Eyes on Madrid

After our long museum day yesterday we decided to get out and see the city today. We started at Plaza Mayor, the very oldest part of Madrid. It has been the scene of many historic events, including the public execution of heretics during the Spanish Inquisition. Today there was nothing more exciting than a small flea market consisting mostly of old coins and stamps, and old men haggling over them. We wandered along the stalls and I bought a small pair of old and interesting folding scissors.

The closer and higher I looked, the more interesting details I found.

We left the Plaza Mayor and walked through some neighborhoods, getting a little lost and very tired and decided this was not the most efficient way to explore the city. So we headed down to Plaza del Sol and bought tickets for the big red tourist bus. It turned out to be a great idea. You can hop off the bus almost anywhere along the line, explore, or have a meal, then hop on the next bus that comes along all day and into the evening. There is a recorded commentary, in numerous languages, you can listen to as you ride along.

As I had discovered at Plaza Mayor, there is a lot to be seen by looking up.

We stopped partway through the tour and had lunch—mine was a pizza with an egg on it. I ordered it without the egg, which sounded a little wierd, but it arrived with egg, so I ate it and the egg was OK. When in Spain....

We got back on the bus and finished the first half of the tour, got off near our hotel and came back for a little rest and to check messages, then went back for the second half this evening. It was a good day! Madrid is a pretty magnificent place.

 

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