Marching Onward to Madrid

 A Smooth Landing

Whereas our previous two flights had been fraught with frustration and mishap, our flight from Bordeaux to Madrid was smooth, on time and without incident.  We grabbed a cab and arrived at the King Alphonso XII hotel without delay and in one piece.  This hotel was great.  Highly recommended.  Directly across from the main entrance to El Retiro Park (350 acres), the hotel is a beautiful old building whose interior has been totally modernized.  We bonded with the reception clerk, Alex, who had spent time in Mexico and buttered him up by saying our dear son was named Alex and how beautiful his hotel was and were rewarded with a great room with a balcony overlooking the park.

The view of Retiro Park from our hotel...

and one of the main entrances to the Park.

Tourists, Egad!, Tourists 

We had spent the previous 3 and 1/2 weeks in places that had few to no tourists.  That ended here.  We felt duty bound to see the Plaza Mayor so taxied over after dropping our bags. It was late afternoon and sweltering.  While only mid-May, every cafe had its high powered misting machines cranking at full force. Enervated after only a stroll into the Plaza via one of its seven arches, we sat at a cafe and watched as tour group after tour group slogged their way around the plaza.  

And then we discovered something new. Apparently, tourists are no longer satisfied to just observe and appreciate their foreign surroundings. They must be actively entertained at all times.  Thus, we saw multiple groups that appeared to be involved in some sort of tourist site scavenger hunt.  They all clutched clue sheets and were staring above, below and around searching for that next big scavenger hit.  I reminded me of when you go to a National Park and the Ranger hands out scavenger hunt booklets to the little kids who have problems with focus and concentration.  Except these are adults.  Go figure. 

We went to the San Miguel Market which was pretty impressive -- not up to Barcelona or France but quite good.  And then we had the worst meal of the entire trip.  Due to extreme heat fatigue and the fact that the restaurant we wanted to go to had disappeared we violated our sacred rule of never eating near a major tourist area.  The meal was bad, expensive and it was really hot.  Sometimes you have to have a refresher on why you don't violate your rules.

This photo will give you an idea of why they call this Plaza Mayor ("Main Square")

The murals on the columns of this building in the Plaza Mayor were very interesting.

The murals were on all of the columns on the center building between the two steeples.

This unusual sign for a shop caught my eye. Translated it reads: "The watchmaker of Salt Street". The watchmaker has apparently been here since 1880 (although presumably not the original watchmaker).

Although the food at the restaurant where we dined was not the best, this character was apparently hired by the restaurant to attract attention & hopefully diners.

What Was THAT All About?

High on our list was a visit to the Royal Palace.  First thing in the morning we hopped a cab for the Palace. Arriving at the drop off I noticed there were a zillion police of varying uniforms and cars spread out in all directions with police lines across both the street and the approach to the Palace.  I inquired of the taxi driver what was happening with all the cops.  "Oh, he disingenuously replied, "that's normal."  Once you've paid the fare they'll say anything to get you out of the cab.  So, out we went.  I asked a policeman what was happening in my peasant Spanish.  "Nada. The Palace is closed"  He replied.  Well, "Nada" (nothing in Spanish) involved a band and formation of soldiers numbering around 200 in the Central Courtyard -- and that was just for starters. Overcoming our disappointment that the Palace was closed we decided to hang and see what would transpire.  Surely those guys didn't stand there for no reason.  And then.... bands, horse guards, limos with different flags, a royal carriage pulled by 8 horses with footmen.  Just check out the photos.  This went on for THREE hours.  We still don't know what it was all about but it was pretty neat.  Neater than the changing of the guard at Buckingham neat.

When we arrived the area was roped off, but we could see the band gathered in the plaza of the Royal Palace.

We have not seen as much pomp and ceremony since the Palio in Siena

The top center of the Royal Palace.

I can only imagine how hot it must be wearing these metal breastplates...

but these two horsemen appeared cool as they walked their horses in front of us.

The we saw more horsemen entering from the right...

and even more horsemen on white horses in colorful attire.

