Madrid Royal Palace

Our travels took us to Madrid, the capital of Spain.

We arrived at 6pm and checked into our TRYP Madrid Ambassador Hotel. At first they gave us a room that took in ALL of the sounds around the hotel and magnified it into our room. They saw that we were a young couple and took advantage. In the middle of the night I went to the front desk and had our room changed (my husband can sleep though anything, and even he could not sleep). So they gave us a quiet room and much more spacious (it did not matter to me that it was bigger, I only wanted to get what I paid for, being able to sleep). After the room change the hotel stay was much better, quiet, nice, and clean.

We started off the day exploring the city, walking to Mercado de San Miguel for breakfast (you can have any meal there and it’s all very fresh). They have great fresh made juices, and fruits. Delicious fresh fish (the very best fish is brought from the coasts of Spain to Madrid), smoked, raw, cooked at your request, and in any way you like it. They have small personal pizzas cooked from 12pm. A meat butcher with fresh patties ready to make a burger at your request. Many deserts and, of course, Sangria and other liquors that you might want. All at very reasonable prices. We ate there a few times during our stay.

Botín should be a stop for anyone on their first trip to Spain. It is the oldest restaurant in Madrid and it also always requires a reservation, one can’t just come in and expect to get a table. They have good food, but it is very crowded and the service is ok. It is interesting to visit a restaurant that was founded in 1725.

Looking from palace to church

Spain has great food overall. We were not disappointed in any place we visited, even if they were American chains, they were all much better than in the US. Plaza Mayor has very Austrian architecture and it’s interesting to see the melting pot that is Madrid, with flares of Spanish and Austrian architecture blend in the capital city. From Plaza Mayor we walked to Plaza de Cibeles and took many great photos.

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía was our next stop and it really has some great Salvador Dali paintings, among the other painters. The museum also has many Pablo Picasso works including the masterpiece “Guernica.” The museum is worth the visit when in Madrid.

A must-visit is the Museo Nacional del Prado, it has many masterpieces by Spanish, Italian, French, and other nationalities of artists. A day might not be enough for this museum, because it is very large and everything should be seen. Almost every room has something that should not be missed when visiting Spain. They have paintings from El Greco, Titian, Rubens, Velazquez, Raphael, Caravaggio, just to name a few.

Catedral de la Almudena, View from the front of Madrid Royal Palace

Royal Palace of Madrid is worth a stop. It is a functioning palace that visitors can see, as long as it’s not closed for a function. It’s very richly decorated, as any palace.

Behind the Temple of Debod

Temple of Debod is an interesting stop, it is a complete Egyptian temple in Madrid. Inside you can find hieroglyphics and an Egyptian feel in the center of Madrid.

Museo Cerralbo is a must-see and should not be missed in any trip to Madrid. This was/is our favorite stop in Madrid. It was a private mansion of a Spanish aristocrat, that is now a museum. It has a much more intimate feel then visiting a palace, you can see how aristocracy lived in the 19-20th centuries and marvel at what is a regular building on the outside with many wonders on the inside. Things that you can see there you usually can’t see when going to a regular museum.

As you walk through the streets of Madrid you will most likely walk through Puerta del Sol, you can take many great pictures there. Madrid is full of great photo opportunities, such as next to the royal palace, or just walking the streets of the capital city. I did not do any shopping in Madrid (even though I heard great things), I was on ban from my husband, and also just wanted to enjoy the beautiful city.

Adios till next post from the exotic and wonderful Granada!

Italy and Spain: Chapter 1 Venice

Italy and Spain: Chapter 2 Florence

Italy and Spain: Chapter 3 Rome

Italy and Spain: Chapter 4 Barcelona

Italy and Spain: Chapter 6 Granada