"The English Isle"

Madrid .... July, 1999

Palacio Real (Royal Palace)

Beautiful Parks, Fantastic Fountains .... Madrid ....

A 12 hour overnight train ride from Paris and by 9 a.m., we were in the

heart of sunny Spain .... In our few days, we gained a true appreciation for

the beauty of Madrid's parks, fountains and plazas. We also gained some

small understanding of the the Spanish culture, which is friendly and very

relaxed. Our favorite local custom was the traditional mid-afternoon break,

or siesta .... mostly because "laying back" in an air-conditioned hotel room

was, we found, the absolute best way to avoid sunstroke ....

(Click to play music)

Museums Museo Arqueologico Nacional	Archeological Museum official site -- Mostly in Spanish. Metro Line 4 -- Serrano Metro Line 2 -- Retiro
	Museo de Ciencias Naturales Metro Lines 7, 10 -- Gregorio Maranon	Museum of Natural Science official site -- Some Pages in English.
	Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia Metro Line 1 -- Atocha (directly SW)	Cultural Centre and Museum of Modern Art -- in English.
	Museo del Prado Metro Line 1 -- Atocha (walk several blocks N)	Madrid's most famous museum, housing mostly fine art -- official page, in English. Over 9000 works from the 12th - 19th century -- Spanish, Italian, Flemish, Dutch, Venetian and English.
	Museo Thyssen- Bornemisza Metro Line 2 -- Banco de Espana (walk a few blocks S)	Museum of Art -- collection includes Primitive, Renaissance, Impressionist, Abstract and Pop Art -- in English.
Palacio Real (Spanish) Metro Lines 2, 5 -- Opera (walk a few blocks W)	The Royal Palace, still in use today for official functions. Dates back to 1764 and has more than 2000 rooms, wonderful frescoes and the best collection of clocks we've seen. To the south is Cathedral de la Almudena, and to the west is Casa de Campo, a huge, wooded recreation area. As we toured the Palace (a 1 hour guided tour, in English, with very knowledgeable staff), we commented that it reminded us of Versailles -- only to find out later that Felipe (we forget which one) was heavily influenced by French architecture.

"Tourist Spots"
		Tube Line / Station	Comments
Bus Tours			Several bus companies offer tours of Madrid. We took a day trip to Toledo (see below) .... it was fantastic. Julia Tours also offers half and full day trips around Madrid, and to surrounding cities, with English speaking guides.... from 3000 to 12000 pasetas ($20-$80).
El Escorial Monastery built by Felipe II in the 16th century, and burial place of General Franco.		About 30 miles NW of Madrid
Parque de Casa del Campa		A huge recreation area on the west side of the city -- best viewed from the courtyard of Palacio Real. The parque contains several attractions, a few of which are noted below.
	Lago Casa de Campo	Metro Line 10 -- Lago
	Parque de Atracciones	Metro Line 10 -- Batan
	Parque Zoologico	Metro Line 10 -- Batan	A fun, well laid out zoo. It was not at all crowded when we saw it, on a Tuesday afternoon. Also includes a small (new) aquarium. Website in Spanish.
Parque del Buen Retiro Metro Line 2 -- Retiro In the heart of the city -- 119 hectares -- 15,000 trees, a lake, and street artists on the weekends. Great for a picnic or just walking.
Plazas and "Puertas" (Gates or Doors)		One of Madrid's most striking and unique characteristics is the number of major Plazas, complete with fountains and monuments. Our favourite was the monument at Plaza de Colon, followed closely by monument resembling the Arc de Triomphe at Puerta de Alcala.
	Plaza de Colon -- This great monument plus Hard Rock Cafe and Barclay's Bank -- what a deal. Metro Line 4 -- Colon
	Plaza de Espana	Metro Lines 4, 10 -- Plaza de Espana
	Plaza de Mayor -- Shops and restaurants, a big tourist attraction -- great frescoes on the building on the west side of the plaza.	Metro Lines 2, 5 -- Opera (walk a few blocks S)
		Metro Line 2 -- Sol (walk a few blocks W)
	Plaza de Toros --Bullfighting (definitely not our thing), but the arena is impressive	Metro Line 5 -- Vista Alegre (walk a few blocks S)
	Puerta de Alcala Metro Line 2 -- Retiro
	Puerta del Sol	Metro Line 2 -- Sol
Toledo				About 1 hour SW of Madrid -- Toledo is worthy of a page all it's own .... but for now, this will have to do. Toledo is more than 2000 years old, and was the former capital of Spain. It's a walled city, partly surrounded by the Tajo River. Besides the wall, gates, river and bridges, the most striking characteristics are the narrow, winding streets, the architecture and the art. Christian, Muslim and Jewish cathedrals dominate the skyline. El Greco, the famous painter spent much of his life here, and "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" is fascinating (see left). It just occurred to us .... we've never said that about a picture before.

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[Hits Since 08/01/99 20:00 GMT -- {or, English Style, 01/08/99}]