Solo Trip to Madrid - January 2024

 Michael is heading to Ghana for a couple of weeks - so I am going to Madrid, Spain during the same time.  I will be having the help of my Niece-Companion, Renee Michelle.  She made the brave move of transplanting herself from the U.S. to Spain in July of 2023.  I found an Airbnb about ten minutes from her apartment so it is easy to walk between them.  

I arrived on a chilly, but sunny Thursday in the morning Madrid time.  RM took the metro to the airport to greet me and help me get a cab to haul my luggage to her apartment as the Airbnb would not be ready until late in the afternoon.  She fed me lunch and I tried to sleep, but could not.  This was the pattern in the first couple of days - not sleeping for long periods of time and then having epic 12 hour sleeps.  I think by now -  with three days of sightseeing I have finally gotten used to the time change here in Spain.

Friday was very cold and rainy - so all we did was walk to the grocery store and to a restaurant for lunch (lunch is between 2 and 4pm)

Saturday we took the metro to Madrid Old Town.  It was a cold but sunny day.

RM travels by local transport almost always - either metro or bus.  We climbed up the stairs out of the metro  station the view above.  This is : El Oso y el Madroño (The Bear and the Strawberry Tree) - which is the symbol of Madrid.

Across the street from the bear and the strawberry tree is the most central location of Madrid.  All roads lead from here to other towns in Spain.  The two cities between us are Alicante and Valencia.  I was just in those two cities in the Fall of 2023.

There was a long line of tourists to step into the actual center as the couple above is doing - to get their photo taken.

A very typical statue with fountain in a plaza.

There are several famous and old bakeries (sweet shops) very near by.  We looked in the windows and drooled, but did not purchase.

This is the window of the bakery around the corner.  I hope I have time to go back and try some of these sweets.

One of the many very elaborate - very European looking buildings in the area.

One of the famous treats to try is Chocolate and Churros.  RM has a specific shop in mind that I should sample.

This store caters to everyone - whether you need a government uniform or are a civilian.  

We paid a couple of Euros each to go inside this cathedral - only to find they were having a mass and you could not walk around to take photos - we will try to go back.

Views from the courtyard between the cathedral an the castle.

The castle - No openings for a tour today or tomorrow - we will have to book later.  But we did happen across the changing of the guard.

We passed many plaza's - this one still had a Christmas tree up.  Per RM it is really pretty at night.

Then back to the metro to head to Retiro Park.  

There is a mural of it in this metro station.

It is winter so a lot of things are closed for repairs.  So everyone just sits around the outside of it.

We did not get a brochure - so not sure what this is called.  This is from across the pond.  We walked around it - so there will be photos from the other side.

This was originally set up for a duchess who wanted a fantasy park.  It has been expanded and is available for all to see now.

A close up of the motif on the glass house.

Then we strolled on to this building - not sure what it is called, but art shows are exhibited here.   We quickly viewed the current show.  And unfortunately neither of us appreciated it very much.

The back side of the first structure we saw.

On the way to the metro we saw this church.  The end of my first day of touring in Madrid.