Springtime in Madrid

Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 March
Hello to you all from Madrid - or Madread - as Mick likes to call it (he's never been a fan of big cities) but its a great hub from which to explore some places we missed last time around.  And we've found a lovely little studio right on Parque Buen Retiro - the upmarket area of Madrid - very central but much like Knightsbridge & Kensington - very posh! 

You may recall our last visit was in November and so its lovely to see Buen Retiro in early spring.  The temperatures here are between 18-25 degrees at the moment but still that early morning breeze can give you a rude awakening!  Of course, Madrid is on a high plain so it gets both extremes - very hot and very cold - weather.

Love is in the air at Puerta Alcala, Buen Retiro

We also wanted to take in another couple of  plazas and cafes in the area and first up for lunch was the fabulous HV, a trendy cafe/restaurant on Calle de Alfonso XII - packed with Spanish on their lunch break - always a good sign!  They had a great offer of 5 tapas for euros 13 plus a glass of Ribera (our new favourite!)  We feasted on little toasts with jamón, mushroom and caramelised onion; tomato and smoked bacalao (salted cod); chicken skewers with mustard; mini hamburgers; and that classic Spanish dish - migas (posh breadcrumbs with jamón and pimentón (the lovely Spanish paprika) - all fried in olive oil - a bit tastier than our fried bread!

And a short walk from here is Buen Retiro - the always busy open space and park.   The vast majority of Spanish live in apartments - large or small - so the parks and plazas are like a back garden.  We got there about 6pm and it was still warm - 17 degrees - and it was packed! 

At the boat park at sundown

Sunday 16 March
After a couple of days on the road visiting Segovia and Cuenca (see separate posts) we fancied a relaxing day in Madrid as we've a long journey to northern Spain tomorrow.  So we wandered a short way to Plaza de Santa Ana, once the haunt of great thinkers, literaries and artists where they would gather for tertulias (long debates).  It certainly was buzzy but, after some of the plazas we've seen we didn't think it worthy of a photo! 

Then a short walk to Plaza Mayor to soak up the energy and to compare it once more to Salamanca's main square - and Salamanca definitely wins best plaza accolade - the architecture there is stunning.  And low and behold it was time for lunch at another Madrid institution - Grand Cafe de Iberia - opened in 1880s - and another haunt for the literaries of the day.  The food was good - not top drawer - but the service was more entertaining.  It put us in mind of Fawlty Towers - a hair's breadth away from chaos and meltdown!

After lunch, we took a stroll in Buen Retiro to have a peek at the statue of the Fallen Angel (Lucifer) - which stands at 666m above sea level!

El Ángel Caída (The Fallen Angel)

We also paid our respects to the Madrileños who were victims of the train bombs in March 2004 when 191 lost their lives.  Here is the Bosque del Recuerdo (Memorial Forest) where, for each victim, an olive or cypress tree is planted.  It is a lovely place for quiet contemplation in a busy park.

Bosque del Recuerdo

We wanted to take a rowing boat out on the lake but the queue was so long that we decided to have a beer instead and watch others exerting themselves on a hot & sunny afternoon!  

And that about wraps up our brief stay in Madrid.  We're moving northwards by train tomorrow for the lovely San Sebastian where we'll spend our last couple of nights in Spain.  This is getting too real - I can't imagine life without the Spanish, the coffees, tapas, great wine, magnificent cities and landmarks.  You may recall we visited San Sebastian for a day late last year and we loved it so much we decided then that we would return.  So mixed feelings: we want to be in San Sebastian but we've both said we'll really miss Spain - more so than France.  So, until the next post I'll say buenas noches and leave you with a fitting image of Palacio Cristal, Buen Retiro.

As the sun goes down on our wonderful Spanish adventure...