I know, I know, this post has been a long time coming. And when you see how long it is you’ll understand why it took so long. So with that said, let’s just jump right in.
John and Kate’s European adventures began and ended in Madrid. We saw a lot of places, actually we saw a lot of places many times. In an effort to keep this post to a reasonable length I will likely combine these multiple visits and talk about them all at once. For that reason, you will see different outfits in the same places but I want to assure you that there were no costume changes in the parks…or the plazas…or the temple. Okay, and now on with the show.
The first day was a long one (more so for John than for me since he had a full night of traveling and I had a full night of sleeping). We started with some food and drink…
…and then spent the afternoon exploring, making our first (of many) stops at the Plaza de España…
…and the Templo de Debod. This temple was originally built in southern Egypt around 200 BC in honor of the god Amun. Fast forward almost two thousand years and, with the construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1960, there was an increased threat of flooding to the sacred temples in Abu Simbel. UNESCO made appeals to other countries for help to save these temples (in fact the Templo de Debod itself would have to be moved or else face a lifetime underwater.) Apparently Spain made quite the contribution and, in 1968, the Templo de Debod was given to them as a gift. It was shipped to Madrid through the port of Valencia and was then reconstructed in the middle of Parque Oeste.
We spent a lot of time wandering around the city, down side streets, through the parks so we got to a see a lot of tree-lined streets, pretty parks, and cool architecture. Like this!
There was even a carousel outside of the Corte Inglés!
However, there was a time when we thought, you know what, I want to see more. I really want to see everything and I mean everything. So we took to the sky and took a step back. Okay 2.5 kilometers back. The Teleférico was constructed in 1969 and is kind of like a chairlift taking you over the Manzanares River and over to the Casa de Campo park. Along the way out you get to see the skyline of Madrid as it gets smaller and smaller behind you and the Sierra de Guadarrama to the side in the distance.
If your eyes are really good or you have the ability to zoom in on these pictures (do you on here? I really don’t know) you might spot a dome and a couple of steeples. Well those belong to the Catedral de la Almudena, which we visited next. Construction began in 1883 and wasn’t completed until 1993 when it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II. More recently, it was the site of wedding of (then Prince, now King) Felipe VI to Letizia in 2004.
We took the tour through the church museum (where we saw lots of really ornate robes and tapestries and lots of jewels; alas, weren’t allowed to take pictures) and ended with an amazing viewpoint of the city atop the dome.
Oh right, and it happens to look out over the Royal Palace which is located right next door. And what would a visit to Madrid be without the chance to stalk meet the royal family? (Sidenote: I’ve seen the profile of the King’s face and his hand twice but that’s a story for another time)
Somewhere in there we also had food which goes without saying but must be said so that I can include the picture of this gorgeous cheesecake. It looks like heaven, right? Yeah, it tasted like heaven too. And I highly recommend it to anyone, anywhere. Period.
We got it here and sat on this terrace and had a grand old time.
Speaking of food we went to the Chocolatería San Ginés, the most famous churro place in Madrid. It opened in 1894 and has been serving up yummy churros con chocolate ever since. Hmm, I feel like I sounded a lot like Guy Fieri there. But anyway, they’re even open 24 hours a day!
And did we stop at the La Mallorquina bakery afterwards for a sweet treat for later in the day? We sure did. And look how pretty!
From there was walked around the Puerta del Sol as early in the day as possible to try to avoid the crowds.
While there, we visited El Oso y El Madroño which was constructed in 1967 and represents the coat of arms of Madrid. Initially I had it in my head that it was a bear and a fig tree (no idea where that came from) but it’s actually even more adorable because it’s a strawberry tree. Wait, did I say adorable? I mean intimidating. Right, intimidating. It’s totally an intimating thing to have on your coat arms…
Next stop was the Plaza Mayor, the central plaza in the city. The idea for it came from Felipe II; however, construction didn’t actually get going until Felipe III took the throne. The plaza currently contains a statue of Felipe III (sorry Felipe II, but you know what they say: when you snooze, you lose). Of course the original plaza was completed in 1619 but subsequently burned down following a series of fires. The current plaza that we know and love was rebuilt in 1790 and the statue of Felipe III wasn’t actually placed in the plaza until 1848 (even though it dates to 1616). No idea where it was before then but probably in the palace for him to admire. Back then it seems that every one loved having pictures of themselves everywhere, but he was a king so of course he would have a statue. He’d probably be really disappointed to know that people are more intrigued by Fat Spider-Man (he has business cards and everything!) and the shiny llama that are currently plaza.
From there it was time to stroll down Calle Alacalá to see the Puerta de Alacalá (in the Plaza de Independencia) and the Palacio de Cibeles. But first, a drink with a view. The Circulo de Bella’s Artes has a rooftop terrace so we grabbed a beer from there and looked at miles of burnt orange rooftops and the far-off, snow-capped mountains.
And now back to the history. The Puerta de Alcalá was built as a monumental gate into the city and was built into the walls that used to surround the city. The road over which the gate stood ran from Madrid to the neighboring city of Alcalá de Henares which is how the gate got its name. It was inaugurated in 1778.
The Palacio de Cibeles, used to be the communications building, and is now a cultural center, housing art exhibits, general information, a couple of restaurants and a viewpoint of the city skyline.
From there we headed up to the Plaza de Colón, to commemorate Christopher Columbus. The National Library also lines the plaza so we walked by there first. Unfortunately the library was closed to the public so we couldn’t go in but we paid our respects to Cervantes and went on our merry way.
I know what you’re thinking, ‘this has the been the longest post ever and it’s still going?’ Yes, and I know you’re tired so let’s go relax in Retiro park.
Now that I think about it, Retiro was probably a lot more relaxing for me than it was for John, who rowed us back and forth all over the pond.
After taking in the aquatic sights and making friends with some ducks we made our way over to the Crystal Palace. The building was constructed in 1887 and was originally used as a greenhouse to display flora and fauna from Philippines; however, now it is used to showcase art. The current exhibition is on fossils so you walk in and there are bones just hanging from the ceiling. There is also a pond with a fountain out front so it makes for a pretty picture…which is why there are so many…
Last stop in Madrid: Dehesa de la Villa, my local park where we saw snowy mountains and the sunset.
Our last night in town was spent in the theater where we saw El Rey León. I’m guessing I enjoyed it a little bit more since it was all in Spanish but, hey, at least it’s a well-known story!
And now let’s really relax with some food and drink at our favorite place La Mina. Located right down the street from my apartment it became our go-to place for tapas and cervezas con limón.
And with that the trip came to end. It seems only fitting that the last picture this post would be the last picture from the trip. We’ll always have La Mina…
Wow! Lots to read but every bit interesting and lovely to look at. You’ve had a fantastic adventure. You’ll also always have Spain!