A Hot Day in Madrid

It often amazes me how a city that looked completely alien just 24 hours ago can start to feel familiar. All it takes is a few landmarks to help you feel at home. The hotel entrance that looked strange last night when we arrived at 9 pm, already feels like a welcome refuge from the heat and crowds.

I guess everyone has their own way of exploring a new city. For many, their orientation consists of trying to see as many of the "tourist attractions" as possible in a limited amount of time. Judging by the number of people we saw with their selfie sticks, the aim is to take your photo in front of each and every attraction, presumably to prove that you were actually there.

My own way of exploring a city is to largely ignore the recommended attractions, after all there are only a limited number of cathedrals and art galleries you can really appreciate. I have always preferred to just wander the streets and see where my legs take me. I find every new street and alleyway an exciting place to discover and learn about the city and its inhabitants at the same time. After all, you do not go all the way to a place like Madrid, just to surround yourself with fellow tourists, Surely it is the locals you went to see.

And as for the selfies ? Anyone who know me already knows that I never take selfies.

After a reasonable night's sleep I met Allan and Douglas for breakfast at the (much later than usual) time of 9 am. I was very pleasantly surprised with the standard of the breakfast, especially considering we are staying in a "budget" hotel. The scrambled eggs were so good that I just had to go back and have a second serve.

Thus fuelled up with eggs in my engine, the three of us headed out into the city. Overhead the sky was clear and blue, and you could already feel the heat starting to build. A short walk from our hotel we discovered the Plaza Mayor (Main Plaza). Every Spanish city has a Plaza Mayor and this is usually the place that is regarded as the heart of the city. It seemed like a logical place to start.

I had not know what to expect to find in Madrid, however I did think that the buildings would be rather knocked about like they are in Italy. To my surprise I found the buildings to be in excellent condition. Madrid is filled with a lovely variety of strikingly beautiful examples of architecture, some of which reminded me of those you find in Paris. The streets were clean, the pavements in good condition and the traffic flowed freely. I immediately started to feel comfortable here.

After some time in the Plaza we wandered our way through the city towards the Parque de El Retiro. This is a huge park,right in the central part of the city. It seemed like a great place to spend a hot day. As we entered through the impressive gates an illuminated sign told us that the temperature was already 34 C. Shade seemed a logical idea.

By this time we were feeling like lunch. We found a nice cafe in among the trees and enjoyed a leisurely chat while we ate. The next couple of hours were spent wandering the gardens and watching the people pass their time. There were a myriad of activities available, including rowing boats around the large central lake. Many others were exploring the park on electric scooters and bicycles.

When our legs started to weary we felt it was time to head back towards our hotel. A late afternoon siesta seemed attractive, however when I reached the bed, the sleep would not come. I watched a little Spanish TV instead. I never knew that Jimmy Stewart could speak Spanish, but here was one of his old movies and his Spanish was surprisingly good. It was a pity that it really didn't sound right. Why don't they use subtitles I wondered ?

Much later in the day we walked a short distance to find a place to have dinner. We found a suitable place and were soon happily enjoying our meals while an unlikely looking muscle bound clarinet player did a very good job of playing Acker Bilk classics. His playing was excellent but of course it was not free. At the end of his set, he went around the tables "requesting" money for his efforts. We paid him, but we did not pay the very loud (and not so talented) piano accordionist that followed him.

It had been a lovely start to our brief time in Madrid.Read more