El Museo Naval de Madrid

      Today I went to the Naval Museum, which also serves as the Spanish Armada's Naval Headquarters in Madrid....pretty cool! Claire had to go for her Oceanography class, so I decided to tag along. Some people might think, oh Naval museum that's not fun, but it really was! When we entered we had to go through security and show an ID, because it is part of the Naval Headquarters...I did see some Navy people walking around.
    I was surprised by how much stuff they had...I always forget that the U.S. is such a young country compared to European countries. The museum had artifacts and paintings dating back to the 16th century and Christopher Columbus, and then fairly recent things.

I believe this was on the stern (back) of a boat. It is made out of wood and the lions are for the Spanish coat of arms.

In the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, model boats were made out of wood to see if they floated. If they did, then the ship-builders knew a ship with the same proportions, but bigger, would float. This is one of the model boats.

 

A replica that shows the inside of the boat...you can tell how hard it was to make these boats, the replicas and the real thing. They are very detailed...and made by hand!

A really cool boat. I think this one is just a replica.

Muskets. When the Spanish conquered other lands, or fought against them, they were often more prepared because they had actual guns and their opponents just had swords and spears. When the oceanography professor was talking about this she referred to the Indian Jones movies (A man with a sword is fighting against Indy, but then Indy pulls out a gun), and only the boys in the class and I got it.....

I am not sure who this is, but he really reminds me of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.

The current queen of Spain, Queen Sofia.

Another big replica of a boat. I believe this is a replica of the Santa Maria.

A ship's wheel, from the late 1800s.

This is the museum's most important and oldest piece. Juan de la Cosa created this map of the world (that was known at the time), while he sailed multiple times across the Atlantic to America, a couple of times with Christopher Columbus. So this map is from the late 1400s, early 1500s, and is the only known map of its kind. 

The map again - you can see the outline of Africa in this picture, and above it is Europe. Europe and Africa were mapped out really well, but America was not.

    For dinner we had chicken noodle soup (without actual chicken), bread, and cannelloni (Spanish: canelones) with beef in the middle and lots of cheese on top.


 Things I have learned in Spain:

• Cars will stop if there is a crosswalk...and when they stop they will stop right in front of the crosswalk, so close you think they are going to hit you.
• Cars do not stop at all if there is a crosswalk and people are crossing
• There are multiple Cortes Ingles stores around Madrid, and even the shopping area of Sol....so many!
• Little kids love their rolling backpacks here
• Short boots are really in style
• Everyone dresses up like they are really cold...even  when it is upper 40s. 

¡Adios!