In the streets of Spain

I love meandering through the streets of Spain. Capturing the essence of everyday life is a wonderful thing. I found it necessary to take a respite from the "tourist" persona and just enjoy the little things -- people watching, drinking cafe con leche (coffee with milk) and enjoying a different environment and pace of life.







Lovely cut off tree tops and flowers. Just what I always dreamed.



Just some more great photos of Madrid. Love it.

Still a Busy Little Traveler

Madrid is such a great city, and I've cherished the time we have spent here. There is never a shortage of places to visit, foods to try, or streets to saunter through. This is the best of Spanish culture and I love it.

After hanging out at Plaza Mayor, we moseyed over to Puerto del Sol, the old gateway to Madrid. I really liked the general ambiance of the area. As with other parts of Madrid we visited, Puerto del Sol is replete with statues, cafes and beautiful architecture.

Spain's famous El Oso y el Madrano (The Bear and the Strawberry tree) which is the symbol of Madrid.

Statue of Carlos III



There is a very cool market in Madrid--and apparently world famous-- called Mercado de San Miguel. Boy, did it smell fishy!






Yum! If we only had time...


The Almudena Cathedreal is a magnificent representation of Gothic revival style and Neo Gothic interior architecture. Interestingly, I was surprised to learn that its construction began in 1879, abandoned until 1950 and then finally completed in 1993.






My favorite picture from the Cathedral is the organ. It's resplendent.

Busy Little Traveler

Despite our earlier plans of visiting the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) on Monday, the Palace was closed for an official ceremony. Very well. What to do? Plenty.

In the small town of Alcala de Henares, which is about 20 miles outside of Madrid, we visited the birthplace of Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes who wrote the classic, Don Quixote. Regretfully, the museum is closed on Mondays, so we were unable to visit inside.



The street running past Cervantes' birthplace.


My sister and I didn't think the experience would be complete without a photo op with Don Quixote and his trusty sidekick, Sancho Panza


After a train ride back from Alcala, and a quick jump on the Metro, we found ourselves in the Plaza Mayor.




King Philip III, the statue in the center


Not sure what happened to the venerable superhero, but Spiderman doesn't look quite the same in Spain.

Beer and Bulls

In our effort to fully experience the Spanish culture, we decided to check out a bull fight on Sunday night. But before taking the train to the Plaza de Toros, there was beer to consume -- Spanish beer that is. We stopped at a little outdoor cafe, Coliseo, and enjoyed the ever popular Estrella Damm


From a cultural standpoint, I'm glad I added a Spanish bull fight to my collective, life experiences. I'm aware of the controversy this traditional spectacle elicits, and, at times, I found myself wondering if the rules could be changed to allow for more sport and less blood. With that said, I was impressed with the deft madators--displaying their ability to "dance" with a dangerous bull and not get gored in the process.

Outside the stadium in Madrid





The bull fight in progress

Prado Redux

I found the area around the Museo del Prado to be quite charming and interesting. There was a gentleman playing his classical guitar. He had excellent musicianship. Unfortunately, I didn't take his picture since there was a possibility he would demand a "donation." I must say, though, the street musicians I've encountered in Madrid have been of above average quality. These cats have chops.

Since one isn't allowed to take pictures in the Prado, most of my photographic endeavors came from the surrounding area.






Goya. Enough said.




It's Spain. Who could have predicted there would be a church nearby?