historical walking tour
Our final full day in Madrid had arrived! It was a little bittersweet to know the end of the tour was approaching. I saw so much in the past few days and yet I had two full days to go. I wasn't tired yet and didn't miss home much... but did miss my dog. I delighted in seeing dogs following their owners through the streets; hardly any of them wore leashes. I figured owners much have a magic formula... either that or carry jamon in their pockets!
This morning we set out and walked the streets of Madrid. Federico, our guide, walked us around the city and continued to tell us the stories of Spain, its monarchy, and what it was like under Franco's rule. One of our stops was this spot with this bronze statue. He fit in very well with our group.
This morning we set out and walked the streets of Madrid. Federico, our guide, walked us around the city and continued to tell us the stories of Spain, its monarchy, and what it was like under Franco's rule. One of our stops was this spot with this bronze statue. He fit in very well with our group.
Behind Madrid's cathedral this location shows the star of David as well as old walls of the city. The walls date back to the time of the Moors. The metal relief map shown below outlines the city and shows where the original fortress walls of the city were located (they are the gold walls on the map).
We saw the Cathedral of Madrid from the outside (pictured below). Federico mentioned that there were a good number of Spaniards that didn't like the structure. It was under construction for just over 100 years and turned into a mish-mash of architectural styles. The biggest issue was the cost it took to complete... many people in Spain felt the money could have been better used elsewhere.
The view below was the side of the Cathedral which, in my opinion, was more beautiful than the front. The cathedral sits across from the Royal Palace.
The view below was the side of the Cathedral which, in my opinion, was more beautiful than the front. The cathedral sits across from the Royal Palace.
I zoomed in for some views of the Cathedral's details. The center picture is the very top of the cupola. The statue on the right can be seen in the picture on the left (he's on the left side near the railing).
After the walking tour, we stopped in the Mercado de San Miguel to look around, grab a coffee and snack, and use the restrooms. As Rick mentions in his Spain guide book, this market is home to 30 higher-end vendors that serve food and sell things like produce, bakery, wine by the glass, tapas, and gourmet items. It was a very pleasant stop to take a break and enjoy a quick bite to eat.
The royal palace
Our last stop of the morning was a tour of the Royal Palace. According to Rick, Spain's Royal Palace is the third most impressive, behind Versailles, and Vienna's Schönbrunn. This is Europe's largest palace with 2,800 rooms (nearly 1.5 million square feet). They did not allow pictures inside. Although the King and Queen of Spain no longer live here, it is still used for official events and State visits.
Rick's guide book has a self-guided tour of the palace if you're curious. I would recommend visiting; it's an interesting visit and contains art and collections you won't find elsewhere.
Rick's guide book has a self-guided tour of the palace if you're curious. I would recommend visiting; it's an interesting visit and contains art and collections you won't find elsewhere.
final free afternoon in madrid
I didn't plan on venturing out alone again... I figured I'd see what other tour members wanted to do and bum along with them. We made a pit stop at some restrooms outside the palace (lines were crazy long inside) and next thing I know I'm by myself. Everyone seemed to have gone their separate ways before I made it back to our guide.
So, given that, I took one of Federico's suggestions and decided to get some rooftop views of the city from the top of the Circulo de Bellas Artes building. I should have checked my guide book because it would have helped me find the building. After some searching on the Calle Alcala, I finally found it. Some pictures are included in the slideshow below. It was really cold but totally worth the three Euro admission price. This is one place you didn't have to climb stairs to get rooftop views - there's an elevator that takes you to the seventh floor. I only had to climb one flight of stairs to get onto the roof.
So, given that, I took one of Federico's suggestions and decided to get some rooftop views of the city from the top of the Circulo de Bellas Artes building. I should have checked my guide book because it would have helped me find the building. After some searching on the Calle Alcala, I finally found it. Some pictures are included in the slideshow below. It was really cold but totally worth the three Euro admission price. This is one place you didn't have to climb stairs to get rooftop views - there's an elevator that takes you to the seventh floor. I only had to climb one flight of stairs to get onto the roof.
late lunch at la terraza Gijón
During the driving tour on our very first day in Madrid, we passed this cafe which was set in a parklike setting in the middle of one of the main streets of the city. Federico said it was a pleasant place to get lunch. It was so quaint that it stuck in my memory and I decided to make the hike there to eat lunch. I sat inside the cafe under the bronze roof pictured above. It was my splurge of the trip: a three course lunch with wine. The wait staff was very friendly and I met a couple of Americans at the table next to mine.
plaza mayor neighborhood
Based on my review of the map, I believe I took the metro back to Puerta del Sol and then walked to the Plaza Mayor. As you can see, the architecture in this older part of the city is much different. There are many little shops in the neighborhoods and around the Plaza Mayor. I needed to pick up some little souvenirs for family and friends... this seemed like the perfect place to do it.
free evening filled with flamenco
On my last free evening, I joined other members of the tour group at a flamenco show. Although flamenco originates from Sevilla, Spain, many of the folks in our group wanted to see the show and I honestly had nothing better to do. We arranged reservations in advance with the help of Federico. I opted for the dinner and performance. It's more expensive but you get better seats for the show than the people that attend the performance only.
Poor planning on my part: I ate a HUGE late lunch. I wasn't very hungry by the time dinner was served. We attended the first of two shows that evening so we were eating early... probably around 7:30pm. The food was alright (not the best but not the worst). The sangria hit the spot... and appeared to be included in the price of dinner. I made the most of that.
All in all, it was a good show and I enjoyed spending the evening with our group... and not having to figure something out on my own. Hindsight being 20/20: if I knew I could get a giant lunch, I would have saved the money and skipped the dinner portion, settling for just the show with worse seats.
Poor planning on my part: I ate a HUGE late lunch. I wasn't very hungry by the time dinner was served. We attended the first of two shows that evening so we were eating early... probably around 7:30pm. The food was alright (not the best but not the worst). The sangria hit the spot... and appeared to be included in the price of dinner. I made the most of that.
All in all, it was a good show and I enjoyed spending the evening with our group... and not having to figure something out on my own. Hindsight being 20/20: if I knew I could get a giant lunch, I would have saved the money and skipped the dinner portion, settling for just the show with worse seats.