Madrid

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Traffic at Grand Via near Plaza de España Metro station is still heavy and moving at a snail pace. Crowds are seen on almost major intersections waiting impatiently to cross the streets. City street lights and billboards lit up the area and illuminate Spanish architecture’s intricate and ornate patterns, windows, gargoyles, and iron balconies. As we stroll through a maze of cobblestone alleys towards Plaza Mayor, the sounds of music and laughter bounce around the ancient stone walls. Restaurants and bars are brimming with conversations despite the fact that it is eleven o’clock Sunday night. This effervescent night life, even on a very late school night, is the reason why we are back in Madrid. We want to rejuvenate and escape from the monotony of going to bed at nine o’clock at night and getting ready to work at six o’clock in the morning. Earlier this afternoon, we arrived in Madrid Barajas airport without any clear plan for how we would spend our ten day vacation. However, one thing that we surely had planned ahead of time was to reserve an Audi TT Coupe from Europcar.com.

Thanks to Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, and Hotels.com, we had the confidence to improvise our daily plan because it was relatively easy to find discounted hotel rooms through those internet sites in October and November. For our stay in Madrid, after browsing internet travel sites, we chose four star Hotel Barceló Torre Arias, just about 8 km or 16 minute drive to the west of Plaza Mayor. This is a business boutique hotel featuring contemporary modern exterior and interior designs and spacious rooms with high tech amenities. The underground secure parking is very spacious.

After a very nice stroll, we finally arrive at Plaza Mayor. Its area of two football fields is surrounded by three story 18th century residential buildings with hundreds of balconies facing the square. People are still out and about at Plaza Mayor after midnight. Locals make up the majority of the crowd. In the past, this place was the site for tournaments, weddings, bullfights, and inquisition trials and executions. Fortunately today, there is no more execution or trial. Hip cafes, rustic Tapas restaurants, and shops selling Spanish keepsakes are the major attraction. We pick a non-descript but aromatic and crowded hole-in-the-wall Tapas bar for our supper. We sit and soak the ambience. It is very late but yet we are not tired. This place is invigorating...@driving-vacation

More pictures...

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