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Published: July 14th 2008
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Madrid on Five Euros a Day (part 2)
Saturday was our first full day in Madrid. Having acquired a taste for the city the evening before, we were now prepared to become fully immersed. We began the morning with a typical European breakfast at the hotel. It was a serve yourself selection of cheeses, meats, melons and tomatoes. Along with these staples were scrambled eggs, slightly cooked bacon, croissants and coffee. There was also a selection of American cereals for the less adventurous.
Our first adventure began with a morning bus tour of the city. A lovely Spanish lady named Corina served as our hostess. We were driven around town and entertained with an oral history of Madrid and many points of interest. We drove by the Bernabeu Stadium, home to Madrid Real and former home of David Beckham. Our hostess was not too fond of his wife; it was a “spicy” moment.
Our first stop was the Plaza de Toros… a fabulous brick building designed with the classic Moorish arch. The pictures here don’t do it justice; it is quite remarkable. No bullfighting today, but lots of blood left over from the week before.
Our next
Corina and Michael
Corina kept us entertained as well as informed about her beautiful city. stop was the Prado Museum, where we said goodbye to our bus and hello to our walking shoes. Inside, we were treated to spectacular art pieces by El Greco, Rubens and Velazquez. Corina guided us through the galleries and provided detailed explanations of the art history and painting styles. There was also a special exhibit of Goya that we were able to view on our own. His masterpieces, including “The Third of May” were on display for our appreciation.
Next up was a stop at the Jardines del Buen Retiro for a bite to eat. This is Madrid’s largest park and was originally the hunting grounds for Spain’s early monarchs. It was a short distance up the hill from the museum, and the first time I was able to use my limited Spanish:. “Cerveza, por favor”.
After our brief respite, it was more walking to our next destination, the central train station. Atocha is the transportation hub for Madrid, where the trains, metro, buses, cars and scooters all come together. Inside the facility were many shops, restaurants and fast food outlets. The original main hall has been transformed into a giant atrium. It is home to a wide
variety of plants, birds and water turtles.
Continuing our walking tour, we next headed to the Reina Sofia Museum of Art to see one of Pablo Picasso’s most famous paintings. Guernica protests the careless destruction and violence of war; I’ll never understand Picasso’s “genius,” but Madame and others were impressed by the anguish and power of the painting.
By this time, our feet were mighty tired, so we headed back to the hotel by way of the metro. We had a few hours of free time before heading out for dinner, which was just right for shopping, site seeing or just plain sleeping.
Once again, dinner was at a nearby restaurant, and once again, we had steak and fries. This time the appetizer consisted of a plate of small, flat green beans. I saw more than a few wrinkled brows when they were served. After dinner we headed over to Plaza Mayor to take in some more ambiance and to enjoy one of Madrid’s special treats - chocolate with churros.
Saturday night in the plaza is a social happening. All of the restaurants were full. Many a street performer and artist were out plying their trade.
The most crowded spot was the alleyway next to the Chocolateria San Gines. As soon as one table was vacated, it was immediately occupied again. Everyone in Madrid loves their churros dipped in chocolate, and everyone in our group was a happy participant. This ended our evening on a pretty sweet note. Buenos noches.
PS: There’s no way you can live on 5 euros a day.
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