When we envisioned going to Spain, we have always known we were going to start with Madrid. It was the perfect start of what would be a modern, historical and cultural visit to a quintessential European trip.
From our very first days of traveling, we have always traveled with a Lonely Planet Guide. It's been kind of a collection now. Our most favorite feature of the book series are the “Walking Tours.” It allows you to hit some highlights of a central area on foot (or bike). We arrived in Madrid in the morning and after a short nap (and thanks to long summer days) we completed a self-guided walking tour of central and historic Madrid.
We started with the Royal Palace of Madrid and Almudena Cathedral. We couldn’t take pictures inside the Palace. We certainly wished we could; it was so grand inside. Apparently, it is still used by the royal family and political functions. So for security purposes, guests can’t take pictures in certain areas.
The Cathedral was also a marvel of an architecture and is situated directly accross the palace. There is a small crypt in the back side of the Cathedral. It was a nice and quiet place to reflect.
As part of our self-guided walking tour, we went on a hunt for chocolate and churros. They basically serve melted chocolate with churros and we chose to have our first taste at the historic Chocolateria San Gines.
The next stop on our walking tour was Plaza Mayor. Known for its architecture and role in the Spanish Inquisition, history just bled through the walls of the plaza. We were lucky on this day as they were having free summer concerts for San Isidro festival.
One plaza that everyone (guidebooks and friends alike) recommends visiting is Puerta del Sol. A busy and central plaza that is bordered by historical buildings (like the President’s office, famous clocks, historical statues, etc.). I liken Puerta del Sol to Times Square. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but still a must see…
Do I need to talk about how good food is in Madrid? Or anywhere in Spain, really?
Rabbit and chicken paella.
The next day, we decided to take a run through el Retiro Park. A couple of years ago we were training for a marathon and one of the things we learned was how fun it was to sightsee a city by way of running. Madrid was no exception. The park was a beautiful respite in the morning and we got our exercise in for the day!
We are not completely big on going to museums. We prefer more active ways to experience a city's culture and history. But it didn’t seem right to not visit the Prado National Museum while we were in Madrid. We were glad we did because it really put the rest of our visit to Spain in perspective. The artwork of Goya and other famous Spanish artists (Picasso included!), the royal families that commissioned artwork over the centuries were too ingrained in the history of Spain that a visit to Spain is not a visit unless there this perspective is learned and appreciated.
Madrid had the cutest neighborhoods. We definitely wished we could have had more time to explore, but we had so much more in store for our trip...
