More from Espaņa
Yesterday was a very long day.
I started by going to the stadium for the Club Atlético de Madrid to buy some tickets for this Saturdayīs match, but they were closed, so I walked around the area. Madrid is a fairly flat city, but behind me was a small hill, which offered a view across the city from a small park. The majority of the architecture in the centre of the city reflects a significant Roman influence.
Later, I walked over a very ornate bridge that crosses the rather small river that runs through the city. Actually, it is nothing so powerful as a river, something closer to a stream would be more apt. I took a few pictures and headed for the Metro station on my way to Sol.
For those of you inclined toward this kind of thing, here is an excellent map of the Madrid Metro system.
On the first couple of days I found the system to be a little confusing, but after riding it a few times (and finding a map), it is very easy to find your way around. Now, how much do you pay for your local Metro (if there is one in your city)? In Madrid, you pay just 0.50 per trip. That is about $0.75 Canadian or $0.50 US. Compared to the city I live in, thatīs an incredible bargain. Plus, the Metro covers almost all of Madrid, not just one or two areas. Added on to that is a bus service and a rapid train service that traverses the city.
Most of the day was spent walking around and looking at anything that caught my eye. I visited the Opera House, a few churches, walked around on Gran Vėa, took pictures of statues, people, buildings and anything else that stood out. Soon, it was 7 pm and time fore me to go home. I ran into Jane on the Metro and we went to the grocery store, and later the butcher, to stock up on food. I was conversing with the staff at both locations, feeling much better about my Spanish.
We got a great bottle of tinto (Red Wine) from the store for only 2.70. If it were so affordable in Canada, Iīd likely drink a lot more wine.
Jane made a fantastic dinner, complete with appetizer (cheese, pepper, and tuna slices with lettuce) and entreé (ground steak with spaghetti). Then we spent the rest of the evening talking about this and that over a bottle of a kind of wine I forget the name of. It was a sparkling white from San Sebastién, and was very tasty.
After repeatedly swearing it was time for bed, we all finally gave into sleep at 2 am.
Today started off kind of lazy. My sister got up just before 9 am and made a simple breakfast that I am coming to love: baguettes fried with olive oil, some kind of Spanish cheese (tastes a bit like Havarti, but sharper), a small banana or pear and tea. I sat with her and her roommate Andy and talked about the day before us. I was planning to visit the Palace and perhaps the Thyssen Museum if there was time. We agreed to meet later for dinner. Soon after, they both left for work.
Thatīs when I turned on the TV. Why didnīt I just get up and walk out the door? Well, I watched the morning news, another program with young singers and actors, a Ricky Lake-type talk show with a blonde host and a sports program covering a lot of soccer. By the time I left it was almost 1pm and I was feeling guilty that I had wasted so much time!
I took the Metro to Opera and walked to the Palace. The guide book I have said that the Palace was free on Wednesdays, but they didnīt print that it is for EU passport holders only. Although I have an EU passport (my father was born in England), I did not bring it with me as it expired last year.
After paying the 6 entrance fee, I tagged along with a group of people who were on a group tour. The Palace is absolutely magnificent, with every room decorated in various styles going back as far as the 1400īs. The Throne Room and the Official Dining Room were the most impressive areas of the Royal Residence. While every room in the Palace is ornately decorated, I canīt imagine what it would have been like to actually live there. It is so incredibly formal looking, that itīs hard to imagine the King walking around in his underwear with a half-finished beer in his hand, scratching his belly on a lazy Sunday.
The Armoury was equally impressive with a huge array of weapons and armour, including fully clad horses and knights throughout the hall. I tried taking a few pictures, but I get the feeling that without a flash (you are not permitted to use them indoors) the results might be hazy.
While walking around in the entrance area of the Armoury, I noticed a spiral staircase that had a small rope in front of it. I nonchalantly strolled around it, looking up to see if I could see anyone. Convinced there was no one there, I hopped the rope and climbed the stairs. There was a short hallway with massive windows covered by shutters. I took a few shots of the city from behind the shutters and one of the hallway.
I could hear some voices nearby and was a little worried that I might get caught in this area, so I decided to go back down the stairs. Thatīs when I noticed that the voices that I heard were at the bottom of the stairs. There were two old men, talking with one another in very loud Spanish. I tried the Yoda technique of willing these gentlement to move on, but my Jedi powers were clearly not strong enough as they seemed to be relaxing while enjoying a good debate.
I decided to just walk down as if I owned the place. I strode down the stairs (with my backpack, hiking shoes and travel pants on), calmly released the security rope, walked past, reattached it and continued on my way. The old men didnīt even pause in their conversation.
By then, I had had enough of the Palace and was on my way out when I saw that there was a small archaeological excavation right on the edge of the main Plaza. After a few more pictures of some ancient walls, I headed out, back to the street with the rest of the commoners.
Tomorrow is my day to go to the Prado, the most important museum in Madrid. Iīve been told that it could easily take 2 or 3 days to see the entire collection, so I am going to try to start early. No Spanish TV.
