May 23 Bilbao to Madrid

We took the scenic route instead of the Autopista between Bilbao and Burgos to see more of Spain (and save on highway tolls).  We started the day in rain yet again, but ended up in sunny Madrid, the first full sun we've seen it seems in a couple of weeks.  On the way we took a detour, intended, to San Lorenzo de El Escorial.  En route, the road we chose took us through a mountain pass (El Puerto de los Cotos) at an elevation of 2429 metres (just under 8000 feet).  The route was very interesting, although at times Cindy was a bit nervous due to her fear of falling off roads in high places, especially with tight switchbacks. There was snow on the ground and on the peaks around the pass.  This happens to be Madrid's closest ski area, and you can see the city from up there.  There were several people there that had hiked up the mountains to ski or snowboard down who were loading up there skiing equipment in the parking lot.  We even got to throw snowballs in Spain.  Here's a few shots from the drive and the pass area.  The guys on horses in the last shot were herding some cattle across the highway.

 (42°34'59.3"N, 3°17'44.6"W)

(40°49'24.9"N, 3°57'45.5"W) 

El Escorial is a huge active monastery, with a basilica and the palatial mausoleum for Spain's royalty. (40°35'21.1"N, 4°08'52.2"W)

Although we were not permitted to take photos inside, I snapped this next one surreptitiously with my iPhone.  Maybe this is sacrilegious, but can you see the guy trying to put on moose antlers so that he blends in with his natural surroundings?