Madrid - two days chronicled with commentary

wow....we are now in Madrid and I think this is like the madre of cities ..... with Valencia being like the princess.

As usual - the pics will tell most of the story - this is from day 2:


THE PRADO - I FULFILLED A BIG BUCKETLIST ITEM BY GOING TO THE PRADO ART MUSEUM TODAY. LES HAS A PROBLEM WITH ONE FOOT THAT IS ACHING IN THE HEEL AND HE WAITED FOR ME. I SAW MANY ORIGINAL PICASSO'S IN A SPECIAL EXHIBIT THEY HAD, PLUS GOYA, RUBENS AND TONS OF VELAZQUEZ PAINTINGS. I OOOHED AND AHHHHD AND WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO PHOTOGRAPH, BUT PICS DONT RELAY THE BEAUTY ANYWAYS.









THERE ARE SO MANY PARKS WITH HUGE TREES, WATER FOUNTAINS, STATUES:











THE BUILDINGS ARE ORNATE BUT SOMEHOW DIFFERENT THAN IN VALENCIA....OLDER? MORE IMPOSING? DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN WHY, BUT THEY ARE SOMEHOW MORE:






















THIS IS THE MERCADO SAN MIGUEL - FAR TOO CROWDED FOR US SO WE WALKED THRU AND ATE AT A RESTAURANT OUTSIDE:












THIS IS ME LISTENING TO THE MUSICIANS ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR VENUE:








THE MERCADO IS REALLY CLOSE TO PLAZA MAYOR - THESE ARE STAIRS WE TOOK TO GET TO THE PLAZA:






THE PLAZA MAYOR IS ENORMOUS. WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT IS THAT THERE ARE EXITS AT EACH CORNER THAT LEAD TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY CENTER. THIS SQUARE IS 370 YEARS OLD AND CAN HOLD 50,000 PEOPLE DURING NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS. IT WAS ONCE A DRIED UP LAKE:








THIS WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT BEFORE THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE IN PARIS:







WE STOPPED AT THIS LITTLE SPOT AND THE RESTROOMS ARE INDICATED BY "ASEO". THERE ARE NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS ANYWHERE SO WE ENDED UP MAKING EXCUSES FOR STOPS - WATER - BEER - AND IN THIS CASE: ICE CREAM. THIS PLACE WAS RIGHT ACROSS THE TOUR BUS 2 STOP:















THERE IS MORE AMIGOS .... THAT IS TODAY'S BUT THERE WAS A FULL DAY YESTERDAY AND IT IS NOW 8:15 AND YOU WOULD THINK IT WAS NOON. BRIGHT SUN OUT. WE HAD A LONG SIESTA AND IT IS NOW TIME TO HAVE DINNER (THIS IS USUALLY OUR BEDTIME hahahaha)













[Edited on 5-30-2015 by BajaBlanca]

[Edited on 5-30-2015 by BajaBlanca]

and here goes part 1 - travel from Valencia to Madrid by car. We thought this would be an interesting way to travel but NOT. It was easy because there was no traffic at all, but it was boring. Not countryside like Italy ....







SOMETIMES THERE WAS AGRICULTURE BUT SOMETIMES NOT:









OUR GPS TOOK US RIGHT TO THE HOTEL. OUR HOTEL IS LOCATED IN BARAJAS. THIS IS A FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD PROBABLY ONE HOUR FROM THE CITY CENTER. IT HAS A WONDERFUL SMALL TOWN CHARM:














LES IS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL:









THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PARK SURROUNDED BY OLD BUILDINGS,MOST OF WHICH HAVE OUTDOOR CAFE STYLE RESTAURANTS ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND APARTMENTS ABOVE:








THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS TAKE THE SUBWAY INTO DOWNTOWN MADRID AND THESE PICS ARE FROM THE PARK CALLED PUERTA DEL SOL:















IT IS SAID THAT PEOPLE WATCHING IS THE THING TO DO AT PUERTA DEL SOL AND GUESS WHAT? THEY ARE RIGHT!








THIS IS US SITTING RIGHT THERE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE FOLKS WALKING BY. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE HAVING PAELLA FOR THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW.








FROM PUERTA DEL SOL, WE TOOK THE SUBWAY BACK TO THE HOTEL (SO CHEAP AT 2 EUROS EACH). WE HAD A 2 HOURS SIESTA AND THEN WENT TO THE PARK AT THE END OF THE BLOCK. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AT ALMOST MIDNIGHT!!!!








I HAD A SANGRIA - THEY ARE SO SO DARN GOOD - JUST AS WELL WE DONT LIVE HERE. LES HAD A DRAFT BEER CALLED "MAHOU" which is pronounced Mau. HE CLAIMS IT IS VERY GOOD. NOTICE THE PLATE WHICH COMES FREE WHEN YOU HAVE DRINKS:







AND THERE YOU HAVE OUR LAST TWO DAYS! WE ARE LEAVING MADRID TOMORROW AND HEAD TO VALENCIA AND THEN HEAD NORTH ALONG THE BEACHES.....HEARD IT WAS NICE FROM LAURIBOATS, SO WE ARE GOING TO CONFIRM!