July 31, 2019 – I made us a big breakfast before we headed out to see the sights of Madrid. As we headed out of the apartment building, I told Wayne the name of the train station (San Cristobal) that we needed to walk to (I marked it on the map program) and we started toward the train station.
As we went along, the neighborhood was getting sketchier and sketchier the further we walked from the apartment. Wayne was going to take us on a shortcut through an open space that looked like a park on the map, but when we got there, it was just a field of large weeds, dirty trash and a building that looked like an abandoned prison watchtower. It seemed like we were walking for a very long way for a train station that was supposed to be so close to the apartment. At one point the map program took us to a location where we would be walking on a sidewalk…. on the freeway….UGH!
We decided not to do that and turned to go another way and we came upon what was probably the scene of a crime… a purse was lying on the sidewalk with a bunch of its belongings thrown about. Wayne decided that this was not a good situation…we might as well have a target on our backs with a sign that says “TOURISTS”. It was very hot out and we were cranky so we went back to the apartment to get our Wi-Fi hotspot so we could figure out what went wrong with getting to the train.
After we got back in the room and got cooled off, we figured out that there were two stations with the same name, San Cristobal Metro (Subway station) and San Cristobal Industrial (Train station). We had been walking to the subway station when we needed to go to the train station (which was literally 5 minutes away) UGGGH! OK, I didn’t pay attention to details like I should have so we decided that Wayne would take over navigation & transportation for Madrid going forward.
We quickly got to the right train station but all instructions were in Spanish, so a young girl helped us get our tickets and when the next train arrived, we were finally on our way to Madrid . By the time we got to Old Town Madrid, it was already past noon. It was a work day so we did not have all day to check out the city. I had an itinerary planned so we got busy and began ticking things off the list.
Our train stopped at the Sol Station right underneath the Puerto del Sol. This bustling square is located right in the center of Madrid and is one of the city’s most famous sites. With its semi-circular shape, it is a junction for many of the city’s historical and busiest streets. A small stone plaque of “The Kilometre 0” is located on the pavement in front of the Real Casa de Correos. It marks the geographical center of Spain, the point from which the distances in Madrid are measured. It is the starting point for all major roads in Spain – specifically, the starting point for all of Spain’s major roads A1 to A6 … They say all roads in Spain lead to Puerto del Sol.
Originally the site of one of the city’s gates, Puerta del Sol is a beautiful large plaza. Sitting atop the Casa de Correos building, the current headquarters of the Madrid regional government, you’ll find the famous clock that all eyes turn to on the last day of the year. This square is equivalent to our ball dropping in NYC over Times Square on New Year’s Eve. For over a century now, tradition has it that people across the country usher in the New Year by eating 12 lucky grapes to the twelve chimes of midnight struck by this clock.
In the square, you can find the famous Oso y Madroño or Bear and the Strawberry Tree. The 20 ton, stone and bronze statue is a work of the sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafé and was inaugurated in 1967. You can recognize these figures in other parts of the city as well as it the official city crest of Madrid, and can be seen on everything from manhole covers to the logo for one of Madrid’s two football clubs.
The bear has been a part of Madrid’s coat of arms since at least 1212, when troops from Madrid were first recorded in history as carrying a flag showing a bear with the seven stars of the constellation Ursa Major, meaning “Larger Bear” in Latin (or what we in the US know as the Big Dipper). This may come from Ursalia, the name given to Madrid during the Roman period, or it may simply have been a reference to the bears that were common in the surrounding woods at the time. These bears have long been driven out of the area, if not completely eliminated.
As for the strawberry tree (Madroño), it was added to the seal in 1222, when a dispute between the church and the city council was resolved by King Alfonso VIII. Both parties laid claim to the forests and fields in the area, which were a vital resource. The king decided that the trees and land would belong to the city, while the animals would belong to the church. That way both groups are responsible for the upkeep of the area. Satisfied with the ruling, the city immediately altered its crest to include a strawberry tree. The bear was also changed to a standing position, as it is today.
On the other side of the square there is a copy of La Mariblanca statue, which is a female of unknown origin and she represents fertility. The original, which dates back to the 17th century and once adorned a fountain in this very spot, is now stored due to damage.
Puerta del Sol’s third and largest statue is found in the center of the square and depicts King Charles III of Spain on horseback. During his reign, the monarch introduced so many progressive reforms and gave the city such a makeover that he earned the title of Madrid’s best mayor.
