National Library Part 1

Tristan wanted to go to the National Library for his mommy date.  

Here we are parked in the alley behind the building with the spires. 

But it turned out that the spire building is the City Hall. It was raining so we did not stick around to ask about the balloons. But we know it was a race because people had on race bids with numbers. 

So at the library a couple of blocks away, people were lining up. 

It turned out that Saturday was the one day of the year when they have an open house. 

We had plenty of time to pick our favorite statue. Tristan of course picked the guy with the sword. I at first could not find a guy with a sword, but the hilt in his hand  does have a whole sword. 

Cervantes also has a bow and arrows. A  man in front of us in line told us that Cervantes was in a famous battle and also served in Morocco. Tristan mumbled to me that he would go home and look it up on Wikipedia.  I suggested that he ask the nice man right there, but he would rather look it up then ask somebody. 

The grand staircase leads to the Library Board conference room. 

The Royal tapestry makers still make tapestries based on these Goya cartoons. 

Notice the book on the door. 

Here is the United States right next to statistics. Some 20-year-old university students come in who have never seen a card catalog before.  

   Part 2 coming up.