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    Palace and King Philip IV
    Fun run in MadridMonument to Isabel, the great great grandmother of the current kingMadrid parkBig square building on the left is the PalaceMadrid buildingsMonument to CervantesPark gatesMain palace. The royal family actually live in a smaller estate a bit out of the cityPalace again. Mainly used for State events and as offices for some dignitariesKing Philip IV. Paid for Mary Major Basilica in Rome which now has a bronze Bernini statue of himMadrid buildings again.Square in Madrid. Most buildings are private apartments but are very expensive to buy in the cityCathedral, building started in 1883 and finished in 1993Buildings from the 14th (left), 15th (middle), and 16th centuries (right)St Michael's Markets. Built in the early 20th century as a fish market. Now fancy food shopsOne of the very early examples of small shops in Madrid, dates from the 1600sAnd this is another example, date above the door says 1650Puerta del SolGreat buildingsHeading towards the Prado MuseumBuildingsBuildingsPrado MuseumMadrid intersection

    Hanging out in Madrid

    September 21 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today was spent checking out Madrid. We had a walking tour booked to start at 9am but we hit a problem. They had their version of the City to Surf race happening so we ended up stuck on the wrong side of the street as there were so many runners going past. Anyway we sorted that and spent a few hours walking around looking at the buildings and scenery of Madrid.

    Madrid has been the capital of Spain since 1561 and once the dictator Franco died in 1975 the city has changed a lot, from grey and dull to now beautiful buildings painted very tastefully. See the photos.

    Madrid is home to the royal palace and this place is huge. It was built in 1764 and has 3,418 rooms making it the largest palace in Europe - twice the size of Versailles and four times the size of Buckingham Palace.

    We then walked around some of the old sections of town and ended up at Puerta del Sol, where we were yesterday. We then headed to the Prado Museum.

    This is a huge building which houses the main Spanish art collection. It was works by a number of the key artists of the 14th and 15th centuries including Rubens, Rembrandt, Goya, and loads more.

    After checking out the museum we then headed back to the hotel for a late afternoon siesta. Dinner was at a small bar/restaurant just near the hotel. As usual the beer and food were excellent!    Read more