Off to Spain we went. On Tuesday May 12, we left our condo at 5:30 a.m. to catch our 7:15 flight to Houston, then a flight to Newark and finally an overnight flight to Madrid. All went well and on time, and is usual, the entry into Spain through immigration and customs was quick and easy. We took a cab to our hotel, the Mercure Madrid Plaza de Espana. After a rest, we had a bite to eat and set out to explore the area.
 |
| Patty at the Plaza de Espana |
 |
| The view from our hotel room |
We took a walk north from the hotel towards the Moncloa district - it is less touristy and more of a residential area. We stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a beer and a snack - the beer came in large mugs.
We then headed over to Parque Oeste, where we saw some huge aloes and agaves.
The Roseleda de Madrid is a rose garden within Parque Oeste - but it is for demonstrations and competitions which were set to happen that weekend.
 |
| A thorn between many roses or stopping to smell the roses |
We then rode the Teleferico - it is a cable car system that rides over the park and the river. It goes over and beside some of the high rise apartment buildings. On the way back, we were level with the 12th floor of some 15 story buildings and a woman waved to us - we were only about 50 feet away from her building. Here is a view of the royal palace to the south from our ride.
After the park, we had dinner and returned to the hotel to catch up on sleep and adjust to the nine hours difference between Phoenix and Madrid.
No comments:
Post a Comment