We took a trip to Spain in May with some of our good friends - Cathy, Veronica, Mandy and Elaine from Canada, and Greg from South Africa. Unfortunately we could not join them for the first part of their Spain trip which started in Barcelona, so we met up with them in Madrid.
Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities (similar to provinces in Canada, or states in the US) of which Madrid is one of them. Madrid is also the capital of Spain and Spain's largest city, with a population of over six million people. Madrid is the political centre of Spain and the major financial centre of Southern Europe.
We spent four enjoyable days in Madrid and during that time, we also managed to include a few excursions to places of interest outside of the city. After Madrid, we headed south to Seville in the autonomous community of Andalucia. It was a fun trip and we had a great time with our friends.
Parque del Retiro
We flew to Madrid from Singapore via Bangkok and arrived early in the morning. Our friends were expected in Madrid later that same morning (they were taking a train from Barcelona), so to pass the time until they arrived, we decided to take a walk to Parque del Retiro (Retiro Park).
This beautiful park which was once reserved for royalty, lies in the heart of the city and it is one of the city's largest parks. In 1767, Carlos III broke with tradition by allowing members of the public to enter the Retiro, provided they were "washed, clean and suitably dressed". However, it was not until the 1860's that the partitions separating the public area from the royal area were torn down.
We spent about two hours exploring the park and in that time, got to see some of the highlights that include the Estanque (the 1631 boating lake); the Monument to Alfonso XII; the Palacio de Cristal (the Crystal Palace inspired by its British namesake); Paseo de las Estatuas (the line of Baroque statues representing the rulers of Spain); the El Angel Caido (monument to the fallen angel Lucifer) and the Rosaleda (the rose garden). This park is beautifully maintained and it is no surprise that it is a favourite retreat for the locals. It was a great way to spend the morning, especially after sitting on a plane for 13 hours straight.
Mercado de San Miguel
We visited this renovated early 20th century market on our first day in Madrid and it did not disappoint. This market is made up of a number of delicatessen stalls, selling an array of food and drinks that can be enjoyed on site. While we were at the market it was really busy, with many people just standing around drinking, socialising and enjoying tapas.
Museo del Prado
The Prado Museum is one of Madrid's top tourist attractions. The galleries of the Prado house the most extensive collection of Spanish paintings from the medieval times to the 19th century. At the core of this collection, is the prized Royal collection of mainly 16th and 17th century paintings, transferred from palaces around Madrid. Also on display are the works of famous Italian, Dutch and Flemish artists.
Seeing as though not everyone was keen to spend a lot of time at the Prado Museum, we decided to take advantage of the two hours each day when there is free admission to the museum. I am glad we decided to do this, because as much as I (Sam) love museums and thought the Prado was nice, it was a little disappointing (the Prado is touted as being one of the world's best museums and perhaps my expectations were high for this museum, but honestly after having visited the Louvre, nothing can compare). Nevertheless, it was great to see paintings by artists like Goya, Raphael, Murillo, Velazquez, El Greco, Rembrandt and Van Dyck to name a few.
Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photographs inside the museum, so we have none to share.
Paella
While in Spain we had to try Paella. One evening while walking back to our hotel, we saw this advertisement board outside a restaurant and decided to have dinner there. David and I tried the Seafood Paella and the Vegetable Paella, and both were tasty. The only thing that we did not like about this restaurant, was the service which was terrible. In fact one thing we found disappointing in Spain, was the level of Customer Service all around. We experienced poor service not only in restaurants, but also in shops. Also, we didn't find the people in general particularly friendly nor helpful. Pity because this aspect definitely adds to any experience. Good thing we had the company of our happy friends !
Puerta de Alcala
Puerta de Alcala is one of Madrid's old city gates and it dates back to 1788. The city of Madrid, was once surrounded by a wall to control taxes on products that were brought into the city and also as a precaution against epidemics. The wall was demolished in 1868, but some of the gates were kept and the Puerta de Alcala is the most famous of these.
Plaza de Cibeles
Plaza de Cibeles is one of the most important squares in Madrid. This square, which is also one of Madrid's busiest traffic intersections, is surrounded by important buildings like City Hall, the General Army Headquarters and the Bank of Spain. In the centre of the square lies one of the city's most famous landmarks, the Fountain of Cybele which depicts the goddess of nature and abundance riding her chariot, hauled by a pair of prancing lions.
After walking around Plaza de Cibeles, we headed down Gran Via, one of the main streets in Madrid.
Templo de Debod
It was surprising to find an Egyptian temple in the city of Madrid! The story of how this temple got to Spain is a a nice one. When the construction of the Aswan Dam was undertaken in 1960, UNESCO undertook the initiative to salvage the temples in the Nile Valley in Nubia. Spain assisted with this project by sending an archaeological expedition to help save the Abu Simbel temples. In gratitude, the Egyptian government donated the Temple of Debod to Spain. The Temple of Debod dates back to the beginning of the 2nd century BC. When the temple arrived in Madrid in 1968, it underwent some reconstruction, whereby some of the missing original pieces were replaced with new ones, but in a different colour to differentiate between the original structure and the new elements.
El Rastro
El Rastro is Madrid's famous flea market and has been going for over 100 years. The location of this market is in Lavapies, one of Madrid's oldest working-class neighbourhoods. Sunday is the main trading day, with many locals coming to browse, shop and eat. That said, this market is known to be extremely busy, but fortunately we got there just as the vendors were setting up, so it was still relatively quiet. It is a typical flea market selling lots of cheap clothes, antiques and knick-knacks. We browsed a little and then made our way to the Royal Madrid area.
El Rastro is Madrid's famous flea market and has been going for over 100 years. The location of this market is in Lavapies, one of Madrid's oldest working-class neighbourhoods. Sunday is the main trading day, with many locals coming to browse, shop and eat. That said, this market is known to be extremely busy, but fortunately we got there just as the vendors were setting up, so it was still relatively quiet. It is a typical flea market selling lots of cheap clothes, antiques and knick-knacks. We browsed a little and then made our way to the Royal Madrid area.
Cathedral de la Almudena
Cathedral de la Almudena is situated in the Royal Madrid area, next to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). Cathedral de la Almudena was completed in the 1980's and was opened by Pope John Paul II in 1993. While the exterior is Neo-Classical in design (to fit in with the Royal Palace), the interior is Gothic. It is a gorgeous cathedral, both outside and inside.
Cathedral de la Almudena is situated in the Royal Madrid area, next to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). Cathedral de la Almudena was completed in the 1980's and was opened by Pope John Paul II in 1993. While the exterior is Neo-Classical in design (to fit in with the Royal Palace), the interior is Gothic. It is a gorgeous cathedral, both outside and inside.
Palacio Real
Palacio Real is Spain's magnificent Royal Palace. It is the official residence of His Royal Highness the King of Spain, who uses it for state ceremonies. The palace stands on the site of a 9th century Muslim castle. In 1734 the original wooden palace was burned down and Felipe V commissioned a replacement. Work began on the new palace in 1738 and it was completed in 1764.
We took a tour of the palace and found that more than half the state apartments are open to the public, however we were not allowed to take photos inside the palace, so we have no photos to share. That said, the inside of the palace was grand and as the cliche goes, fit for a King!
Palacio Real is Spain's magnificent Royal Palace. It is the official residence of His Royal Highness the King of Spain, who uses it for state ceremonies. The palace stands on the site of a 9th century Muslim castle. In 1734 the original wooden palace was burned down and Felipe V commissioned a replacement. Work began on the new palace in 1738 and it was completed in 1764.
We took a tour of the palace and found that more than half the state apartments are open to the public, however we were not allowed to take photos inside the palace, so we have no photos to share. That said, the inside of the palace was grand and as the cliche goes, fit for a King!
Teatro Real
The Royal Theatre was originally built in 1818 and officially opened in 1850. It underwent restoration in 1997, turning it into a modern state-of-the-art Opera House. Pity we didn't have more time in Madrid, otherwise it would have been great to have seen a performance here.
