Madrid
After a week in Morocco, we were both ready to return to Spain and a more familiar world. Upon leaving Fes, we drove back to Casablanca and stayed another uneventful night in an old seaside hotel on the Atlantic. The following morning we flew to Madrid.
We had 4 nights in Madrid, then I would fly home to New York and Pram would return to Amsterdam to continue his travels. Although Madrid is a larger city, I preferred Barcelona to Madrid. I felt there was more cultural richness in Barcelona. However, Madrid, with a population twice as large as Barcelona, has the critical mass to foster an energetic, bustling feeling on the streets. Since there are very few bars and clubs in Morocco, we were back on our schedule of sight-seeing and Spanish nightlife.
This is the grand Casa de la Panadería on the north side of the square. This building dates from 1590 and, among its many functions, was where kings were crowned. The square, the Plaza Mayor, is grand in size, paved in cobblestone, and is a gathering place for people to watch performances and concerts and, most importantly, eat and drink.
Close-up of the Casa de la Panadería, showing the murals on the facade. Murals on this building were first painted in the 17th century, but were repainted in 1992. Bold, like Spain itself.
Looking south down Calle Toledo, this is the oldest part of town and provides a rare glimpse of 15th century Spain in Madrid. This square comes alive at night; when I took this picture there was a heat wave with temperatures close to 40° C (over 100° F).
An unusual sight on the streets, this is one of the most open bathrooms I've ever seen. Not for the shy ones.
The Palacio Real was built for Philip V in 1738. Sitting on a bluff of the Río Manzanares, the palace has 2,800 rooms and was last used by Alfonso XIII, before his untimely exit in the 1930s. Kind of sterile.
The Royal Botanical Gardens were started in 1755 and contain more than 30,000 species. Many from Asia, the Near East, and a few from America. Locust trees seemed to be exciting enough to bring back from North America. Many cacti too. This is a statue of a botanist whose name escapes me.
Winnie the Pooh and a TeleTubby too. It's nearly 100 degrees here and these costumed characters out for euros. I can't image how hot they are. This is the Central Park of Madrid. Large lakes, fountains, and beautifully landscaped walks. Not as 'wild' as Central Park, but more stately in its appearance.
Nothing too special about the goings-on in this building, I guess this is the spanish equivalent of the FCC. But, it's one of the most impressive facades in Mardid.
This redition of Castor and Pollux was sculpted in the first century A.D.