Random

Pics from around town.

Parque de El Retiro

This is a huge park with manicured gardens as well as forest like areas and large and small bodies of water. There were also super funny trees with cloud like branches. I walked around a bunch and read my book.

Teatro Real

The royal opera house is the building on the right.

Palacio Real

This is where the Spanish royal family lived until 1931.

Plaza de la Villa

This square boasts the town hall and a statue of Carlos I.

Plaza Mayor

This square once housed executions during the Spanish Inquisition but now has cute restaurants and outdoor markets.

Tapas

My tapas were not very adventurous...but it was cheap and delicious! One sandwich had 4 cheeses and the other potato with green peppers. This went perfectly with my sangria! On a side note the oldest restaurant in the world is in Madrid and was founded in 1725!

Tapas market

Billed as a tapas market this place had lots of options along with crazy fish on display.

Street signs

In downtown Madrid the street signs are all colorfully decorated! This is a plus over Ireland as Ireland doesn't seem to believe in street signs.

Bridge

This bridge has a sad story and a happy one, so I'll tell the happy one. It is said when it was first built a rich woman who was forbidden from marrying her poor lover jumped off this bridge to commit suicide, but her large hoop dress created a parachute effect and she survived with only a broken leg. In light of her attempted suicide her parents let her marry her love after all!!

City wall

This small section is all that remains of the old city wall.

Cathedral de Madrid

This Cathedral took over 300 years to build and wasn't finished until 1996! No real reason construction was just slow. Our guide called it 'mañana' construction as in you ask when it will be done and the answer is always tomorrow.

Thursday

I took a walking tour of Madrid today. There is a plaque in the ground of Plaza de Sol that signifies the very center of Spain...how that was figured out I don't know.

Parque del Oeste

This park is where we had our picnic and in addition to housing the Templo del Debod it also had gorgeous views!!

Templo de Debod

In the middle of a park is this Egyptian temple and two archways which were built in Egypt in the 2nd century BC and then moved to Madrid in the 1960's as a gift.

Plaza de Espana

On the way to a picnic dinner, myself and a friend from the hostel walked through this cute park.

Museo Reina Sofia

The museums most famous resident is Picasso's 'Guernica'. It was so large! Many more pieces by Picasso, Miro, and Dali were on display. No pics allowed inside but there was a great courtyard with a Calder sculpture.

Wednesday

Madrid is hot but not humid so the weather is quite enjoyable. I went walking around the city with 2 nice gals from the hostel.

Madrid

When I got to the hostel the worker was making pasta for everyone! After a late dinner a group of us went out to a square to enjoy the cool night air. There were guys on bikes doing tricks and a guy playing the guitar.

Double decker bus

I finally rode in a double decker bus on my way to the airport! I of course sat up top.

Random

Dublin pics.

Clarence hotel

When U2 was starting out they were turned away from this hotel bar so they vowed to buy it once they made it big. Now U2 owns this hotel and holds roof concerts every now and then...love it.

Viking houses

So there is the outline of a Viking house on the pavement in which they used to sleep ten to a bed, so our tour guide selected folks to reenact this.