234 Stairs - Thank you Madrid

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The train ride from Cordoba to Madrid was lovely. The countryside in Spain was so pretty with the rolling hills. And I loved seeing the huge bull signs posted in small towns. I assumed these were related to the bullfighting in the country but can’t confirm that. I pulled into Madrid in the early afternoon and immediately had to figure out the “big city” public transportation system to go from the train station to a neighborhood on the north side of downtown. Having just spent a week traveling in smaller towns, I had to make a quick mental change to the face paced-ness of being back in a bustling place. I can say, there was a lot of walking involved, but I made it the metro and figured out which line I needed to be on and then when I needed to switch trains. I don’t have a lot of experience on the European city metro trains and apparently Madrid has one of the largest.

I settled into a seat and relaxed for a bit on a very crowded train. At one spot, everyone, literally everyone, got off the train. This woman is sternly speaking to me in Spanish and motioning me to get off the train. Understanding nothing except, this lady is yelling at my like a mom, I figured I’d better get off the train. As it turns out, there was construction on that line. Thank you strange woman on the train! I made my way up several flights of stairs to the main part of the train station. Now I was quite confused and couldn't figure out how to get onto the right train. I must have stood in from of the large underground map for several minutes and then spotted a couple of metro employees. I walked over and asked if anyone spoke English. I was in luck, one of them did and she was so nice. She explained to me that several trains were under some construction. I marked down which ones, worked out my new route and made my way back down to a new train line. Once back on the train, one more change had to be made and then I arrived in my area. When you’re in the underground and moving from line to line, you don’t always understand how far underground you actually are. When leaving my “home” station, I figured it out.

My hostel was in an area sort of in the middle of two neighborhoods called Malasana and Chueca. When I came above ground I was really excited because I was in a non-tourist area of the city. This was definitely more of a locals area with a funky vibe. I knew this would make for some interesting times. The walk to my hostel was not to far. It was just off a main street. After checking in, turns out this was more like a guest house as well. With this being the last place that I stayed on the trip, I was really happy overall with my housing choices! Spain has great accommodations! I was in a private room with two beds, a closet and a tiny bathroom. But everything was very clean! I got organized and then decided how I wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon. Madrid had a lot to offer in terms of museums and things like that. I had 2.5 days and was planning to take one day to head out to Segovia. So, that left me with a day and a half to see Madrid. One of the things that I had noticed in my lonely travel book was a must see. So off I went!

Back to the metro and down the stairs I went. The metro here was layered and layered and layered. After having spent quite a bit of time on it and using several different trains, I would have loved to see a cross section. It would probably look like an ant farm! I realized on this trip down that I was going several stories. I decided to make the stairs my work out and stopped using the escalators. Holding the hand rail was required. These were some seriously steep staircases.

I made my way over to the Tempo de Debod which is located in the Chamberi and Arguelles area of the city. Set in a gorgeous park, the Tempo de Debod is a 4^th Century BC Egyptian temple that was transported to Madrid in 1968 stone block, by stone block. Egypt is the #1 place on my travel-to list and I was so excited to see something so authentic! Overall, this temple was very small. But the way it was set in the park was breathtaking. As you walked up the stairs into the park you were greeted by its stature and the pool of water that now sits around it. There are two large arch-like structures that are set out in front of the temple itself. The gate to the temple was closed and for a minute I panicked. Turns out, the temple is closed for a few hours in the afternoon. This turned out to be a good thing. I took the time to find a comfortable park bench and settled into my book. I had about an hour and a half to wait, the day was sunny and warm with a breeze…what better way to spend time on a vacation!

Once opened, the line of people was quite long. With the temple being so small, they limit the number of people that can go in at one time. I wasn't quite sure what to expect once we were inside. It was definitely more than I anticipated! As you walked in, there was a foyer area and then you walked straight down a hallway. This hallway was covered on both sides with hieroglyphics! I can’t tell you how many papers and reports and whatnot I did on Egypt throughout my schools years and to finally be standing in one of the ancient buildings was mind-blowing! All these things I've seen in books from the inside of a library are now right here and in front of me. This might be my single most favorite thing that I've ever seen on a trip. And only strengthened my desire to go to Egypt! The back side of the temple had two chambers with light coming through in the corners. With the sun setting behind the temple while I was there, it was serene. Back out to the foyer and off to the one side was a small room that had a few of the original pieces of the temple on display. There was an eagle carved into the stone and letters and numbers and other symbols. How did this survive all of these years!?!?!?!?!?! Back outside of the temple, I walked around it and the archway like structures as well. The structures stood what felt like two stories high. Each constructed out of these stone blocks. I really wish I was a better judge of sizes and distances. I can’t really give you a good indication regarding the size of each stone, but they were large and even if they were made out of a light weight material, I don’t think I could have lifted one. As the sun was setting I just stood back and watched the glow over the temple. The sun reflecting off the stone and the water gave the whole area a special illumination. It was truly a special place!

