Jardines de Sabatini

The plan today was to visit the Royal Palace but when we got there we found that it was closed to the public for several days. The Royal family doesn't live there anymore but it is still used for special occasions and, though we didn't find out what the occasion was, we still enjoyed our visit but for a different reason. It just happened that as we arrived, a marching band started up and there followed a grand procession of very ornately uniformed soldiers on horseback. It was the Solemn Changing of the Guard that only happens on the first Wednesday of each month. Against a deep blue sky and bright sunshine we watched a piece of true Spanish pomp and ceremony.

From here we headed to the Mercado de San Miguel, one of Madrid oldest markets which has now become a place where locals come to meet for posh tapas, with prices to match. We did stop for a quick taster and chinked a glass of sangria cava to our friend Sue whose birthday it was. I could have stayed longer but Chris wanted to try some of the food at the Museo de Jamon, which wasn't a ham museum, but a bar/restaurant/shop with a focus on Spanish ham. A couple more tapas there and then we were off again, admiring the city.

One of Spain's grandest squares has to be Plaza Mayor with its ochre-coloured apartments and 237 black wrought-iron balconies. Designed in 1619, its first public ceremony was the beatification of Madrid's patron saint, St. Isidro the Farm Labourer. From then on it also celebrated royal weddings, bull fights and executions with burnings at the stake and deaths by garotte on the north side and hangings to the south! The only thing that we felt spoilt it a little, and in other places too, was the number of modern 'human statues' who, for a few euros, will allow you to have a photo taken with them

Towards the end of our walking tour, we came across the Chocolateria de San Gines, famous for its hot chocolate con churros, so we had to stop. The cups of hot chocolate reminded us of our time in Sicily where cups of thick, dark chocolate are served and our friend Judi drank two, one straight after the other! This time, I opted for a scoop of vanilla ice-cream with hot chocolate poured over into which I dipped my churros, a long finger of deep-fried doughnut.

Again we left Madrid with our tummies full and lots of great memories.Read more