El Escorial Did Not Disappoint

El Escorial is another UNESCO World Heritage site that we had wanted to bag forever and finally got around to. The bad part is that officially there are no photos allowed inside, because there is some cool stuff that not all palaces have:

• Library: huge, beautiful ceiling frescos
• Chapter houses: elegant ceiling frescos that are really in the style of grotesque (link?)
• Royal Pantheon: eerie, unusual
• Wall tapestries: surely there are more here than the Prado, and they are in situ, vivid colors, some from Goya cartons.
• Gardens: big expanse of sculptured gardens

Our day trip to El Escorial started at Atocha Cercanias, the busy commuter rail station adjacent to the Renfe station.

It's just 1hr 15 mins each way on line C3, and after 30 minutes the morning commuters had vanished. So we relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.

El Escorial Station to San Lorenzo de El Escorial Monastery and Royal Site is an easy 20 minute, slightly uphill walk which was good for us on a chilly morning. The Monastery does not show itself until you are almost there.

The site admission is 12 euros. No photography is allowed inside. However, it's a huge and "lightly guarded" monastery with many rooms and corridors so we were able to take a few quick snaps. First is the Courtyard of the Kings entrance to the Basilica.

The dome of the Basilica.

Grand Stairwell Ceiling Fresco.

Cloister Murals.

Pantheon of Infantes; tombs of royal children who did not live to adulthood. [The Royal Pantheon for kings and queens is well guarded. No pics. Smile.]

Tapestries in the Royal Residence.

A few shots from the well-tended Friars Garden which surrounds the Monastery on two sides.

Lastly, the eastern facade of the Monastery.

We returned on the C3 to a busy Atocha Station.

Atocha's original 1892 main hall was turned into an atrium in 1992.