Magical Madrid

Madrid, Spain -- Day 2

Hola All!  “Margarita” here.  That was how Dean introduced me to the amazing couple that helped us navigate the subway system at 1 a.m. on our arrival.  They were the first two we met – there were many more that helped us that night. 

Our first full day of exploring Madrid got started after 12 p.m….once we got the kids up and out of bed.  As we are in a bustling part of town – it was no trouble finding several places to eat breakfast.  The sites and sounds of the little square nearby are so different than our normal experiences.  All the old buildings and streets with stunning architecture, the embellishments, the nifty corner markets and bistros tucked away here and there – we’re not in Kansas anymore! 

During our breakfast, we had given the kids an option of either seeing a palace or an art museum and they chose the palace.  Thanks to the extensive Subway system, it was easy-peasy getting to the still-functioning Palacio Real.  It was my first experience with touring a palace as well.  WOW!  

The scale, the grandeur of the artwork, the overt displays of wealth, including silver-entwined silk wall paper, lots of lion sculptures, gold plated everything, and a chapel room that was over the top.  Dean and I were having fun breaking down the extravagances.  It’s not enough to have 16 ft. marble columns, they needed to be topped with carved angels that were then adorned with gold plated flowers.  

Some of my favorite items were the amazing tapestries that were consigned by King Carlos III, which displayed Don Quixote tales in enormous 20 x 30 ft. handcrafted masterpieces.  

After our trip through the Palacio Real (which is still in use today by King Philipe VI and his wife), we walked to a wonderful restaurant that, according to Google, is where the locals like to eat.  Google, by the way, has been an amazing travel partner.  It’s impressive how well it displays information and how detailed it is.  I like the fact that I can keep confirming our location on their maps. At lunch, we made a new friend in 1-yr old Dillon.  Or, more precisely, he made a friend out of Kylie.  He walked up to her and put his head in her lap.  Smart boy!  I was sharing with the kids that talking to Dillon is about the level of my Spanish speaking skills.  I’m familiar with nouns and feel ok speaking them – not so much with verbs.  Dillon and I were great conversationalists.

After saying adios to Dillon, we headed to Parque del Retiro.  The kids and I were admiring the  Dr. Suessian-trimmed bushes, when the next thing we know, two Policemen on big white horses strolled by. 

We made our way further into the park where we found just what we were looking for, a wonderful shady spot to snooze and climb trees and review photos.  

You can figure out who was doing what…. The size of Parque del Retiro is impressive.  After our little repose, which included some reading from our Revolutionary War story, eating some bread and cheese, listening to the birds, and people watching, we walked around a bit to discover a man-made pond where you could rent rowboats, complete with a magnificent monument on one side.  

The park is clearly a popular location for the citizens of Madrid.  There were people running, walking, babies in strollers, dogs being walked, young couples, old couples, teenagers, and middle-agers.  While we made our way around the pond and closer to the giant monument, we saw a momma and her eight ducklings.  We worried for the ducklings seeing the size of some of the carp in the pond.  

A final detour to some actual playground equipment and we called it a day – around 8:30 p.m.  By the time we walked home, got something to eat, and were back in our room, we’d packed a wallop into day one!