Madrid

We stayed  in the near burbs, about 11 km ( I’ve gotten very European) from the middle of old town. A great apartment on the top floor with a large rooftop balcony. Spent many hours there. Weather continues to be great ( low 40s- high 70s -it’s what we had hoped with our gradual movement north as we head into summer. So far so good. Our stay was about 10 days so we were not rushed in seeing most of Madrid as well as day trips to Toledo ( a beautiful smaller town but way too touristy) Avila and Segovia ( both also quaint smaller towns of maybe 50K each) Our Spanish hasn’t improved but our use of google translate sure has. A great feature is pointing the iPhone and getting an instant translation of something written. Not always perfect but close enough to guess the rest and not order something horrible off a menu. We had a great food tour of Madrid with a small group of travelers that were fun to talk with. Spent the last day at the Prada mueseum. On to Marseille.

Our apartment hostess, Elena
Best part of apartment-rooftop balcony
No one seems to know exactly why the bear and the strawberry tree are the city’s icons
Streets are marked well with these great plaques
Food tour guide
Great food tour and group- ate and drank too much
Old town food market
Locals in vintage garb for a parade for Madrid Day
Cybele Palace-now a city government bldg- Trump would love the sign- send all refugees to Spain
Beth hoping for good luck by trying to stick her finger up the bear’s back side
3 pics of surprisingly pretty botanical gardens
One of several very large parks in the city
I miss my pellet gun
Guards at royal palace
Royal palace
Funky huge fish at old town food market
City wall of Toledo (not Ohio)
2 pics of Toledo from an overlook
Weird shot of Toledo from overlook- I don’t know how I got this twisted exposure
More BKs than Mikky Ds in Spain- tables with umbrellas outdoors just like other restaurants- good for a quick coffee or Diet Coke
Notice the sign above us- they knew we were coming
Toledo tour guide
Another Toledo tour guide- they all want their pic with me!
Toledo cathedral in background
Narrow streets of Toledo- no straight roads-lots of dead ends- easy to get lost
Toledo Cathedral
3 pics of cable car ride over Casa de Campo park in Madrid- 4400 acres that used to be the royal hunting grounds
On trip to Segovia and Avila- lots of granite outcrops and float- everything made from granite boulders or blocks
3pics of Avila cathedral
3 Pics of Segovia’s Roman Aqueduct- note no mortar
Shot from Segovia city wall looking at countryside
Segovia castle
Shot from Segovia castle looking out at countryside- note the 2 mountains in the background with snow
Friends we met on food tour. We met for a subsequent early dinner- he’s a law professor and she’s an Asst dean at a law school-live in downtown Chicago
Prada museum-Flemish painter Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights- temptation, having fun, and bad consequences(hell)

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richcopeinretirement

Recently retired and plan to travel the world over the next few years.

4 thoughts on “Madrid”

  2. Looks like a great trip! Keep up the fun commentary with each picture. Happy birthday – Obviously, it’s been a good one! Hope the whole year is just as great.

    Liked by 1 person

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