Madrid is known
for its art museums and its nightlife.
It is a large, modern city with lovely
parks, a fantastic Royal
Palace, a Museum on the
Americas, the Prado
and an Egyptian temple.
 Looking down the Calle (street) de Alcala toward the center of Madrid. Madrid is a city of activity and peaceful walks. During the day the city bustles with energy, but come evening the central city becomes a frenzy of human activity as Madridians take their nightly excursions. Around the Puerta del Sol the streets become packed with people until well into the early morning.  Plaza de Oriente As with most cities I visited in Spain, Madrid is virtually littered with plazas. Plazas are places for friends and family to gather. In Madrid, they also provide the landmarks for essential navigation. Need to find the Royal Palace? Go to the Plaza de Oriente. Are you taking the Metro? Likely you will pass through the Sol (like in Puerta del Sol) metro stop. Many plazas are tourist attractions in their own rights. Who could visit Spain without a stop in Madrid’s famous Plaza Mayor?  El Museo de Jamón (the museum of ham) stores are scattered about the city. Look around the ham store, enjoy the smells and then settle on a seat at the store’s café to enjoy a Spain ham or sausage. While it may be tempting to sling a leg of Iberica Ham over your shoulder for the return home, you had better check with your own country’s customs first. On entering the U.S.A., I have seen returning vacationers almost in tears as their $400 leg of ham was thrown into the hazardous waste container. |
