Madrid for four days
Updated: 2 days ago
We had a quick visit to Spain's capital at the beginning and end of our two week trip. Our first rental apartment was right next to Plaza Mayor:
After dropping our bags, we strolled over to Plaza Mayor. It was pretty empty in the mid afternoon heat. After a forgettable lunch at one of the restaurants in the plaza, we walked from Plaza Mayor to Plaza de la Armeria. People will watch a changing of the guard here, but it was also pretty sleepy on that day and we did not go into either of the grand buildings on the square: the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Almudena Cathedral. There was enough to entertain us walking around this central part of Spain as we did not plan to do too much after a long day of travel.
We ended the day at a famous churro place outside puerta del sol called Chocolateria San Gines. This place is dripping with history and chocolate. Founded in 1894 and located in a cool alley, it is worth a stop. I ordered way too much, although some people probably love drinking a mug of left over chocolate sauce.
The next morning we walked through Parqure de Buen Retiro. This is a big park close to the center of Madrid. We strolled through some cute gardens to get to a lake at its center.
It was fun to rent a rowboat and tool around the small pond for an hour or so. The Monument to Alfonso XII is adjacent to the pond along with some other interesting elements. We checked out some other areas on foot.
We strolled through Museo Reina Sofia for a few minutes. The museum had some sculptures displayed in an adjacent building called the Palacio de Cristal. The building was much more memorable than the sculptures inside.
It was originally designed as a greenhouse modeled after London's Crystal Palace.
We walked from the park to the Prado Museum which is very close by. This museum would be on everyone's short list for greatest collections in the world. The biggest draws are the Velazquez and Goya masterpieces. Las Meninas is a fantastic painting and the super weird Goya 'black paintings' were also fantastic. We chose a 2 hour guided tour and I think I wanted a couple more hours to get a little deeper into the collection but the kids were satisfied. We strolled back towards our apartment.
We passed by the famous Metropolis Building which apparently is the city's most photographed building. It does look pretty cool, I guess. We got dinner in the commercial district which had a different feel from the area we were staying around Plaza Mayor.
We wandered through the Puerta del Sol on our way back home for a siesta. We stopped by the famous Bear and Strawberry Tree statue which commemorates a 13th century compromise granting the city ownership of the local forests while the church kept control of the farmland. If you rub the bear's heels, you are guaranteed good luck and a return to Madrid one day. It worked for us. We went out for a late dinner around Sol and called it a day.
Next day, we headed to Granada. Train is the way to go, at 31/2 hours, it is faster than renting a car, bus or flying. We took one last stroll through Plaza Mayor before heading to the train. I knew we'd be back, as I loved the location for this apartment enough to chose it for our last couple of days in Spain as well. After visiting Spain's south (Granada, Cordoba, and Sevilla) we found ourselves back in the capital city.
Once back in Madrid, we hauled our bags to a great spot to get lunch outside of Plaza Mayor: Mercado de San Miguel. This famous market has over 30 vendors inside a glass and cast iron building that dates to 1916. It is great for small bites to keep different tastes happy.
The two museums not to miss in Madrid are the Prado and Museo Nacional Thyssen- Bornemisza. It has a fabulous collection of paintings that would not exhaust the museum averse crowd.
The collection spans the period after the bulk of the Prado's works up to the modern era and is easy to enjoy a couple of hours with great paintings without quite the same crowds as the Prado. You should hit both if possible.
We had another dinner in the area around Plaza Mayor and wandered through the city doing a little shopping for souvenirs, including leather bags.
While we were eating dinner, an insistent local artist offered up a family portrait. Dylan looks like the late great Dolly Parton and JT like a boy selling papers in 1920's Brooklyn. I'm just an ugly dude who somehow got the craziest cheerleader.
For our last day in Spain, we took a half hour train for a rewarding visit to Toledo. Spain's old capital is too close to Madrid to not spend some time there if you've got 3-5 days in Madrid.
We grabbed a taxi at the train station to take us to a viewpoint called Mirador del Valle for a couple of photos before checking out the town.
The Primate Cathedral of St. Mary of Toledo is huge. It is considered by many the greatest gothic masterpiece in Spain.
There is a skylight that allows dramatic lighting of the altar. The Sacristry of this church is very cool to wander through as it has a huge number of El Greco's famous portraits of Christ and the Apostles. The Spanish master spent most of his life in this town.
After checking out the El Grecos, we wandered through a small sub chapel called Capilla de San Blas, which has the tomb of an archbishop and his nephew. it has great frescos and the painting ceiling and the tombs are pretty cool.
We wandered fairly aimlessly in Toledo after visiting the Primate Cathedral. The town is very pedestrian friendly and was not overwhelmed with tourists like the highlight areas in the south of Spain. We had a great lunch, picking a spot at random.
We ended up at Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes. This 15th century church was built by Ferninand and Isabella to celebrate the Reconquista (the victory over the Moors to reclaim Spanish soil). It was closed when we arrived so we missed out on seeing the interior which looks incredible.
Toledo was a great last hurrah for our vacation. We took the train back to Madrid and relaxed for our last night before flying back home.
Make time for Toledo.
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