Also in the plaza are those annoying people, dressed as fake Mickey Mouses, Pokeman and Spiderman trying to get you to pay to have your picture taken, people selling junk, scammers trying to hand you items (or sometimes throw them to you), panhandlers trying to get your money and I’m sure more than a few pickpockets looking for distracted tourists. We didn’t like that part of it. We have learned to just avoid eye contact and keep walking when approached or firmly say “NO” (Wayne is good at that) they pretty much leave you alone.
Our next stop was the Museo de Jamon. The Ham Museum was originally founded by the brothers Mr Luis & Francisco Muñoz Heras in August 1978 in Madrid. It is a large deli that will serve up the best ham sandwiches and tapas. One of its most recognizable features was the great number of hams hanging from the ceiling. Nowadays, the business is run by Mr Luis Muñoz Heras’ daughters. We walked in and were going to get a sandwich and a small beer, but it was wall to wall people at the bar and we saw that it was going to take too long. Instead we stopped and got a slice of pizza (which was totally disgusting) and a can of beer.
Our next stop was The Chocolateria de San Ginés. Sounds good already… huh? Wait for it… San Ginés is Madrid’s most famous chocolateria and dates back to 1890, when it was originally built as a restaurant and inn, but in 1894, San Ginés began serving something fabulous… churros and hot chocolate – one of the city’s most popular breakfast combinations.
The churros are dough that is poured into a vat of hot oil, deep-fried and stirred with a very long stick, which helps the dough form into long spiral sticks – similar to a donut, but not round….what’s not to like??? deep fried dough sticks… The sticks are then cut down and a bit of sugar may be added on top. The hot chocolate is served the authentic Spanish way: thick and steaming, perfect for dipping churros into. WE HAD TO TRY THEM!!! Or more specifically “I” had to. The hot chocolate is not like hot chocolate in the US of A… It is literally melted dark chocolate. This delectable, fatty, calorie-filled treat may not seem like it would be that addictive, but it really is – once you start dipping, you may eat several churros sticks without even realizing it. Someone may have even had a big gulp of the hot chocolate when the churros were gone… 🙂
Next we walked to the Church of San Ginés, which is one of the oldest churches in the city. References to it appear in documents dating from the ninth century. It was, however, totally reconstructed after suffering several fires, so few remnants of the original church, such as the bell-tower, remain. In 1870, the loggia and atrium were added. This church has works of many notable artists, the most well known being El Greco. His painting “Christ Cleansing the Temple” depicts Christ sending the money changers from the temple. It is situated in the main church but covered by wood and it is only on display on Saturdays, so we were not able to see it.
Our next stop was Madrid’s Plaza Mayor, which is the Heart of Madrid. The square is 423 feet long by 308 feet wide and is surrounded by three-story buildings with porches all along the plaza. The original buildings surrounding the plaza were built during the 16th century and were 5 stories tall.
After a series of fires, the Plaza was reconstructed in 1790. The square hasn’t been altered since. For 150 years, the Plaza has been home to Madrid’s Christmas Markets and in the past has hosted bullfights and executions.
The Plaza Mayor houses three famous landmarks and buildings:
Equestrian statue of Philip III: This sculpture was designed in 1616 by Juan de Bolonia and Pietro Tacca. It was given as a present by the Duke of Florence to the King of Spain.
Casa de la Panadería: The plaza’s most striking building is the Casa de la Panadería and was the first to be established, in 1590. It was initially the most important bakery in Madrid and has a beautiful façade.
El Arco de Cuchilleros: Is the most famous of the nine entrances to Plaza Mayor. This porch is named after the street with the same name.
We made a small detour and arrived at the Sobrino de Botin Restaurant. Botín was founded in 1725, and is the oldest, continuously operating restaurant in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. The sign in the window said “cerrado” so we knew they were not yet open for the day, but there were a lot of people peeking through the windows to get a look and taking selfies. We didn’t have a cell phone to call, but wanted to see if there was any possible way to get a last minute reservation for the next day so Wayne went up to the door to check if it was unlocked….it was!! All the gawkers looked at him like, “Oh this guy must know what he’s doing”, so he moved the selfie stars aside and went in.
