Here it is Sunday, December 29, already and the time in Madrid has zoomed by so quickly. Kind of like what the countryside is doing right now as our bullet train glides its way to Barcelona. It has become a bit of a tradition, if you will, of skipping Christmas at home and giving up the usual seasonal chaos (and snow) in favour of a new experience. This year’s destination was planned around a fairly economical cruise from Barcelona to the Canary Islands, so Madrid became the first stop to begin vacation and a much needed break.
The journey started Christmas Eve with an upgrade to business class (I love the bidding on pods when it works out 😊) and a three-hour delay courtesy of Air Canada. At least the inconvenience was offset by having Maple Leaf Lounge access but too late in boarding to be able to eat the pre-ordered meal. It was the first time that, while on a flight, I had the opportunity to respond to a request for a healthcare provider, not that after years out of acute care that I would have been much assistance. Nonetheless, I was one of several people awoken from slumber to offer services and, as there was a physician and another nurse already on the case (they were closer to the call), I went back to my pod to settle in for the flight.
Christmas Day began under incredibly blue skies, 13C weather, and a lot of greenery all around. Flying in you could see miles of arid landscape with patches of green but also the typical autumn dry leaves in the trees - no snow to bring the leaves off and, apparently, not too much wind, either. Once out of the terminal and into the city, everyone was wearing scarves, heavy jackets, and even toques. Everyone else, except me, of course - I wanted to doff my jacket and put on shorts but, apparently, that would be frowned upon.🙄 I was frequently reminded how prim, proper and well-dressed Spaniards are, however I did see many pairs of flannel PJ bottoms and Crocs being worn.
Madrid is one of the cleanest cities I have seen and, aside from the odd piece of graffiti, the infrastructure is very well maintained. It is also a very walkable city and from morning to night there were thousands of people out and about enjoying the holiday spirit, shopping, and packing the museums. I thought that being off season and not a prime tourism time that Madrid could be quieter but it was bustling the entire time, especially around the city centre where the Plaza de Mayor and main attractions are. The city boasts some impressive facades, mostly neo-classic architecture, but there is not much for ancient ruins or very old structures given the damage inflicted during the civil war that brought Franco to power, Madrid had been under siege for about 2 1/2 years and took quite a beating. There is a bit of that sterile feeling common with many capital cities and certainly many of the main government buildings have a more monolithic and plain look to them. One that stood out was the ministry building that seemed dedicated to the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
On day #2 we took a trip to El Escorial, site of a palace and monastery built by King Philip II - the Spanish king who had been married to Queen Mary of England. This complex is the largest Renaissance era building in Europe and is quite impressive having included the palace, large basilica, university, hospital, an impressive library, and cloister for the Augustine monks. It also has the royal tombs of most kings and queens from King Philip II (1598) to now, as well as all the royal infants and teens. One of the main reasons for the palace being built in this location would have been related to defense given its lofty perch, but also because of the cooler climate being at a high elevation. The landscape around the palace was quite extraordinary with a sweeping vista of the terrain and valleys to the south. If you are ever looking for an excursion outside the city when in Madrid then this would be a great escape to see some of the countryside and just to appreciate the architecture and history
There were some great little alleyways and neat little neighborhoods dotted throughout Madrid. Some places reminded me a bit of the backstreets of Rome or Milan with narrow lanes, cobblestone streets, and lots of eateries. And, given the season, there were lights and decorations adorning facades or brightening up the plazas. In the Plaza de Colón there was an open air ice rink and carousel with lots of kiosks lining the pathways for food, crafts, and games. The pedestrian areas and sidewalks were just packed with people; one of our concierges, Marina, said most Madrid residents would be avoiding this and she was not sure why so many people were here over the holidays. But it was truly a festive spirit and in our time here there was little in the way of unruliness or misbehaviour; in fact, there were few police sirens and only the occasional ambulance response. We did note a significant police and civil guard presence around the main squares, monuments, and public facilities.
As usual, we did one of the Hop On Hop Off buses to get a sense of the city and do a reconnaissance of key areas. One of the stops was right across from the hotel which was handy when we got tuckered out from walking. And walk we did, building our stamina up to about 20,500 steps (approximately 16.5 km) by day #4. We ended up going back to the Templo de Debod, an ancient Nubian temple that Egypt gifted Spain in 1972 that gave us a panoramic view of the Royal Palace and south Madrid. Again the weather was brilliantly sunny and so comfortable for the walking necessary to burn calories. Although we were quite restrained with a hearty breakfast and early tapas supper, we did discover the delights of hot chocolate and churros…a very dangerous potential for addiction! The Spaniards’ idea of hot chocolate is not at all like the milk diluted Nestlé Quick of North America but rather a thick fondue-like sauce to dip the churros in. Tapas here in Madrid is truly a treat with so much to choose from and to share. The one recommended restaurant that was truly a delight was La Casa Del Abuelo at 57 Goya Street…absolutely delicious and reasonably priced tapas, plus an incredible sangria. Another wonderful restaurant we found was Patio de Leones at 1 Salamanca - delicious, a little more expensive, but worth both visits we had there.
One thing I noticed is that, aside from service staff who have to interact with customers, most people in Madrid seem to have an aloof, almost haughty, demeanor. Definitely not as friendly as the Spanish in the Americas and not as friendly as the Portuguese, Brazilian, and Italian people I have met. However, I will say that the service staff in our hotel were amazing - to the point we kept hanging out with Marina and Constanzia, the guest relations people who were so helpful with recommendations. The suite we had was excellent, and I would not hesitate to recommend the Hyatt Regency Hesperia to anyone wanting a nice place to stay. We opted in for the breakfast that was quite substantial with lots of options.
Another observation of Madrid that surprised me given the socialist nature of the country is the lack of attention to access for persons with physical challenges. Accessibility to many regular places is quite a challenge; even our hotel, as lovely as it was, did not have ramps at the front for wheelchairs and the glaring white marble steps would be an obstacle for people with visual challenges. The Prado Museum was pretty good with their access, although it would take a bit of effort to find the main entrances that are more access-friendly. It was surprising that even the train stations and metro platforms were not the easiest to navigate.
Now it is off to Barcelona that I am sure is going to be a real treat. The train is moving at a pretty good pace through a varied countryside. We have passed through fog, desert topography, and now rich rolling farmland dotted with orchards. The sky remains a bright rich blue that is, apparently, to remain in the forecast through New Years to the cruise.
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