1 December 2011

Madrid

This was the final city in our Spain adventure, and a week is, of course, nowhere near enough time to see Madrid. It's a very impressive city, and compared to our previous stops it felt immense. We really only scratched the surface. Fortunately the Metro is a convenient way to get around. The neighbourhood we stayed in was near Plaza del Conde de Toreno, close to Calle de San Bernardino and Calle de Amaniel. Although the area perhaps isn't as picturesque as some others, it was great value for Madrid, very convenient to the Metro, local shops and parks, and worked well for us. We found the people of Madrid to be really friendly. Just going for a walk on Paseo del Prado or Calle Gran Via is a great way to spend some time.

What we saw and did
Parque Oeste: A great place for a walk, with some fun playgrounds for kids. Templo de Debod is interesting. You don't expect to find an Egyptian temple from 200 BC in Spanish park.

Parque del Buen Retiro: Another beautiful Spanish park. Really cool playgrounds, lots of people and lots to see. The Palacio de Cristal had an art installation by Soledad Sevilla that we really enjoyed.

Museo Reino Sofia: Although we'd heard that if you only visit one art gallery in Madrid the Prado is the one so see, I really, really wanted to see Guernica so we opted for Reino Sofia. Lots of great stuff here, and just before we enjoyed café con leche and churros con chocolate close by at El Brillante.

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales: This was okay, but some parts were temporarily closed when we were there, so it wasn't an amazing visit. Lots of stuffed animals to look at though.

Madrid de los Austrias: Apparently the old centre of Madrid. We had a great walk around this area – there's lots to see. Palacio Real is pretty impressive. Mercado de San Miguel is fun, but a bit expensive. Plaza San Miguel is a great place to enjoy an afternoon café con leche.

Taller Puntera: I'm not sure how we found our way to this neat little leather workshop (Plaza Conde de Barajas, 4), but they make and sell very beautiful, hand-crafted leather goods.

Según Emma: While out wandering, we enjoyed a great lunch at this nice little restaurant, located at Plazuela del Conde de Miranda, 4.

Bodega de los Reyes: This little shop was just around the corner from our apartment and had a nice assortment of wine and olive oil. Calle de los Reyes, 6.

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We loved Spain, and hope to return some day. There so many places we didn't get to, as well as some we'd absolutely visit again. The people are friendly, the food and wine are great, and the cities and parks are beautiful!


Another city full of spectacular architecture!


Near Retiro

Palacia Real

Plaza de España

Templo de Debod in Parque Oeste



Churros at El Brillante!

Hasta Luego España!