There was no one in the first bar and dining room, but he heard people working and talking further inside. Its a pretty formal place, so he wasn’t sure if he should keep going, but Wayne being Wayne, kept going.
He came around a corner at the crossroads of the dining rooms and came upon the maître d’ and waiter chatting which surprised them both. They just stopped talking and they all stared at each other for a second. Wayne wasn’t sure if they were upset with him strolling through the empty restaurant or not, but in his most polite and best Spanglish, asked if there might be availability the next day? They both responded with the most friendly reaction and said they will check immediately and asked if he wanted lunch or dinner. Wayne said anything they had would be great so they both headed to a tall desk and he the opened a giant, leatherbound reservation book and, lucky us, there was room for us at 3:00 PM! Perfect! They started asking where Wayne was from and he responded with comments about how beautiful the restaurant was, questions about its history, etc. They were just the nicest people and seemed so happy Wayne took an interest in their place of business. Wayne knew I was waiting outside so he asked if he could take a picture of the interior on his way out because he knew tomorrow wouldn’t be possible with people eating and they said, “Of course!”
Wayne made his way back through the bar and first dining room, took a couple photos, and as he was headed to the door when the maître d’ popped into the room and called him back over. He thought he might have done something wrong, but after a second, he understood he was being asked if he wanted a little tour of the restaurant! He couldn’t believe it. Of course he accepted and proceeded to walk around the place with mostly Spanish explanations of which he understood about 10% of.
They ended at the kitchen where he was introduced to their head chef, Armando, who was preparing the days supply of their specialty dish, suckling pig. Armando and Wayne hit it of as he was a little less formal and rather funny Wayne said.
At that point, Wayne knew he had better get back outside since I was waiting for him so he told them all how much he appreciated the tour, said his thank-you’s and the maître d’ walked him to the front door. (Not the usual way Wayne is shown the front door by restaurant staff, but he is learning to be good.) Anyway, we were very excited. Stay Tuned! More on this topic tomorrow!
Our next stop was the Royal Palace. The largest royal palace in Europe by floor area, Madrid’s Palacio Real is a majestic building with an impressive entrance featuring limestone statues of over 44 Spanish royals. A site of royal lodgings for hundreds of years, a 9th century Muslim castle once stood there, later replaced in the 16th century by a Christian palace. When this palace burned down in 1734, King Philip V ordered the construction of a new palace, which stands to this day.
The structure itself is enormous and an awe-inspiring sight (both inside and out). It measures 1,453,128 square feet and is separated into 3,418 rooms. That’s almost double the size of England’s Buckingham Palace or France’s Versailles. Ionic columns frame the exterior and many statues are located in and around the roof and facade area of the palace. When the facade had a small face-lift in 1973, several statues were moved around and a royal coat of arms and angels were added around the famous clock.
There are several works of art inside including works by several well known artists. Besides paintings, we saw large collections of porcelain, watches, antique furniture and silver.
The Stradivaris of the Madrid Royal Palace are the only decorated instruments the maker is known to have made as a set, and includes his only known decorated cello. The cello alone was valued at $20 million when it was damaged in 2012 during a photo shoot.
The quartet of instruments – two violins, a viola and cello – was originally a quintet but during the Napoleonic wars the two inlaid violas were lost when French troops looted the Royal Palace. The smaller viola was returned to the Patrimonio Nacional in 1951 but the tenor viola has never been recovered.
As you can see, most of the decorating is just a “little” over the top for most our tastes.
There’s also a royal library, a grand staircase, an armory and even a royal pharmacy. The Palace has not been used for Royal purpose since 2004. I don’t know why…If I were a queen, I would live there! Wayne said he got a lot of great decorating tips for our Montana place!!
Lastly, we visited the Madrid Almudena Cathedral, The Catedral de Almudena is Madrid’s grandest church, situated next to the Palacio Real, the royal palace. While plans to build this epic church had been in discussion since the 16th century, construction of churches in the Spanish colonies took priority and Madrid remained without a cathedral for many years. Interestingly enough, the site of the cathedral was once thought to be part of a Jewish neighborhood, which later housed a mosque during the Arabic reign in Spain. The mosque was destroyed in 1083 when Alfonso VI conquered Madrid once again. It wasn’t until 1879 that the Madrid finally started planning construction of its cathedral.
