What does a gal do with her last 3 hours on a sunny morning in Madrid?
Well, she grabs a quick bite to go with her espresso (in her Rodarte for Target tshirt and Banana Republic cashmere cardigan)…
at a hip, light-filled restaurant…
that looks out at the Puerta de Alcalá :
Then on a caffeine high she speedwalks to the Plaza de Cibeles (goddess of fertility), where the grand, white post office–that’s now the mayor’s office–can be found:
With two hours left, it’s a brisk stroll through the Parque del Buen Retiro which I’d mentioned to you on my first entry about Madrid. This park takes center stage, literally, in the heart of a bustling Madrid. You could easily spend an entire day in this large park. A lovely spot to visit is the Rosaleda del Retiro (rose garden):
And there are stretches of paths for running or strolling:
In another part of the park you can find an art gallery inside the Palacio de Cristal:
It is still rather cold this morning, and there is ice instead of water in most spouts:
The park is so enormous that it can accommodate an artificial pond, Estanque del Retiro…
that surrounds the Monument to Alfonso XII:
So that’s how this gal spent her last 3 hours in Madrid. I can’t wait to come back!
Tags: Banana Republic, Estanque del Retiro, Madrid, Monument to Alfonso XII, Palacio de Cristal, Parque del buen retiro, Rodarte for Target, Rosaleda del Retiro
What a difference a day makes. Whereas it was pouring yesterday, the sun is brilliant this morning as I walk to the Atocha train station to catch my ride to Toledo:
You can buy tickets online well ahead of time as some routes do sell out quickly, especially during high season and if you do not get a pre-assigned seat, but at this moment the station is only mildly busy…
because most people have already caught the earlier trains. Me? This is as early as I can get there after a late night…
You could very easily take the bus to Toledo from Madrid, but depending on traffic that might take up to 1.5 hours. If you don’t get motion sickness, sometimes a bus ride is the best way to see a new city. On the incredibly efficient, highspeed AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) train system, which is RENFE’s (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) new network connecting Madrid to Seville and now Barcelona, however, you will get there in 30 minutes. The train, even in coach class, is extremely clean and comfortable. It costs at least twice as much to travel by train than bus but convenience always comes with a price.
Before I can finish deciphering an article in the local Spanish paper about fashion for the upcoming award season (I find it funny that I can’t escape Hollywood even here in Madrid), Toledo is already in sight:
I’ve wanted to visit Toledo for a very long time, for 3 reasons: El Greco, Don Quixote, and la convivencia. Well, OK, maybe 4 reasons: marzipan. More about food in another entry.
La convivencia refers to the co-existence of the Catholics, Jews, and Muslims in certain towns of Spain where religous tolerance yields to multicultural exchanges. Toledo, in its golden age when it was once the capital of Spain, epitomized this philosophy of acceptance, and its remaining beautiful architecture is a historical manifestation of such interplay of religions and cultures. This magical city high on a steep hill is truly one built for the ages.
As the passengers disembark, the Toledo Train Station–a stunning Neomudejar-style building–greets us in all its Moorish splendor. The tourists, myself included, are in a tizzy. Holy Toledo, Batman! This place is gorgeous!
But it’s the historic city center that I’m here to see, and it’s up the hill. There are doubledecker tourist buses that wait outside as the trains arrive but I’ve just missed them because I’m too busy taking pictures. But no worries, there are about 3 other city buses that I can take. Let’s meet there tomorrow:
Tags: Atocha train station, AVE, Don Quixote, El Greco, la convivencia, Madrid, Moorish, neomudejar, RENFE, Spain, Toledo, Toledo Train Station
Remember the Belgian churro I had at the Christmas market in Bruges? It was more like a sweet snack. In Spain, however, the churro is a bland pastry to be dunked in your breakfast hot chocolate, like what he’s doing here…you might say it’s a Spanish dunkin’ donut.
On my first full morning in Madrid I have to go find a train ticket for the next day’s side trip. The weather has soured from sunny/cold to bone-chilling rain. So much for my decision to go to Madrid for its milder winter! Anyway, on the way to the Atocha train station, which btw seems to have a rain forest growing in the middle of its courtyard,
I spy tons of locals darting into their neighborhood cafes for a quick bite and drink–and by quick I mean they are all standing around the bar area for a hit of that expresso, white wine (why not!), or zumo (orange juice) and a small piece of toast or pastry before blowing out of there to go to work. I decide on a large pastelería with a busy bar in the back. I elbow my way to a small spot at the bar and am tempted by the goodies…
but when in Spain…
The fresh-squeezed OJ is quite wonderful actually. BTW that’s my favorite Chanel 05A cardigan over a Tory Burch shirt. I always wish for the four seasons in LA so I could wear winter clothes but the truth is, when it’s below freezing outside I can sortof understand why so many snuggies have been sold. OK I don’t, but I could use one right now. It’s hard to look cute in sleet. But where were we? Oh yes, the place is packed so I also rush out of there like those who hurried before me. It’s raining harder now and I really want to get to the train station, but I have to pop into this church for a looksie–plus it’s warm inside:
It’s now well past 11 am and there’s no train station in sight. But I do get to make another pit stop at the Panteón de Hombres Ilustres, a Neo-Byzantine style building
with some of the most amazing marble sculptures I’ve ever seen. They commemorate the lives and deaths of Spanish political powerhouses, most of whom were assassinated for their beliefs.
