Madrid Spain Travel: The
Palacio Real, a Visit to the Rastro and Some Relaxation
in Retiro Park
My last few hours in Madrid had arrived. I got an
early start at 6:30 am, packed my suitcase, downloaded
my photos and videos and asked the manager at the
Hotel Alcazar Regis if it was okay to leave my suitcase
here. She agreed and off I went on my last few hours
of exploration in Madrid.
One of the many beautiful churches in Madrid
I took a bus to a place called Casa de Campo, Madrid’s
largest urban park on the west side of the city.
During the bus ride I enjoyed looking at the urban
landscapes that were passing by. Riding a public
bus in a foreign destination is always an interesting
experience. I got off at the Casa de Campo bus stop
and saw a large green space that seemed to be quite
popular with local mountain bikers. I couldn’t
really see a map for the park and it seemed too
extensive, so rather than hiking for half an hour
without a clear destination, I decided to make my
way back downtown to take in more of the historic
areas of Madrid.
The Gran Via is truly a grand urban thoroughfare
Back in the city center I walked on the Gran Via,
Madrid’s opulent shopping street to the Puerta
del Sol, the city’s liveliest square. I enjoyed
a croissant on Calle Arenal and then strolled past
the Opera House to the Palacio Real. This Royal
Palace is one of the biggest in Europe and also
houses the Royal Armory. It is the official residence
of the Spanish royal family, although the monarchs
do not physically live here. The facades of the
palace feature an astounding 870 windows and 240
balconies. The courtyard is gigantic, and offers
a spectacular view over the Manzanares River and
the western neighbourhoods of the city.
Interior of the La Almudena Cathedral
After a visit to the recently consecrated cathedral
of La Almudena, I walked back through the Los Austrias
district, an area that was built up by the then
reigning Habsburgs in the 16th century. I stopped
at Madrid's city hall on Plaza de Cascorro and strolled
through many of the narrow streets. Unexpectedly
I even came across the Rastro, Madrid's lively outdoor
flea market which was busy on this Corpus Christi
holiday. The surrounding city was much quieter today,
with much less traffic.
Bullfighting sign at Madrid's Rastro market
I walked through an area with lots of Chinese and
Indian stores to the Lavapies subway station and
took the Metro to the Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid's
green urban oasis. Here I admired the Palacio de
Cristal, a delicate greenhouse construction from
the 1880s, and then went to sit down next to the
Estanque, the large pond that is at the heart of
this large green space.
Buen Retiro Park offers lots of fun and people-watching
People were enjoying themselves in rowboats, listening
to a mariachi band. Other musicians and various
vendors had set up shop as well. Street performers
and mimes were entertaining the crowds. A woman
dressed like a fairy and all covered in gold was
sitting as if she were suspended in the air and
I could not quite figure out her secret. Retiro
Park has something for everyone and offers people-watching
at its best.
I couldn't figure out how this woman was staying
suspended in the air...
The early afternoon had now rolled around and I
need to make my slowly back to my hotel for my late
afternoon departure for Vienna from Madrid’s
airport. I stopped on the Gran Via at the Ristorante
di Bocca where I had fabulous spaghettini piperonchini
and caught a few more glimpses of Madrid’s
biggest shopping street right outside the window.
An excellent last lunch in Madrid
By 3 pm I was back at the hotel, grabbed my luggage
and took the subway all the way from Plaza de España
to the Madrid Barajas Airport. After six days in
the northern Spanish province of Asturias, one day
in Salamanca and two days in Madrid with a side
trip to Segovia, the next portion of my European
trip was waiting for me: a week in my home country
of Austria!