The Royal Theatre was originally built in 1818 and officially opened in 1850. It underwent restoration in 1997, turning it into a modern state-of-the-art Opera House. Pity we didn't have more time in Madrid, otherwise it would have been great to have seen a performance here.
Chocolateria San Gines
One of the things that we had to try while in Spain, was chocolate con churros and what better place to try them than at Chocolateria San Gines. This famous 1894 Chocolateria is popular with both locals and tourists alike. We decided to go there one afternoon after a day of lots of walking and sightseeing. When we arrived, it was very busy and people were queueing outside the shop. Fortunately we were able to place our order fairly quickly and we also managed to find seating in the downstairs section of the cafe. We then waited in anticipation for our chocolate con churros to be brought to the table. The churros arrived, hot and crispy (they had just come out of the fryer!). Expecting them to heavy, they were surprising light, not overly sweet and not very oily. That said, they were the perfect accompaniment to the hot chocolate, which was very thick, rich, creamy and heavy. We all enjoyed the Chocolate con churros and it was the perfect afternoon treat, although typically they are eaten for breakfast in Spain!
Puerta del Sol
The Puerta del Sol square is considered to be the centre of Madrid and to the locals, this is the real heart of the city. Ten streets radiate from this square and in the centre is a statue of Carlos III. The name Puerta del Sol means "Gateway of the Sun"
The Puerta del Sol square is considered to be the centre of Madrid and to the locals, this is the real heart of the city. Ten streets radiate from this square and in the centre is a statue of Carlos III. The name Puerta del Sol means "Gateway of the Sun"
Mercado de San Anton
After one of our half-day excursions outside of Madrid, we asked our driver if he could recommend a food market in the city and so he dropped us off at Mercado de San Anton. This market sells mostly food, wine and flowers, and from what we could tell, caters to a more up-market crowd (most of the items on sale were on the pricey side). Nevertheless, it is a nice market offering a big selection of fresh food. After walking around the market we went up to the roof of the building and found a really nice restaurant, where we ended up having a really good affordable meal.
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is Madrid's famous square and a popular tourist attraction. It is a huge square that is capable of holding up to 50,000 people. Plaza Mayor was completed in 1619, but underwent a redesign in 1791 following a fire. During its history, Plaza Mayor has served as a market, a bullring, an open-air theatre and a place of execution. Today, the buildings are mainly used by the city government, while shops, terrace bars and restaurants surround the square on the ground-level. Fortunately Plaza Mayor was fairly close to our hotel, so we visited this square more than once, going back a couple of times to have drinks and enjoy the atmosphere.
Plaza Mayor is Madrid's famous square and a popular tourist attraction. It is a huge square that is capable of holding up to 50,000 people. Plaza Mayor was completed in 1619, but underwent a redesign in 1791 following a fire. During its history, Plaza Mayor has served as a market, a bullring, an open-air theatre and a place of execution. Today, the buildings are mainly used by the city government, while shops, terrace bars and restaurants surround the square on the ground-level. Fortunately Plaza Mayor was fairly close to our hotel, so we visited this square more than once, going back a couple of times to have drinks and enjoy the atmosphere.
La Casa del Abuelo
Affectionately translated to "Grandad's Place", this tapas bar is a favourite with both locals and tourists alike. The bar is famous for its variations of tapas made with shrimp. We decided to try the gamba al ajillo, peeled shrimp fried in oil and garlic, seasoned with salt and red pepper flakes. It came with bread and it was delicious!
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
On one of the afternoons while us ladies went shopping, David and Greg decided to take the stadium tour of Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. This stadium is home to one of the world's top football clubs, Real Madrid. David and Greg were given access to the stadium, the trophy room, the dressing rooms, the press room, the pitch, the presidential box, the players' tunnel, the benches and the coaching area.
Madrid at Night
Madrid had a very different feel at night with all the major buildings lit up. Most of the buildings looked more beautiful at night than during the day.
