Tuesday, June 3, 2014

One week in Madrid: Not enough!

One week in Madrid leaves us feeling like we just scratched the surface. There is so much here to enjoy; monuments & museums to be sure but also so many spaces. Like the plazas, the parks and zillions of cafes along the streets. It would require years to respectfully enjoy them all. Here are few highlights for us:
Our neighborhood: we rented a small apartment near the Puerto Toledo (one of the gates from the ancient, walled Madrid of 900 AD). It's near the Madrid River Park and 20 minute walk from everything. Feels like a real neighborhood. And our apartment, the epitome of "just enough".
Open Spaces: Madrid River Park, incredible walking/running/biking, beautiful gardens (lavender blooming and rosemary used as ground cover!) runs over 10 K through Madrid. Also Retiro Park, Madrid's central park, relaxing after visiting world-renown art museums.
Art! In terms of museum, we only made the Prada and the Reina Sofia. Prada, amazing collection of the masters and Spanish artists, a chance to learn some Spanish history though the paintings and their stories. Highlight for me, Heronymus Bosch's The Garden of Early Delights. One truly amazing to see in person. In the Reina Sofia, we viewed a collection from the 1900-1945, showing the politics of the era through art. Most notable, Picaso's Guernica, his take on the bombing of the Basque region in 1937 during the civil war. Again, more history. Also remarkable street murals, graffiti and galleries. Madrid has the soul of an artist.
Eating: Known for dining at 11 PM after a 3 PM lunch, the difference in daily schedules here takes some getting used to and we've adapted to the late dinners by having tapas mostly. Food and wine seem to taste so good and are such a deep tradition in Spanish culture that we feel quite obliged to join in early and often.
Walking! We have made so many great circles around this city and wandered beautiful old streets and alleys. And we do need to work up an appetite for more food.

Highlights around Madrid

7 comments:

  1. Looks fabulous! I'm so glad you are posting. Now off to Barcelona, right?

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  2. Hey Lynda! Miss you! Thanks for looking. Si, vamos a Barcelona manana por una semana. besos y abrazos!

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  3. amazing pics, so jealous of you guys

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  4. This reader is requesting some food pix!

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  5. Coming your way Larry, taking a cooking class here in Barcelona this week so I'll at least possibly, kind of know what I am taking a picture of!!! Who knew spanish food would be so mysterious! xoxo

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  6. I'm so glad you loved Madrid... with the art, architecture, people and food, it's one of my favorite cities! Travel on...
    (and I think I've finally figured out how to successfully post!)

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  7. Love the posts, looks like you guys are having a great time.

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