Madrid is quintessential Espanyol. It is the heart of all
things Spanish – Bull fighting or Toreo, Flamenco and of course, the Puerta del
Sol – the point ‘zero’ from where all Earth - distances was measured! It was,
and is still considered, to be the centre of Earth. So when we realized that
Barcelona wasn’t that quintessential Espanyol, what better place than Madrid to
experience all things Spanish – and for good measure, we made plans for
Alhambra, Seville and Toledo as well.
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| Alhambra Gardens |
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| Inside Alhambra Gardens |
It all started on another EasyJet flight to Madrid Barajas
airport and a short ride to the Ibis Hotel in Valentin Beato 20 within walking
distance of the Metro station Suanzes. It had to be cheap, because early next
day, we were taking the 5-hour ride to Granda with a night stay at the Ibis
hotel next to Alhambra, and then checking back in on the 5th Dec. in
Madrid. Oh… Travel planning is harder than work. Thankfully we are a team hereJ
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| Views of Albaicin |
3rd Dec.:
We checked in and then went out again to buy the bus tickets from Atocha Renfe.
There was some confusion with the huge station, but the adventure was fruitful,
and we had the 7 am bus to Granada on the 4th. Thus secured, we were
free to spend the evening roaming about the streets of Madrid pretty much on
our own. And we liked what we saw. The atmosphere was warm, and the people were
less tourist-ee than those in Barcelona. And we wanted to try the famous
cuisine, so wandered about the myriad (till now at least) bylanes around the Puerta
del Sol. There are like 8-9 arterial lanes from the ‘çentre’, with each street
having its own distinct flavor. We landed up in the distinctly ‘touristy’ Ciudad
de Tui – the fare looked good, but the seafood was trashy, and the waiters were
rude. Well, so was our Madrid initiation. But better times and food beckoned.
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| Majestic views At the Alhambra |
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| At the Alhambra |
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| At the Alhambra |
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| At the Alhambra |
4th Dec.:
The next day, we started real early, and were on the bus to Granada by 7 in the
morning. It was a long drive through the countryside, and was definitely a good
sight-seeing trip, though not the most comfortable, I must admit. More than 5
hours later, we landed at Granada - and proceeded to get lost again. We got
down at the wrong bus stop, and had to search for our Ibis hotel almost through
the entire neighbourhood of Don Bosco and what not for an hour before we
managed to find it – hidden behind a line of palm trees and what not…
3 p.m. was our Alhambra appointment – so we had a quick
refresh and rushed back, though we were dead tired from the journey. Took a
taxi, and reached ahead of time – one of our firsts!
Granada is historic. It is the most visited tourist
attraction in Spain. What was more amazing than the Alhambra experience was the
bus ride through the town afterwards. We didn’t know where to get down, and
just stayed on the bus for at least 2 round trips, and the drivers didn’t
notice. And we stayed on through the town stops. Alcazaba, the old Moorish
casbah or "medina"- the Albaicin and the backdrop of Sierra Nevada mountains
were fascinating. It is a fascinating old place with winding roads and multiple
detours, each more adventurous than the previous. We also booked a Flamenco
show at CUEVAS LOS TARANTOS on Camino del Sacromonte, but were so tired at the
end of the day that we couldn’t make it for the 10 pm show. Hell, we will see
something in Madrid, we promised.
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| At the Alhambra |
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| At the Alhambra |
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| Typical Madrid neighborhood |
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| Typical Madrid neighborhood |
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| Las Ventas Tauro Tour |
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| Las Ventas Tauro Tour |
5th Dec.: Back
to city life Madrid, and there was a welcome we liked. We visited the myriad tourist
attractions, took a couple of walking tours and got stuck at the Plaza Mayor
and Mercado de San Miguel. It was like a bazaar under the roof – basically all
the shouting and selling, but in a meeting-room like ambience. It had a whole
lot of things – both to explore and to eat. We did a little of both, and said
our thanks for the memories, another tucked away unique European experience. As
I rejig my memories through the volumes of unique photos in the collection,
Plaza Mayor with its huge square and the horse bound statue of King Ferdinand
jumps out, almost ready to spring forth marching ahead. It was during the
Spanish Reconquista that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel claimed the last
Moorish kingdom back to Christianity, and it has remained so since then. This
is a fantastic period of history and a must read.
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| Albaicin Downtown - on a memorable city bus Tour |
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| San Miguel - the Local market |
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| Typical Madrid neighborhood |
6th Dec.: The
three gems of Madrid - Prado Museum, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museums
were on the agenda for today. We started early, and stayed late. We had our
lunch at the most unique of tourist traps - Cerveceria Cruz Blanca. It was the
best €25 spent on a lunch. And the paella and the sweet dish were so yummy; we
came back the next day to get another filling. Some tourist places in Madrid do
serve good stuff, unlike some like Ciudad de Tui.
Another wandering along the city, and a visit to the Torro
ring later, we wandered about doing the customary tourist shopping – not. It is
quite amazing, Madrid. We went to the Palacio Real or Royal Palace, Cathedral
de la Almudena, took the Las Ventas Tauro Tour and sampled the unique food of
Madrid, and the essential feel of the place. Amazing how any European city has
so much to offer.
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| At The Museum EpiCentre |
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| Neptune Fountains |
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| Museum Prado |
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| Puerta del Sol |
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| Las Ventas Tauro Tour |
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| Madrid Skyfall :) |
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| View of Goya Museum |
At night, towards mid night, we decided to taste one of the
lasting and most highly recommended Madrid sweet spots - Chocolatería de San
Ginés Restaurant. You haven’t quite tasted Churros till you have had them from
here. Churros and chocolate dip that is.
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| Palacio Real |
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| At the Palacio Real |
And we went to an authentic Flamenco show - €15 per person,
but it was quite a dramatic show. Quite a chance it was – finding that show on one
of the many arterial roads leading out from the Puerta del Sol. But it was
authentic, unlike the show we went to at Barcelona La Rambla. With the full
cast and the costumes, we didn’t miss not keeping our Flamenco show appointment
at Granada - GRUPO CUEVAS LOS TARANTOS on the Camino del Sacromonte.
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| Need I mention More! |
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| Need I mention More! |
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| Arco de la Victoria |
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| Arco de la Victoria |
7th Dec.: A
little more sightseeing around Plaza Mayor, and then we were back to Basel via
the Easy Jet express service.
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| Las Ventas Tauro Tour |
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Temple of Deobod
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Goodbye and Thanks for the memoriesJ