The first series of horsemen lined up in formation before the Royal Gate...

as even more horsemen in silver breastplates preceded...

the most amazing looking Royal carriage drawn by six horses complete with rider on one of the lead horses, the coach driver...

and accompanied by walking footman.

Here is the photo of the individual in the carriage.

The carriage proceeded through the gate to the Royal Palace...

to drop off the unidentified dignitary at the Royal Palace.

Having deposited the dignitary the Royal carriage departed (for what we thought was the end of the show).

However as we looked at this view of the Royal Palace from the cathedral, we noticed the band was still in the plaza...

all dutifully waiting for the next carriage to arrive.

and sure enough here was another dignitary riding in the carriage...

to be deposited at the Royal Palace.

Even after touring the cathedral we saw more dignitaries arriving via the Royal carriage. It was nice to see Spain has overcome their machismo image to allow females an equal opportunity.

A Time Out for Church 

During one of the periods that we thought the hoopla was over at the Palace we entered the Cathedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena which was conveniently located across from the palace.  The Cathedral was huge and tall and, thank God, had elevators that the old and infirm (us) could take to the top where we were treated to the most amazing views of Madrid that you can imagine.  The statues that are perched on the numerous corners of the building are absolutely stunning as you will see in Michael's photos.  Halfway through our tour as we lingered on a balcony facing the Palace it started all over again... music, parading, horse guards.  They were tireless.

The statues adorning the Cathedral...

and the stone carvings...

were chosen to match the grey and white facade of the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) opposite.

This is one half of a very large bronze door at one of the entrances.

This is one of the views from the rooftop terrace of the Cathedral.

On the balcony on the facade of the Cathedral are large statues of the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) in niches. Each of the Evangelists was represented by a living creature.
There seems to be a dispute as to which living creature belongs with which Evangelist.
John is represented by an eagle.

Luke is represented by an ox.

Matthew is represented by either a man (or in this case by an angel).

Mark is represented by a lion.  These living creatures come from a vision of Ezekiel in the Old Testament and of John in Revelations as four living creatures appearing at the throne of God.

The Royal Palace is reflected in this stained glass window.

These two bell towers frame the Royal Palace in the background.

The statues on the roof terrace of the Cathedral are of the twelve apostles.

These statues were sculpted by Luis Sanguino.

The Cathedral construction began in 1883, was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War and was not completed until 1993, when it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II.  Thus you will see some very modern touches in the Cathedral like this section of the dome.

La Gran Via

Having been frustrated in our attempt to see the Royal Palace, we decided to go to the La Gran Via and find a place to enjoy lunch. La Gran Via ("The Great Way") is a street in central Madrid, which is sometimes referred to as the "Spanish Broadway". Having seen La Gran Via, I would disagree. Yes it is one of the cities most important shopping areas with a large number of hotels, restaurants, etc.. However the street is a showcase of early 20th century architecture, with architectural styles ranging from Vienna Secession style, Plateresque, Neo-Mudéjar, and Art Deco among others. The photos will showcase some of the amazing architecture along La Gran Via.

This is the City Hall of Madrid at Plaza de Cibeles, opposite the start of La Gran Via.

The following photos show the adornments on the buildings along La Gran Via.

Except this photo, which shows the top of the City Hall.

The buildings along La Gran Via with their varied architectural styles still seem to all blend seamlessly into each other without clashing.

Even this building under construction was covered to blend into the surrounding buildings.

I have heard of green buildings (as in energy efficient)...

but this was truly a green (as in covered in living plants) building.

La Gran Via was used to advertise the Top Gun Maverick movie with this large pilot's helmet.

Finally, We Get Inside

Undaunted by our original failure to breach the gates of the Palace we returned early the next morning and it was a good thing that we did get there early.  By the time we left the Palace (around 11 AM) the lines (in the broiling Sun) were huge.  Always go early...always.  This palace has 3,000 rooms which I think is excessive but impressive.  The staircases are vast, made of unforgiving stone and lack anything as pedestrian as handrails.  One fall on those and you're a goner.  As I minced my way down a particularly harrowing set clinging to Michael's arm a young woman (like 40) solicitously asked if I needed any help.  In my best feeble Granny voice I chirped that I was fine but thank you dearie.  It was a low point.  But I emerged intact.  The whole Palace was so over the top it was hard to comprehend.  Probably the Porcelain Room (yes, entirely Porcelain including the roof) and the Kitchens were my favorites.  It was a bummer that Michael couldn't take photos of some of the most interesting rooms (like the Porcelain room) but the photos of the Kitchens will make up for it.