I started by going to the stadium for the Club Atlético de Madrid to buy some tickets for this Saturdayīs match, but they were closed, so I walked around the area. Madrid is a fairly flat city, but behind me was a small hill, which offered a view across the city from a small park. The majority of the architecture in the centre of the city reflects a significant Roman influence.
Later, I walked over a very ornate bridge that crosses the rather small river that runs through the city. Actually, it is nothing so powerful as a river, something closer to a stream would be more apt. I took a few pictures and headed for the Metro station on my way to Sol.
For those of you inclined toward this kind of thing, here is an excellent map of the Madrid Metro system.
On the first couple of days I found the system to be a little confusing, but after riding it a few times (and finding a map), it is very easy to find your way around. Now, how much do you pay for your local Metro (if there is one in your city)? In Madrid, you pay just 0.50 per trip. That is about $0.75 Canadian or $0.50 US. Compared to the city I live in, thatīs an incredible bargain. Plus, the Metro covers almost all of Madrid, not just one or two areas. Added on to that is a bus service and a rapid train service that traverses the city.
Most of the day was spent walking around and looking at anything that caught my eye. I visited the Opera House, a few churches, walked around on Gran Vėa, took pictures of statues, people, buildings and anything else that stood out. Soon, it was 7 pm and time fore me to go home. I ran into Jane on the Metro and we went to the grocery store, and later the butcher, to stock up on food. I was conversing with the staff at both locations, feeling much better about my Spanish.
We got a great bottle of tinto (Red Wine) from the store for only 2.70. If it were so affordable in Canada, Iīd likely drink a lot more wine.
Jane made a fantastic dinner, complete with appetizer (cheese, pepper, and tuna slices with lettuce) and entreé (ground steak with spaghetti). Then we spent the rest of the evening talking about this and that over a bottle of a kind of wine I forget the name of. It was a sparkling white from San Sebastién, and was very tasty.
After repeatedly swearing it was time for bed, we all finally gave into sleep at 2 am.
Today started off kind of lazy. My sister got up just before 9 am and made a simple breakfast that I am coming to love: baguettes fried with olive oil, some kind of Spanish cheese (tastes a bit like Havarti, but sharper), a small banana or pear and tea. I sat with her and her roommate Andy and talked about the day before us. I was planning to visit the Palace and perhaps the Thyssen Museum if there was time. We agreed to meet later for dinner. Soon after, they both left for work.
Thatīs when I turned on the TV. Why didnīt I just get up and walk out the door? Well, I watched the morning news, another program with young singers and actors, a Ricky Lake-type talk show with a blonde host and a sports program covering a lot of soccer. By the time I left it was almost 1pm and I was feeling guilty that I had wasted so much time!
I took the Metro to Opera and walked to the Palace. The guide book I have said that the Palace was free on Wednesdays, but they didnīt print that it is for EU passport holders only. Although I have an EU passport (my father was born in England), I did not bring it with me as it expired last year.
After paying the 6 entrance fee, I tagged along with a group of people who were on a group tour. The Palace is absolutely magnificent, with every room decorated in various styles going back as far as the 1400īs. The Throne Room and the Official Dining Room were the most impressive areas of the Royal Residence. While every room in the Palace is ornately decorated, I canīt imagine what it would have been like to actually live there. It is so incredibly formal looking, that itīs hard to imagine the King walking around in his underwear with a half-finished beer in his hand, scratching his belly on a lazy Sunday.
The Armoury was equally impressive with a huge array of weapons and armour, including fully clad horses and knights throughout the hall. I tried taking a few pictures, but I get the feeling that without a flash (you are not permitted to use them indoors) the results might be hazy.
While walking around in the entrance area of the Armoury, I noticed a spiral staircase that had a small rope in front of it. I nonchalantly strolled around it, looking up to see if I could see anyone. Convinced there was no one there, I hopped the rope and climbed the stairs. There was a short hallway with massive windows covered by shutters. I took a few shots of the city from behind the shutters and one of the hallway.
I could hear some voices nearby and was a little worried that I might get caught in this area, so I decided to go back down the stairs. Thatīs when I noticed that the voices that I heard were at the bottom of the stairs. There were two old men, talking with one another in very loud Spanish. I tried the Yoda technique of willing these gentlement to move on, but my Jedi powers were clearly not strong enough as they seemed to be relaxing while enjoying a good debate.
I decided to just walk down as if I owned the place. I strode down the stairs (with my backpack, hiking shoes and travel pants on), calmly released the security rope, walked past, reattached it and continued on my way. The old men didnīt even pause in their conversation.
By then, I had had enough of the Palace and was on my way out when I saw that there was a small archaeological excavation right on the edge of the main Plaza. After a few more pictures of some ancient walls, I headed out, back to the street with the rest of the commoners.
Tomorrow is my day to go to the Prado, the most important museum in Madrid. Iīve been told that it could easily take 2 or 3 days to see the entire collection, so I am going to try to start early. No Spanish TV.
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