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Published: October 10th 2009
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PLAZA MAYORI arrived in Madrid Estacion De Atocha around 1:00 pm yesterday. The ride from Toledo was a little less half an hour. I got a map of Madrid from the Tourist Kiosk at the station which showed a short distance to the hotel. So I decided to walk it. Big Mistake!!! First of all the temperature during the day is around 25 Celsius (in the 80's F). it was about a mile and half of uphill walk, and I had my luggage. So by the time I got to the hotel, which is close to the center of the city, the Rastro Flea Market, and the Plaza Mayor, I was drenched in sweat and exhausted. So I learned my lesson, ride the TAXI...After a two hour nap, I walked to the flea market, Plaza Mayor, The Puerta Del Sol, and the Gran Via. I had an excellent dinner of Breaded Veal in Madrillion style with two plates of to die for Olives. I ordered a plate of olives first, it was so tasty and succulent, I ordered a second plate. The waiter was quite amused by my appetite. The diet in central parts of Spain is mostly pork based. There is
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BOOK SELLERS ALONG ONE OF THE AVENUES OF PARQUE DEL RETIRO even the pork museum located in central Madrid, and there is all pork products at the museum souvenir shop. So that limits the choices. But the Olives are to die for. Puerta Del Sol is basically the center of the Capital and Spain. The 0 Kilometers is indicated in the center of the plaza and the symbol of Madrid which is a Bear searching for a Strawberry from a Strawberry Tree is located here. Gran Via is a cross between the Oxford Street of London and the Time Square of New York, sided with shops, cinemas, and Theaters. It is Unbelievably crowded. It also has some architectural attractions many 1920's Art Deco Buildings. So it is pretty spectacular.
I find Madrid a very crowded city. It is swarming with people, especially on weekend nights. It is a city that does not sleep. Party all through the night. The only problem I have with it is that there is construction all over the place. So it creates a lot of noise, congestion, and dust. Otherwise it is beautiful.
Today, was a walking marathon. After breakfast I took the metro to the bus station at the south of the city to
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THE FALLEN ANGEL AT THE PARQUE DEL RETIRO purchase the bus tickets from Lisbao to Seville for next week. After that I checked out the Museum of Renia Sofia. The line was very long so I decided to go there on Monday. Hopefully it is less crowded then. I walked basically all around the city, from the Parque Del Buen Retiro at the east of the city to the fashionable Salamanca district in the north, the Blvd. De Prado with all the museums, to the center Puerta Del Sol and the Gran Via again, to the Palacio Real and the Campo De Moro in the west, and then an uphill 2 mile walk back to the hotel...Writing about it makes me exhausted. Parque Del Retiro is beautiful with all its fountains and crystal structures, statues, and the Alfonso the 12th monument and lake. The lake was filled with boats and sun worshippers. Madrid has alot of fountains and parks. Palacio Real is where the royal family of Spain hold their state functions, and the Parque Del Moro is basically the origins of the city, founded by the Moors along the river Manzanares.
Tomorrow, there will be more Madrid...
I hope you are all well...
M
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