Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Vibrant Madrid, Spain

I arrived in Madrid from the airport via its sparkling, modern metro system a bit lost and concerned at how inadequate my Spanish was. Stopping at a corner market for assistance, I was guided by a grocer whose desire to help more than compensated for our language barrier. My heart quickly warmed to Madrid.

Madrid is another European town for walkers. Once I made it to my hotel and was provided with a reliable city map, I found that many of the city’s major attractions were within walking distance, including the Royal Palace, the Plaza Mayor, the Puerta del Sol and the park.

Sponsored
Sponsored

My little hotel was also within a few blocks of one of the finest collections of museums in Europe: the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofia, where Picasso’s Guernica is on display amidst electronic security after returning to Spain from New York. A statue of Goya, representing the artistic spirit of Madrid, greets visitors to the Prado. This museum has one of the most impressive, extensive collections of paintings in the world.

After a few hours in the Prado, you can take a reflective stroll through nearby Retiro Park and watch the locals at leisure. I got lost (again) after walking through the Retiro, but stumbled onto a wonderful tapas bar popular with the locals. Getting lost while walking in European cities seems to always lead to wonderful new discoveries for me.

On the opposite side of the city center is the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace, the center of historical Spain. Walk down the Gran Via and connect with Puerta del Sol and the Calle de Arenal, a pedestrian street bustling with interesting shops. You’ll soon find yourself in the Plaza Mayor, one of Europe’s most impressive squares since 1620. Explore, but keep in mind that the restaurants in the plaza are intended for tourists and are quite expensive. Then walk next door to the Palacio Royal, Madrid’s huge royal palace combining baroque and classical styles. Spain once ruled the world, and the Royal Palace connects you with this proud heritage.

If you arrive between March and June, and are so inclined, you can attend a bullfight every day you’re here. Between June and October, Sunday is bullfight day. Entire families attend, as did famous fans such as Hemingway and Picasso. You may choose instead to view the renowned local soccer team, Real Madrid, or witness the famous flamenco dancers.

Sample your preference of performances in this vibrant town – or simply dance all night long with the locals on the weekend. Before leaving Madrid, don’t forget to try the paella.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

A poem for March by Joseph O’Brien

“March’s Lovely Asymptotes”

I arrived in Madrid from the airport via its sparkling, modern metro system a bit lost and concerned at how inadequate my Spanish was. Stopping at a corner market for assistance, I was guided by a grocer whose desire to help more than compensated for our language barrier. My heart quickly warmed to Madrid.

Madrid is another European town for walkers. Once I made it to my hotel and was provided with a reliable city map, I found that many of the city’s major attractions were within walking distance, including the Royal Palace, the Plaza Mayor, the Puerta del Sol and the park.

Sponsored
Sponsored

My little hotel was also within a few blocks of one of the finest collections of museums in Europe: the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofia, where Picasso’s Guernica is on display amidst electronic security after returning to Spain from New York. A statue of Goya, representing the artistic spirit of Madrid, greets visitors to the Prado. This museum has one of the most impressive, extensive collections of paintings in the world.

After a few hours in the Prado, you can take a reflective stroll through nearby Retiro Park and watch the locals at leisure. I got lost (again) after walking through the Retiro, but stumbled onto a wonderful tapas bar popular with the locals. Getting lost while walking in European cities seems to always lead to wonderful new discoveries for me.

On the opposite side of the city center is the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace, the center of historical Spain. Walk down the Gran Via and connect with Puerta del Sol and the Calle de Arenal, a pedestrian street bustling with interesting shops. You’ll soon find yourself in the Plaza Mayor, one of Europe’s most impressive squares since 1620. Explore, but keep in mind that the restaurants in the plaza are intended for tourists and are quite expensive. Then walk next door to the Palacio Royal, Madrid’s huge royal palace combining baroque and classical styles. Spain once ruled the world, and the Royal Palace connects you with this proud heritage.

If you arrive between March and June, and are so inclined, you can attend a bullfight every day you’re here. Between June and October, Sunday is bullfight day. Entire families attend, as did famous fans such as Hemingway and Picasso. You may choose instead to view the renowned local soccer team, Real Madrid, or witness the famous flamenco dancers.

Sample your preference of performances in this vibrant town – or simply dance all night long with the locals on the weekend. Before leaving Madrid, don’t forget to try the paella.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Pet pig perches in pocket

Escondido doula gets a taste of celebrity
Next Article

Looking back at race relations in Coronado

A former football player recalls the good and the bad
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.