Plaza de Vazguez de Mella

I came across a shopfront in Madrid, on the way back to our apartment after dropping off the hire car, that organises and runs Segway tours of Madrid. I have seen plenty of them running around many of the other cities we have been to, but it seemed today was a perfect time, and Madrid a perfect place, to give these cute two-wheelers a go. I booked a 2-hour private tour via Segway at 6:30 pm and then returned to the apartment and told Sam. He was very keen, as was I.

We arrived promptly at 6:30 pm to begin the tour. It doesn't get dark here till 10:00 pm so things are just getting started in Spain at 6:30 pm. We were given instructions on how to ride the Segway, and a guide named Irene (what is it with girl guides named Irene in this country? we have only had two young female tour guides and both of them have been named Irene) proceeded to lead us on a 2-hour journey around the most beautiful sites in Madrid.

Our tour took us through the gardens which were once part of the Royal Palace. The gardens had a French area, a huge greenhouse and a massive lake. The greenhouse was for plants from the Philippines (named that after Philip the King of France at the time of colonisation) and the massive lake was for mini naval battles using full-size galleons for the entertainment of the king and the nobles.

We spent about an hour through the gardens, then we went on a tour through some of the older areas of Madrid. We saw the impressive Royal Palace and the Cathedral on the opposite side of the square, both built in renaissance style. We also visited the Main Square which dates from the 15th century and used to be used for bullfights. Also, it was used by the Inquisition to execute convicted heretics - about 4000 were executed in that square alone over the years. Franco, the dictator on Spain from 1939 to 1975 also like to use the square for executions. There were places for hangings, beheadings and garrotings. The last garrotting took place in the square in 1975 (yes, only a little over 40 years ago) under the orders of Franco.

Ernest Hemingway, the famous American writer who spent a lot of time in France and Spain, travelled to Spain and fought in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. He also watched many bullfights here in Madrid. His famous book, For Whom The Bell Tolls, is based on his experiences fighting in the Spanish Civil War. He also wrote at least three books in which bullfighting plays a major part in the story, including Death In the Afternoon, and The Sun Also Rises. We saw the restaurants and cafes where Hemingway had a regular table and watched the Spanish day go by in the 1930s.

We saw medieval prisons, the town hall, museums and concert halls, the world's oldest continually operating restaurant. I have visited at least three restaurants claiming to be the world's oldest, in various countries now, one in Paris, one in Vienna and now one in Madrid. The guide assured me that it was in the Guinness Book of Records so I will have to remember to consult it to verify the claim.

The Segway Tour was a highlight. They are remarkably easy to control, despite them appearing very difficult to ride. They are very stable, extremely maneuverable, and quite speedy. I really thought these would be useful in Australian cities as an alternative to other modes of transport. They run on rechargeable batteries and go for at least 2-3 hours on each charge. I am not sure of the rules in Australia about their use, but I would presume the rule-makers and fun police would have outlawed them.Read more