As I leave this beautiful pantheon it is snowing! Definitely a rarity for Madrid. It’s not quite cold enough for the snow to stick to the ground but the flakes are huge. Flurries give way to pouring rain by the time I reach the train station. My soaked map now looks like this but at least I have the train ticket I wanted:
From Atocha I wander toward the Reina Sofia Museum, which I plan on visiting later...but I definitely have to stop for a shot of the huge Lichtenstein in the courtyard:
I mean it is HUGE:
It’s probably 2pm by the time I reach this gate,
and I no longer care for the four seasons. Sunny LA sounds pretty good right about now, but this very moment is the best time to be in Spain. Because the mediodía (after 1 and till 4ish) means it’s time to eat! The mid-day meal is typically the biggest of the day for the Spanish, followed by a more haphazard, lighter dinner (tapas hopping, for instance). Everywhere you go you can find a solid 3-course meal for around 10 euros. Madrid is also full of wonderful, upscale restaurants should you wish to splurge on your taste buds. I just want to find a place to dry out right now and this restaurant is right across from the gate which I can’t identify for the moment. My waiter doesn’t speak English but he’s patient enough with my Spanish to sort out an all seafood meal for me, including seafood soup, gambas paella, and a local fish dish as my entree–he offers a tart as dessert but I only want the clementines to cleanse my palate:
I think I’ve eaten enough for five people but I’m going to need the calories for the day I’ve yet to finish on my feet. Tags: Atocha train station, Chanel, churro, Lichtenstein, Madrid, paella, Panteón de Hombres Ilustres, Reina Sofia Museum, Spain, Tory Burch, zumo
From the palace I am heading toward the Gran Vía, which is Madrid’s version of Broadway in NYC. On this street there are large shopping centers, movie theaters, hotels, and countless entertainment venues (I walk by the production of Spamalot). To get there, it is a long but fun walk across countless small squares– including the Plaza de Isabel II, Plaza del Angel, and Plaza del Callao to name a few–with tons of things to grab your attention…
But with the sun gone, it is becoming quite cold. The churches–and there are plenty in Madrid–make great stops for viewing and thawing:
But no matter how tough the weather gets, I have to persevere in order to get the shots of Madrid at night. As it turns out, the entire city seems to be persevering the cold to enjoy the last days of the holiday lights and Christmas markets:
But the shots I’ve really come for are of these two buildings; too bad they come out a bit blurry because my hands are shaking from the cold. The first is the Edificio Metrópolis, an office building built in the grand Parisian style that sits at the very intersection of the two streets Calle de Alcalá and Calle del Caballero de Gracia. Its gold-leaf covered, rounded tower sparkles night and day:
There’s only one word to describe the second building, the Banco de España, and that’s colossal. It takes up the entire block and occupies one of Madrid’s prime real estate, right in front of the Cibeles Fountain and at the corner of the Paseo del Prado where I began my walking tour of Madrid:
I’ll have better pictures of the bank when I come back through here during the day. It’s been a long day with tons of walking. Can’t wait to get back to my warm hotel room!
Tags: Banco de España, Calle de Alcalá, Calle del Caballero de Gracia, Cibeles Fountain, Edificio Metrópolis, Gran Vía, Madrid, Paseo del Prado, Plaza de Isabel II, Plaza del Angel, Plaza del Callao
Behind the arch in yesterday’s last photo is the famous Plaza Mayor, a large public square in the shape of a rectangle, measuring 129m x 94m, in the middle of Madrid’s historic center:
Surrounding the square are three-story residences with some 237 balconies facing the square. There are 9 entrances into the square:
The first photo in today’s entry is of the facade of the Casa de la Panadería (bakery), which has survived all 3 of the Plaza’s fires and numerous reconstructions. It now serves as a municipal office. The Plaza itself has hosted everything from public executions to bullfights. But today, during my visit, all I see are kids being entertained by street vendors:
Through one of the Plaza Mayor’s gateways, I run into the trendy Mercardo de San Miguel,
which turns out to be the perfect place to warm my hands and tempt my senses:
Cozy, long bars make the perfect place for snacks and drinks with friends:
Speaking of bars…
…so I stumble, ahem, walk down Calle Mayor from the market,
soaking up beautiful Spanish real estate at every turn:
But the nicest digs of all are still to come–I’ll show you tomorrow.
Tags: Casa de la Panadería, Madrid, Mercardo de San Miguel, Plaza Mayor, Spain
