The New York City of Spain

With over 5 million people and lots of major streets full of traffic, some people refer to Madrid as the "New York City of Spain" (or Europe for that matter. The public transportation system is intricate, and the sidewalks are full of people in Madrid. It is a very different feeling than Barcelona here. There are older buildings with lots of history, and Madrid is much more of the Spain one would expect.


Our first full day in the city was full of tourist sights. We started our day at the Catedral de la Almudena, a large church that faces the Royal Palace. Construction lasted for almost 100 years, and it was only completed in the last 20. Next, we moved on to the Palacio Real, where many of the great kings of Spain lived up until the 20th century. Today it is a museum and open for tours. Luckily it was only 3.50 euros for students, and so far this is the only tourist sight that we have had to pay for in Madrid!


After lunch at a cervezeria (beer and food cafe), we went to Park El Retiro. This picturesque park in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city is home to a large lake where you can paddle boat. Stephen and I took a few laps around the lake, and below is a picture of a large monument at the center. In the evening, we took advantage of free entrance 2 hours before closing at the Museo del Prado, the Spanish Louvre. We saw some of the works of El Greco, Goya, and Velasquez...for free! After dinner, we we walked through some neighborhoods in Chechua before settling in at a pub for a few hours.


Today is our last day in Madrid. We started off the morning - or mid-afternoon I should say - with wonderful and inexpensive churros con chocolate. Off to see more sights of Madrid today!