Even the light posts at the Royal Palace were very ornate.

The Royal Palace from the Plaza de Armas.

Photos were allowed in the first section of the Royal Palace, which allowed me to capture these photos.

Manpris, a European custom that Deirdre would like to see abandoned.

This section of the Royal kitchens was just for pastries and breads.

Each section of the Royal kitchens had its own specialized stoves and ovens.

This whole wall was devoted to the Royal refrigerators (aka ice boxes in an earlier era).

A cooktop with the Royal crest custom made for the Royal kitchens.

Another custom piece used for grilling with its own rotisserie. Large enough to cook a side of beef.

More custom ovens created specifically for the Royal kitchens.

One small section of the Royal wine racks...

and a case for the Royal wine.

Views of the Cathedral we visited yesterday from the Plaza de Armas of the Royal Palace

Why is an Egyptian Tomb in Madrid? 

Good question.  It turns out that the Egyptian government gave the temple to Madrid to save it from being drowned by flood waters when the Aswan Dam was built.  I don't know if Madrid had a "special relationship" with Egypt or if Egypt just went around hawking its temples to every country, but there it sits high on a hill with a great view of the city.  So, it was started in 200 BC by a king named Adijalamani and various Egyptian Kings added bits and pieces.  And then the Romans took a turn --Augustus, Tiberius and probably Hadrian.  Then the Christians came and sealed it up.  And thus it remained until the 20th century when all those Raiders of the Lost Ark types wandered through Egypt disrupting the dead.  Anyway, it was smaller than we thought (based on how many people had added on to it) and the lines were long and we were tired so we didn't see the inside.  Maybe next time.

When Deirdre mentioned an Egyptian tomb, I pictured something much larger like the pyramids, but on a slightly smaller scale.

As you can see from these photos, the tomb was significantly smaller than any of the pyramids.

The view from the area of the tomb did allow me to capture this view of the Cathedral from a different angle.

Another fashion statement Deirdre would like to see abandoned is the "Daisy Duke" shorts which we spotted in France and here again in Spain.

Retiring to El Retiro

Madrid has a number of beautiful parks but Retiro really stands out.  We spent an afternoon strolling, relaxing and people watching in the park and it was one of the nicest times we had in Madrid.  Beyond the park itself the whole Retiro neighborhood is a delight.  It is an upper middle class neighborhood and really is a neighborhood.  We would sit and have a glass of wine at a cafe and see families greeting each other on the street or meeting up at the cafe for wine or coffee.  If you make it to Madrid, this is a neighborhood you might want to stay in.  So, we'll conclude this adventure with some peaceful shots of Retiro Park.

One of the main entrances to Retiro Park.

Topiary....

a fountain...

and even a lake for boating were all in the park.

The Palacio de Velaz had some very ornate tile work...

with one section that appeared to have some Mayan influence.

The Palacio de Cristal ("Glass Palace") is a conservatory in the shape of a Greek cross.

These turtles were sunning themselves by the pond of the Palacio de Cristal de Retiro.

The Palacio is made almost entirely of glass set in an iron framework...

on a brick base decorat with ceramics. This was one of the main venues of the 1887 Philippines Exposition.

This statue commemorates the playwright Jacinto Benavente.

Just opposite one of the main entrances to Retiro Park is the Prado Art Museum, seen here during the day...

and here again lit up at night.

Hitting the Road on The Sentimental Journey

We head out on our road trip in a couple of days.  First stops in the States will be McAllen, Galveston, Houston, New Orleans and Mobile.  We'll let you follow us on our journey and meet some of our friends, kin and favorite places.  Take care and enjoy the summer.