El Escorial

As one of the last free days I have left before I start my job, I went to El Escorial.  It is a castle and monastery located close to Madrid.  We were originally trying to go to Sevilla, but we missed the train because the machines only took credit cards and the line to pay cash was pretty long.  Then when we finally got to the window, the next train was twice as expensive.  So we decided to go ahead and make a trip to el Escorial.  It is a World Heritage Site that was built by Phillip II.  It has several works of art, along with beautiful tapestries, and a library with many manuscripts and mathematical objects.  The castle itself offered spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and a faraway view of Madrid.  Within the castle are several crypts, so we got to see the burial places of some of the most famous royals in Spain.  Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take many pictures within the actual castle but I was finally able to use my new "fancy" camera.  Here are some of the photos.