Felipe II had a dream. A dream that all the peoples of every nation would one day live in a world where Catholicism dominated as the one true faith. Unfortunately, Felipe II was living in a time when Protestantism was in vogue. So, he built himself a nice palace outside of Madrid devoted to God and Catholic ideals.
To visit this royal monument, we took the train from Madrid to the suburb town of El Escorial. Today it's apparently a nice set of neighborhoods and small businesses closer to the mountains, but after a walk through the modern parts of town, we discovered the palace.
Felipe's desire for a Catholic world, or at least a Catholic sanctuary, can be felt through the austere halls and religious paintings. My visit started with seeing the paintings and tapestries that were part of the king's collection. While the collection represents his religious beliefs rather than an artistic taste - especially given his dislike of El Greco - it definitely contributes to the atmosphere of the place. Elsewhere in the palace can be found his bedroom that overlooks a chapel and a map of the galaxy with Earth at the center. So, just in case you forgot, the Catholic Church is God at El Escorial.
The views of the surrounding countryside and mountains were quite beautiful and the exterior architecture and gardens were impressive, probably more interesting than the art contained within the palace - aside from the ceiling art in the library.
The monastery at the center of the palace was quite large and detailed, but really, what Spanish church isn't? Personally, a real highlight of the journey was a trip into the royal crypt. The crypt holds many generations of the Spanish royal family and is unavailable to the public. Fortunately for me, I rented an audio guide and with it, was permitted to enter the crypt. Strange system to allow just the people with audio guides or tours, but it kept the riffraff out and was an opportunity to see an amazing sight.
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