lala and her taller half are thinking of expanding their waistlines and horizons and visiting Madrid for the MLK weekend. We have two free nights at the Park Hyatt and one paid night somewhere else - perhaps the Westin. Now, what to do? We like food, walking around and architecture and sometimes shopping.

Do you think we could easily amuse ourselves?

Neither of us speaks spanish, however I can get by okay in english, italian, french and farsi (probably not used much there)....

Is it worth doing a day trip to toledo?

lala

You can definitely occupy 3 days in Madrid and surroundings.

First of all, a day trip to Toledo is a must. It's a perfectly preserved medieval town, with an amazing cathedral. Very picturesque.

As for the city itself, if you're a museum type, then you'll be in heaven. You can spend a whole day at the Prado (Goyas and Velazquez and other old masters), and then a half day at the Reina Sofia (20th century art - mostly Picassos and Miros).

If you're not a museum buff, you should at least spend a couple of hours at the Prado, and an hour at the Reina Sofia, and see the highlights.

I also highly recommend a visit to the Royal Palace. Usually once a day, around noon. It's the actual home of the king, and is absolutely beautiful inside.

Food and walking around definitely go together in Madrid--you can make a day/evening of just hopping around from tapas bar to tapas bar as you explore the city. The Paseo del Prado is a lovely street dotted with fountains, museums, and interesting buildings such as the main post office (near the Fuente de Cibeles). On Sunday, you can visit El Rastro (the huge flea market). Shopping can be found near the Gran Via and the Calle de Goya (shoes!). The Plaza Mayor and environs is quite a scene. If you like architecture, Toledo would be a good bet; the cathedral there is magnificent, and the Alcazar is also interesting. It's only about an hour away and well worth the time. I think you will find more than enough to amuse you for 3 days! I speak only enough Spanish to order shrimp and beer, and I didn't feel hugely disadvantaged in the city. English is not as commonly spoken there as in, say, Paris or Rome, but Spaniards are generally outgoing and approachable and willing to try to have a conversation with you despite any language barriers. I'm going back to Madrid for 2 weeks on Monday, and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it. It's easy to fall in love with Spain!

Art is highly subjective, but I was bored out of my mind at the Prado, think dusty death stilllife.

The Reina Sofia is vibrant and alive, I'm sad I only had 3 hours.