Outside the Basilica of San Lorenzo el Real

When I went in the halls of El Escorial, I wasn’t expecting to see a massive trove of paintings which were accumulated by the palace and monastery over the centuries. El Escorial is now essentially an art museum showcasing these priceless works of art. However, photographs weren’t allowed inside the art galleries so I wasn’t able to take photos of the interior of the palace or monastery. It is a shame since it was quite nice. I ended up going through the art galleries one after the other. In the end, there were only so much paintings I can see in one afternoon and I was just going through the rooms just to get out of there. Most of the captions that came with the paintings were in Spanish anyway and I didn’t want to rack my brains to find out what it said.

I found myself in a courtyard, apparently, it was the Courtyard of the Kings here at El Escorial. The courtyard is a large plaza within the monastery complex and it fronts the Basilica of San Lorenzo el Real. It was only at this point that I was able to make use of my camera again. I was thinking of taking photos outside but I asked the guards, through actions, if I can come back in without having to pass through the security checks, they said no so I just stayed inside. I was thinking of attending Holy Mass at the Basilica since it was Holy Thursday that day. Services start at seven in the evening so I still had some time before it starts.

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