoke English or Spanish and I fumbled for words because I didn’t know what to tell her.  One of us would probably struggle either way.  I guess she decided I was pretty harmless and let me go.  It just so happens that Lyndsey and I both have a strong gag reflex to gross sounds, smells, sights, whatever.  We’re standing in line for the bathroom and Lyndsey starts gagging.  I think she’s overreacting and tell her to cut it out and quit being so ridiculous when I catch a whiff of the worst thing I’ve ever smelled.  I started gagging so violently that I had to run from the premises.  Next time I guess I’ll be a little more understanding.  We had an awesome old man for a tour guide who was so knowledgeable about the building.  There were several chapels inside and Felipe II had his bedroom built with a door connecting it to the chapel.  In case he got sick in the middle of the night or something he could go to the altar and pray.  He was known to be religious to the point of obsession.  This reminded me of how thankful I am for the peace I have in my relationship with the Lord.  The coolest part of El Escorial was the kings and queens tombs.  It was a circular tomb comprised of green marble and gold.  It was built 350 years ago and all of the kings and the wife which bore the next king have been buried there.  The kings are buried on the left side of the tomb and the queens in the corresponding location on the right side of the tomb.  However, Ferdinand VII only had daughters so Elizabeth II’s casket is on the left with all the kings.  The weird thing about the tomb is that only the bones are placed in the caskets.  So adjacent to the tomb is a rotting room where the bodies stay for about 25 years until all of the flesh has rotted away.  There are currently three bodies in the rotting room.  Gross!  The other relatives of the royal family are buried in rooms along a long corridor.  Each room has an altar and how closely related you are to the king determines how close you are buried to the altar.

Ashton