Spain

For our last day in Madrid, we did a walking tour. It was full of history and recommendations for restaurants from a local. Madrid was founded by Muslim Arabs in 850, and during that time, the city had an Arabic influence in its architecture. However, in the 1400s, a Catholic monarchy took power and began persecuting Jews and Muslims. This was the start of the Spanish Inquisition. To distance themselves from the Arabs, the ruling family refurbished the entire city into a more European-style area, destroying most of the Arabic influences. The first 2 pictures show one of the few buildings that still remain in that style, and the 3rd picture shows what was once a mosque, turned into a Christian Church, and the interesting contrasts between the 2 styles. We also saw Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol, two very important squares in Madrid. The remaining pictures are simply places I found appealing and pretty.Leer más