The first stone was laid in 1883 and construction really got underway in 1885. Progress was initially slow due to insufficient funding and the death of the original architect.
The church was one of the first in Spain to include a large Romanesque crypt, which did open in 1911, but then during the Spanish Civil War, construction was stopped entirely, and only re-started in 1950 (with a new architect yet again). The cloister area was finally completed in 1955 and the facade in 1960, but the project wasn’t considered finished until 1993 when the cathedral was finally consecrated by Pope John Paul II.
One thing you will immediately notice is the brightly colored, painted ceiling and frescoes of the Cathedral which is quite different from any other you will see. There is a story behind this. In 1987, the painting of the ceiling and frescoes was opened to an international call to artist for various ideas to complete the Cathedral. After an exhaustive process, the respected Spanish artist, Manuel Ortega, was reportedly assigned the work in January 1988; however, the work was never begun.
Years passed, then just before the royal wedding of Crown Prince Felipe of Spain in 2004, an artist named Kiko Argüello was commissioned by the Cardinal and Bishop to paint the interior of the Almudena Cathedral. Kiko Argüello is the founder of the “Neocatechumenal Way”, a conservative Roman Catholic movement that was close to the Pope John Paul II at the time, so pretty well-connected within the Church. There is nothing controversial about the choice of the scenes for the Kiko’s frescoes: resurrection, crucifixion and ascension which he considered “a crown of mystery”; but in 2004 the Guardian newspaper reports that, “To some observers the seven freshly painted frescoes above the main altar in Madrid’s Almudena cathedral are the artistic equivalent of a major sin.” The decision to use an “amateur” who is a favorite of the Pope, and the dubious quality of his work, has provoked a bitter row over who should be allowed to leave their mark on Madrid’s cathedral.
While Madrid’s archbishop defended Argüello, praising the frescoes, which were done for free in 30 days, as being “perfumed with piety and Christian faith”; critics called the scenes naive imitations of Byzantine icons that are clumsy and amateurish. El Mundo newspaper said, “Kiko Argüello has compared himself to Goya; looking at his infantile frescoes one concludes that his vanity is greater than his talent.” Ouch!!!! Well our opinion is that they are certainly colorful, I think we can all agree on that?
As is one controversy regarding the painted ceiling wasn’t enough, another issue arose when identical copies of the icons were found in a church in Arroyo Hondo, near Santo Domingo. Kiko is the original artist and his work was duplicated in both the Cathedral and the said church. Those paintings, and many others, have been reproduced in numerous seminaries and churches and in the Domus Galilaeae Center. Oh my!! From doing the research on this and seeing the quotes from the local faithful at the time, it would appear most folks would rather have had the great artist, “Sherwin Williams”, or even “Frazee”, done the painting rather than Kiko….maybe with an interpretation of Navajo White?
The interior of the cathedral is considered to be Neo-Gothic and features many chapels as well as a museum. It was pretty, but after seeing so many other beautiful cathedrals, sadly, Madrid’s Cathedral was very anti-climactic and actually was very dirty on the exterior.
Our last stop of the day was the Mercado de San Miguel. The market is not a traditional grocery market but a gourmet tapas market, with over 30 different vendors selling a wide variety of freshly prepared tapas, hams, olives, baked goods and other foods. Beer, wine and champagne are also available. We did not get anything. We just wanted to see it and cool off…
Returning to our Barrio Apartment was a nightmare. We went back to the station under Puerto del Sol, bought our return tickets and went to look for the right train. We could not find the right train line anywhere. We thought maybe we had entered the wrong platform and went to find someone to help us (The lines were not well marked). Of course, there was no one in sight to ask so we exited the platform (and lost the money we had paid to get onto the platform) and found a Metro/Subway desk…. Well, we did not need the subway. That would not take us back to the train station close to our apartment. We needed to take the train back to our station and the nice lady told us where to go to catch the train. We found the station, bought new tickets and got on the train. Apparently, we were supposed to get of at some point and switch trains, which we did not do, and we ended up having to get off at a completely different station. MAJOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT FAIL!! We walked back to our apartment, which was about a 30 minute walk, and decided that we would drive our car into the city tomorrow.
When we got back to the room I walked, the short distance, in the safer direction, to the grocery store and got us some food for dinner and breakfast in the morning. Of course we were not able to go on our evening stroll again… because…barrio.