¡Madrid!

It's going to take several entries to do my week in Madrid any justice.  Spending time with Shawn was of course the highlight, and then on top of that I also had a beautiful city to explore.  Our first day was spent mostly orienting me with the main sites in the city, enjoying Retiro Park, and later going to Teatro Kapital.  Here's some cute shots from the park, including the Crystal Palace.

Madrid doesn't really have one major landmark that people associate with the city; there aren't any leaning or Eiffel towers, but there are lots of beautiful plazas and ornate buildings (most of which have elaborate balls or spires or towers or even gazebos on the roof, thus earning my nickname of "the city with the cherry on top").  The most famous of the plazas is the multi-functional Plaza Mayor, where there are performers, festivals and markets, and in olden days even bullfights and executions.  An interesting fact is that the burgundy color of the buildings surrounding the plaza was chosen democratically in a public vote-Spain has become extremely democratic since the fall of Franco, and this plaza is a simple example of just how far-reaching the changes have been.

Here's the front room of Shawn's cute apartment-his Spanish roommate is a painter and the whole place is covered with his fun artwork.  The space itself is very colorful with brightly painted doors, and the front balcony opens up onto one of the main piazzas in Shawn's neighborhood, Chueca. 

Shawn and I took many midnight (and beyond) strolls of Madrid, and one of the prettiest places after dark was the complex including the Cathedral, Palacio Real, and Plaza de Oriente. 

Madrid's palace, considered one of the absolute best in Europe, far exceeded the splendor I was anticipating.  I toured the palace one day and was overwhelmed by the plush Rococo interior and rich embellishments.  It's really no wonder Spain experienced such a rapid decline-the king was too busy having decorative ceilings guilded, Venitian chandeliers delivered, and extravagant armor forged.  I also got to witness the palace band performing in the courtyard, and the changing of the guard at noon.

  

One of the other most beautiful churches I saw was San Jeronimo El Real, which is on a small hill right behind the incredible Prado museum (more on Madrid's art scene later).  The interior is unmemorable, but it sure is striking from the outside!

Perhaps the most random thing I visited while in Spain was the Temple of Debod, an Egyption temple complete with hieroglyphics, that had been donated and literally transplanted to Spain several decades ago as a thank you gift for humanitarian help.  It is situated in a lovely park that overlooks a valley with views of the cathedral and Palacio Real. 

Here's a couple more shots of Madrid's cherries, for your enjoyment: