This morning began early as I had a laundry list of sites to see based on the many recommendations received from friends, family, locals and fellow tourists.
My first stop of the day was Palacio Real, the official (albeit ceremonial) residence of the King of Spain and the location for many State functions. As can be seen from the pictures, the palace is quite impressive from an architectural standpoint. The inside of the palace is equally impressive, though picture-taking was not allowed so you’ll have to take my word for it (or go to Wikipedia to see for yourself).
Adjacent to the Palacio Real is the Cathedral de la Almudena, the Teatro Real (Madrid’s main opera house) and a number of parks and plazas. Given the beautiful weather it was a great day to be outside, so I spent the next couple of hours exploring the area. Here are some of the pictures that I took:
After a late lunch (at least by my standards), I walked across town to the heart of the so-called “golden triangle” of Madrid’s museums (i.e., the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemizsa). Given that it was nearly 5pm at this point, I decided to pick one (the Reina Sofia – predominantly pieces by Spanish artists) and follow up with the other two tomorrow when I have more time.
Overall, my favorite part of the Reina Sofia visit was selected works by Picasso and Salvador Dali. That said, a few of Picasso’s pieces were a bit hard for me to stomach (in some instances he takes the relationship between a woman and her horse beyond my comfort zone…). Another highlight of the museum is its open-air terrace that’s accessible via one of the top floors. On a nice day like today, it is the perfect spot to sit down and relax your legs while taking in beautiful views of the city.
After getting my cultural fix for the day, I headed across the street to Parque del Buen Retiro – effectively Madrid’s equivalent of Central Park (for lack of a better definition). The park itself is very beautiful and seems to be a gathering place for Madrid residents on the weekend. In particular, I liked the Estanque del Retiro (a large pond / lake in the middle of the park) and the Paseo de las Estatuas (a statue-lined walkway near one of the entrances). How I made it to dinner without collapsing, I do not know.
By the time I walked back across town it was nearly 9pm and some of the restaurants were finally starting to open up. Based on little more than a random whim and a desire to sit outside, I decided on a small tapas place not far from Plaza Mayor. While there was nothing overly memorable about the food itself, after nearly 12 hours of non-stop sightseeing, the steady stream of tasty tapas was exactly what I needed.
My first stop of the day was Palacio Real, the official (albeit ceremonial) residence of the King of Spain and the location for many State functions. As can be seen from the pictures, the palace is quite impressive from an architectural standpoint. The inside of the palace is equally impressive, though picture-taking was not allowed so you’ll have to take my word for it (or go to Wikipedia to see for yourself).
Adjacent to the Palacio Real is the Cathedral de la Almudena, the Teatro Real (Madrid’s main opera house) and a number of parks and plazas. Given the beautiful weather it was a great day to be outside, so I spent the next couple of hours exploring the area. Here are some of the pictures that I took:
After a late lunch (at least by my standards), I walked across town to the heart of the so-called “golden triangle” of Madrid’s museums (i.e., the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemizsa). Given that it was nearly 5pm at this point, I decided to pick one (the Reina Sofia – predominantly pieces by Spanish artists) and follow up with the other two tomorrow when I have more time.
Overall, my favorite part of the Reina Sofia visit was selected works by Picasso and Salvador Dali. That said, a few of Picasso’s pieces were a bit hard for me to stomach (in some instances he takes the relationship between a woman and her horse beyond my comfort zone…). Another highlight of the museum is its open-air terrace that’s accessible via one of the top floors. On a nice day like today, it is the perfect spot to sit down and relax your legs while taking in beautiful views of the city.
After getting my cultural fix for the day, I headed across the street to Parque del Buen Retiro – effectively Madrid’s equivalent of Central Park (for lack of a better definition). The park itself is very beautiful and seems to be a gathering place for Madrid residents on the weekend. In particular, I liked the Estanque del Retiro (a large pond / lake in the middle of the park) and the Paseo de las Estatuas (a statue-lined walkway near one of the entrances). How I made it to dinner without collapsing, I do not know.
By the time I walked back across town it was nearly 9pm and some of the restaurants were finally starting to open up. Based on little more than a random whim and a desire to sit outside, I decided on a small tapas place not far from Plaza Mayor. While there was nothing overly memorable about the food itself, after nearly 12 hours of non-stop sightseeing, the steady stream of tasty tapas was exactly what I needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment