Category: Madrid

Feet feeling a whole lot better now.  Thought I would have a different breakfast.  So I treated myself to chocolate and churros.  A breakfast that consists of dipping pastry sticks into a cup of thick hot chocolate.  I thought it was delicious.  So did a couple of my Facebook friends.

Feeling happy I made my way to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.  What is extraordinary is the museum was once a private collection.  The paintings date from 13th to 20th century and I have to say the whole experience was amazing.  One of the best museums I have visited.  One can only guess at the value of the collection.

I had now decided to ditch MTrip and started to make my own way to visit a couple of museums mentioned in the book supplied with the Madrid card.  The first one was the Museum of Madrid.  This was a museum of the history of Madrid.  Being a history buff I was looking forward to this.  However, the reality was a huge disappointment.  It was one room with a couple of exhibits.  In truth there were more staff than exhibits.  So I decided to make my way to the Museo de la Biblioteca Nacional de España.  Again not a big museum but it had a whole lot more to offer especially a temporary exhibition dedicated to Leonardo de Vinci.

After resting I noticed the Hard Rock Cafe.  I must admit that I will have a meal in the Hard Rock Cafe if there is one available.  Plus with my Madrid card I was entitled to a discounted meal.  After the meal I went back to the hostel to relax with a few beers.  I ended talking to people and stayed up late talking.  All in all a really good day which made me look forward to the next day.

Until then stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

Somehow everybody was in a good mood this morning.  I suspect there might have been a few people having a sick day in Spain today.  You could not fail to see that everybody was in red today.  That included my feet.  I should have broken in my new sandals before I left for Madrid.  My feet look like a battle zone and I could not walk anymore with my sandals.  Luckily I did bring a first aid kit and it included sticking plasters.  It meant that I was back to wearing the trainers and they felt like carpet slippers.  The Australian girls who were sharing the dorm with me agreed that my feet looked like they had been in a battle.

As most of the public buildings close on Monday it was a case of taking things easy.  I did however, take in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.

Home to mainly contemporary art it is the home of Picasso’s Guernica.  I can tick off another art masterpiece that I have seen.

Now that I felt culturally restore I needed to find something to eat.  I have always wanted to try paella but it was always sold as a portion for two.  A disadvantage for the single traveller.  Finally I found a restaurant that sold paella in a single portion.  It was too good an opportunity to pass up.  After ordering myself a Valencian paella and a cold beer I surprised to be brought some tapas with the beer.

The food was delicious and I left feeling very contented.

Back at the I was starting to hear talk that was making me feel jealous.  It was all about the bull run in Pamplona. I. would be back home next week and this make me feel a little sad.  To cheer myself I went out for a walk.  The day did end on a surreal note.  Never did I think that I would be enjoying an ice cream cone at 11pm.  Priceless, went back to the hostel feeling very happy.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy, keep smiling.

Steve

Excitement is in the air as today is the final of Euro 2012 and Spain are favourites to win.  Before that though there were parts of Madrid that I need to see.  So after breakfast the day began with a visit to the Almundena Cathedral.  Being Sunday there was a service taking place.  I respectively observed from a distance though one thing did disturb me.  People were taking photographs while the service was taking place.  In my eyes it is not very respectful to those who were listening to the service.

Next door to the cathedral is the Palacio Real.  No longer the main residence of the Spanish royal family it is now a major tourist attraction.  I found it to be a great way to spend the morning.

After that things started to go pear-shaped.  For this trip I had chosen to use MTrip iPhone app for Madrid.  I had read good reviews for it so I decided to give it a go.  The app itself can create itinerary for you to follow depending upon your interests.  However, I was starting to suffer problems.  The first one was not being able to read the display in the glare of sunlight.  Also I found the map was steering away from the course I wanted.

I eventually found my way to the Plaza de España.  My god! what a disappointment.  There had been an event taking place on the previous evening and there was a smell of stale urine in air from the portaloos.  I quickly moved to the Museo Cerralbo.  Another disappointment to report.  It is a rich mans house.  It is alright if you are into antiques.  In hindsite my frustrations with MTrip may have clouded my view and they were about to get worse.  I just found myself walking yards that I did not need to.  In the end I gave up and made my way back to the hostel.

My mood improved with the sea of red that was heading towards the city centre.  Because of the state of my feet I decided to watch the match from the hostel.  Spain won 4-0, awesome performance.  I went outside to experience the amazing atmosphere.  Being English I felt really jealous.

After a good night’s rest I was ready to tackle what the city of Madrid had to offer.  I am enjoying my hostel particularly as the breakfast was free.  The first point of call was purchase the Madrid card as I plan to visit a few of the museums while I was here.  The helpful receptionist told me that the best place to purchase one would be the tourist information centre at the Plaza Mayor.

The plaza did not disappoint as it is an impressive place.  After purchasing the Madrid card I took advantage of the free walking tour that was on offer.  The guide, Rodrigo was very knowledgeable.  He explained the history of Madrid as we were walking.  The tour took in the area of the Royal Palace.

Once the tour was complete and I had a bite to eat I made my way to the Museo del Prado.  What a great place it was too and how easy it was to use the Madrid card.

Prado is home to the works of the great Spanish artists such as El Greco, Velázquez and Goya amongst others.  It is huge and I was there for four hours.  I did feel that I rushed it.  Still, it gives me the excuse to come back to Madrid again.

Feeling a little fatigued I took solace in the Royal Botanical Gardens.  At a cost of €3 it was a great way to spend a Saturday evening.  As the sun started to go down I felt that I had found some peace.

At the end of the day the only concern I had was for my poor feet as they were beginning to feel sore.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve