“Every direction in Madrid, there’s something interesting!” – Bob Greenawalt
Madrid is shockingly delightful. We walked all over the city in what will surely be the first of many visits back to this wonderful Spanish city. Every direction in Madrid, there’s something interesting!
Bob’s favorite place in Madrid was the Plaza Mayor, a classic European central square with scores of charming outdoor restaurants and local entertainment. Lisa’s was gelato scooped to resemble flowers the size of her head!
While strolling around the fascinating streets, shopping, people-watching, and trying the excellent food, we encountered an unexpected air parade over our heads. We also visited the Museo de Jamon (Ham Museum), and Bob ordered up a classic ham sandwich.
We walked through lush, wondrously landscaped Retiro Park, Madrid’s Central Park, and discovered the Crystal Palace (which is an art center, and while it was closed for renovation, the views inside were awesome), enjoyed street music, walked the paths and crossed creeks, and saw a lovely lake where you can go canoeing.
We also placed a love lock in Plaza Mayor and visited the Palacio de Vasquez (part of the Reina Sofia ticket, but pretty uninspiring), Museum of Anthropology (pleasant, even though Bob thought it was the Museum of Archeology until he noticed the dearth of dinosaurs). We averaged about 7 miles a day walking around Madrid, and finally tried the clean, modern Metro when our feet got sore.
Our last breakfast, featuring tortillas Española and churros with chocolate sauce in an outdoor restaurant near the train station, was a mouthwatering invitation to return.
P.S. Plaza de la Villa is just a very old plaza. Learn more.