After my awesome historical experience, I decided to head back to the hostel neighborhood for dinner and a drink. I had been on the go from morning til night everyday and it had finally caught up with me. On the way back on the metro, once at my stop, as I started up the stairs, I decided to count them. I would start off running up them with a pretty good pace to then slowly making it to the very top. People would see my on the escalators and point and say things in Spanish. I’m sure some of them calling me crazy…they would laugh as they would say things. I would just smile and keep on. 234 stairs. 234 very steeply laid stairs later, I reached the top. This definitely deserved a beer!

I settled into a corner bar and ordered a beer and some croquettes. This was dinner and it was lovely! I wondered in and out of the shops a little and then made it back to the hostel.

Thursday morning I woke up and decided to explore a little more in Madrid. Friday would be saved for Segovia. Having seen so many historical buildings already on the trip, I opted for one of the acclaimed art museums. I picked the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. This is a museum now, but started as a private collection through two generations of the Thyseen-Bornemisza family. I was hooked because they were having a special exhibit from Pissarro and it was noted that they had several Van Gogh’s (my favorite!). Having opened in 1992, it’s a newer museum but the collection was amazing. What I liked the most was the variety. The museum itself is small compared to many art museums but still large and the variety of art was astounding. It spans so many types of art and years of history. I was intrigued that a few people were able to acquire so many wonderful paintings. The Van Gogh’s were great! I spent a long time in front of them. I breezed through the medieval paintings…you know, all the religious ones or strange portraits that all somehow look slightly creepy and scary. I spent a lot of time with the renaissance paintings…always my favorite. The way they played with light and texture is incredible. I even took in and liked some of the modern pieces they had. All in all, a great art museum experience!

Around the corner I found a cute little deli like shop and ordered some tapas style sandwiches and a beer. Took in the sunshine and the people on the street. It was funny to come from the smaller towns back into the big city. Just the level in noise was an adjustment! I was sitting in just the right place at just the right time to see a strange but fun occurrence. I think the building was either a hotel or bank, but a couple of floors up, on the corner of the building as the clock rang at the top of the hour, this mechanical set of characters came out from doors that opened and music began to play and a song was sung as the characters danced and moved around. It was as if Disney World was in town. It lasted for several minutes and was so fun! Proof that sitting in a café and taking it in is a good idea!

From here I decided that a stroll through the park was in order. El Retiro is a massive park that runs along the one side of the city. It’s layered with several different sections and perfect for a nice stroll to relax and soak it in. The sun was high in the sky with a day that couldn't be more lovely. All the garden areas were slightly different offering sculpted trees and bushes, flower beds filled with perennials, and fountains of all types. People were scattered all around. Laying under trees reading, running with their dogs, chasing a sibling…this is a place to come for the quiet that the city does not offer. I made my way around to a few of the sites to be seen. One was the Monument to Alfonso XII. A massive (of course) towering structure of him stood in the center and overlooking the pond on the east side of the park. Around him were marble lions and a semi circle of columns. This had a Roman feel to me. The cutest thing was the cats around the lions. There was one cat curled up and taking a nap in the nook of one of the lions. From here I made my way west through the park taking some of the paths less traveled and to the Palacio de Cristal. This structure was amazing. Made entirely of glass and steel, it was enchanting. Unfortunately it was under renovation so I couldn't go inside but just the beauty of it from the outside was fun. The sun was coming through the trees that stood all around and light was piecing through the building giving it a glow. On the one side of the building was another fun fountain area and many people were reading and playing in the area.

I continued on through the park and its paths. Spending a leisure day like this is something that I don’t get to do often but certainly enjoyed on this trip. I made my way back to the hostel neighborhood and settled in for a dinner and a beer. I was in a small square area at a restaurant sitting outside. What an interesting mix this place was. In the square were several shops and restaurants but the most interesting was the tattoo studio that was right next to the ice cream/frozen yogurt shop. You had all the kids and families in one and several completely covered in tattoo people in the other. And a dog that seemed to roam between the two. In the square itself were different groups of boys break dancing and whatnot to entertain those that would stop to watch. It made for a very entertaining dinner of tapas and wine.

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Photos

Templo de Debod
4th Century Temple moved from Egypt to Madrid

Templo de Debod
4th Century Temple moved from Egypt to Madrid - I couldn't get over the rocks.

Templo de Debod
4th Century Temple moved from Egypt to Madrid - The hieroglyphics were incredible!

Templo de Debod
4th Century Temple moved from Egypt to Madrid - The hieroglyphics were incredible!

Templo de Debod
4th Century Temple moved from Egypt to Madrid - The hieroglyphics were incredible!

Templo de Debod
4th Century Temple moved from Egypt to Madrid - The hieroglyphics were incredible!

Templo de Debod
4th Century Temple moved from Egypt to Madrid - Look at the engraving!

Paseo San Pablo
An entrance gate into the park

Paseo San Pablo
Loved these trees! Looks like a giant cauliflower!

Paseo San Pablo
Beautiful pathways throughout the entire park. Getting lost in a park in a big international city...always a joy!

Paseo San Pablo
The lions in the park.

Palacio de Cristal
Breathtaking! Built in 1887, design by El Retiro