Almudena Cathedral and Royal Palace

Our next stop was the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral. We first visited the Cathedral, which is relatively modern as it was consecrated by John Paul II in 1997. The building seems to take influence from moorish designs , and it seems a bit similar to Sagrada Familia as it comes on its use of light for the glass windows. The chapels lying around the main body vary in style from roman/medieval to a very modern one dedicated to John Paul II. The sculptures and altar work are really beautiful, and we left thinking that there are plenty of beautiful churches in Spain.

We then stopped by the Royal Palace, which was a pleasant surprise. None of us had ever seen anything like it. While the full palace is made of 3,400 rooms, visitors are only allowed within 35 of them. The feeling we got from the visit is that we couldn't imagine another place showcasing as much luxury as we saw. Full paintings on every ceiling of the rooms, silk on every drape, and just incredible pieces of craftsmanship. For example, there was a room fully made of porcelain panels that were so masterfully put together that the seams were almost invisible. We also saw the dinner services of multiple kings and the throne room that was first utilized in the palace.

With just a little bit more to see, we left the palace and took a cab towards Puerta del Sol to end our sightseeing day.Read more