Glad Times

Madrid
Madrid was the first stop on our second mini-tour of the year following Paul Weller performing across the cities of Europe. 

Placio Real, the Royal Palace of Madrid

Marid International Airport is huge and warrants jumping on a train from your terminal to the baggage hall. And whilst the airport is very modern there are no direct links to the city centre that could drop us there fuss-free so we had to join the long taxi queue. It was a little overwhelming at first glance but it soon transpired this was the norm so we relaxed and queued in the Autumn sunshine. It turned out to be very well organised and there were a wave of taxis so we didn't have to wait long for the thirty minute ride to the centre of the city.

Madrid International Airport

Our 4th floor apartment was in the La Latina district, so from our balcony we could listen to the busy street life of the Barrio de la Latina. It is a maze of narrow streets and lanes with tapas restaurants and cantinas which leaves you spoilt for choice for drinking and eating out. The most popular and populated street is Calle de la Cava Baja, but as we found you can eat anywhere across most of the city so get your walking shoes on.

Saturday night in Madrid

To emphasise this point we walked to Sol and Huertas, two centrally located areas that teem with tapas bars. We wondered through on a Saturday night and were astonished. Every part of the city seemed to be alive and all generations were out to share the evening and what Saturday night had to offer. I don't think I've never been somewhere so geared up to celebrate eating and drinking on this scale. Saturday night in Madrid is a wonder to behold. The tapas options can be a bit limited for non-meat eaters so it's good to know there are good vegetarian options. We had a great veggie meal at the excellent Artemisa Sol Huertas.

The beautiful Plaza Mayor, Madrid

A stones throw away from La Latina is the magnificent Plaza Mayor which is one of the most stunning squares in Madrid. It really is the most perfect place to grab a reasonably priced beer and watch the world go by. We returned here time and time again to relax and people watch. Check your guide book and you'll find the square has an infamous place in history as a key location during the Spanish Inquisition. At that time the site was used for public garrotting and hangings, a far cry from the groups of walking tours that constantly meander across the lovely square taking in it's wonders.

Placio Real, the Royal Palace of Madrid

We are fans of the organised walking tour but often like to do them under our own steam. We picked an architectural tour from the guidebook to follow. Starting at Plaza Mayor we weaved in between the plethora of  interesting side streets off the square. This took in the incredibly busy Mercado de San Miguel which was bursting at the seams with fabulous looking food. We worked our way through several pretty Plazas before arriving at the very ornate and manicured gardens of the Plaza de Oriente. This square is adjacent to the grand and imposing Placio Real, the Royal Palace of Madrid which in turn stands opposite the Catedral de la Almudena. All very regal and impressive. 

Placio Real, the Royal Palace of Madrid

If you don't fancy the queues at the Palace the much less well-known Cerralbo Museum is just a short walk away. It's an excellent option to view the equivalent opulence that is on display at the Palace in a much quieter environment. It's home to the quite bizarre historical art and object collections of Enrique de Aguilera yGamboa, a Spanish archaeologist and politician who died in the 1920s.

The crazily OTT Cerralbo Museum, Madrid

The Plaza de Espana is a short walk from the museum and has a real New York feel to it and this theme continues as you cruise down Gran Via which deserves it's iconic Avenue status as it hosts several impressive art deco buildings. We watch a lot of travel shows when researching our trips and one piece of excellent advice was "When in Madrid 'look up!". There are so many beautiful buildings and sights  above normal eye level, from wonderful facades, ornate windows and railings and the odd hidden statue.

Looking up in Madrid. A fallen Angel

And there's always someone looking down surveying the madness

The funky Malasana & Chueca district is full of great shops and Cantinas. At the Plaza del dos de Mayo we couldn't resist a nice big beer in the park, they looked so appetising! There are lots of restaurants in this area but their popularity meant hungry people were queuing out of the door waiting for a table. This is a common occurrence and part of the experience, but there are enough eateries around to find some sustenance without being perched by the door stressing over a free seat.

La carnicería, Madrid

After the Saturday night that everyone in Madrid partakes in, it was a surprise to see so many folk up and about at Madrid's famous Sunday morning flea market, El Rastro. This fabulous collection of the everyday and curios started just outside our apartment in La Latina and seemed to go on forever. It's a good place to source some alternative souvenirs produced by local artists, as well as everything else you could think of.

Madrid's famous Sunday flea market, El Rastro

In another self-propelled walking we tour we started down the magnificently grand Calle de Alcalá. Unfortunately our first stop, a true icon of Madrid, the Metropolis Building, was completely covered for renovation work. We did get to see the Bank of Spain opposite which was famously robbed in our favourite Spanish TV show Money Heist or La Casa dePapel. 

The Art Deco buildings of Gran Via, Madrid

We really enjoyed a stroll in the sunshine through the El Retiro Park, taking in the famous boating lake and another Statue of the Fallen Angel (which is apparently 666m above sea level - spooky!) and exited through Dantes Gate. Nearby, another must-see is the Estación de Cercanías de Atocha, the older part of the central Madrid train station which is now essentially a botanical garden. Quite bonkers, but lovely.

Estación de Cercanías de Atocha, Madrid

We took a look at the pretty movie theatre Cine Doré as it is centrally located in the in Antón Martín neighbourhood, which buzzes with eclectic shops and eateries. The nearby Café Pavón also deserves a mention as we returned here on a couple occasions for a lunch of large cold beers and tortillas.

Street life in Antón Martín, Madrid

Despite spending five days' in Spain's capital it felt like felt like we only scratched the surface of what Madrid had to offer which is a testament to how much fun we had and put in place a strong desire to return.

Majestic Madrid

I must finish off with a mention of the Paul Weller gig. The first night of the second leg of his European tour was at La Riviera, a short walk from the centre of Madrid. The venue was excellent, complete with palm trees and more bars than I'd ever seen anywhere at a gig. Mr Weller and his band were on fine form. Next stop Bologna.

Paul Weller, La Riviera, Madrid