These are 3 half-days of free time that I discovered a tiny part of the Iberian capital, populated by about three million souls.
D'Alcala de Henares, birthplace of Cervantes 30km from Madrid to the 'Puerta del Sol, Madrid , central Spain, to visit the Prado Museum, here too short tale of a English ballad.
Alcala is a town of 200,000 inhabitants, located 30 km from Madrid and declared a heritage mondaile of humanity.
It is famous for being the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, who is always present in every corner in the city nearly 400 years after his death.
Complutense University, founded in 1293
Cervantes was educated in this university, the largest in Spain, now relocated to Madrid.
church adjoining the University
I'm pretty proud of my photo .... :-)
The statue of Cervantes, on the piazza. Note the windmills of Don Quixote.
Place Cervantes
After a quick stroll around town, I venture into two tapas bars, one of which will enable me to discover one of the largest culinary curiosities of my life: French fries mixed with smoked ham ....
The following week, 2 end of the afternoon free in my hard work allows me to discover more Madrid ...
I spend ellesà of the first visit to the Prado Museum (Pre inFrench), absolute must for any visitor.
The museum is divided over three floors and contains essentially the English paintings of the XIX XIX. To see the absolute
Velazquez, El Greco and Goya in particular! Do not miss the paintings of its period 'black', witnessed a very dark time ...
See also other European painters: Raphael, and El Bosco, alias Jerome Bosch .. When
is before the latter's paintings, it is difficult to imagine that they were painted in the fifteenth century, both moderners and they seem spooky.
Personally, I was mesmerized for 30 minutes before the 'Garden of Delights'. Bosch was a mad genius ...
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Details triptych 'The Garden of Earthly Delights': yes, drugs already existed in the fifteenth!
short, a very pleasant visit, whose fate is transformed and pacified.
Around the museum are very nice, though a bit noisy with the botanical garden, the book market, and the owl Atocha station, as I go along to return to the subway station. Unfortunately I
could take a picture: digital cameras are prohibited in the museum, I preferred to leave the hotel.
I'm going to storm the historic center of Madrid the next day, despite the wet weather. For this visit, no pressure: as is my custom, I take a subway map, and I let myself loose on the streets.
La puerta del sol And my first encounter is the 'Puerta del Sol' imaginary center of Spain, from which all distances compared to other English cities are measured.
if this place is not an exceptional architectural standpoint, it is not the wealth of historical and political events that took place there, including the uprising of May 2, 1808, against the troops The Emperor, finally, instead of his brother unable to Joseph King of Spain.
This uprising will be repressed in blood and immortalized by Goya in his very famous 'Dos de Mayo "and" Tres de Mayo' (or 'load of Mamluk', the latter being in fact mercenaries Egyptians employed by the Empire).
Dos de Mayo (Prado Museum)
The statue in the center represents the King Carlos III, who prevailed in the eighteenth century, but unfortunately I do not know.
Puerta del Sol, overlooking the fountain
On the same square, the statue of the bear and the strawberry tree, symbol of Madrid, also present on the shirt of Athletico, the real Club de Madrid.
symbol of Madrid
The statue recalls that Madrid was once a village.
And here is the clock that marks the New Year celebrated every year!
The art experts will see a certain similarity with the town of Carvin .... ;-)
The 'Gran Via, Madrid, central shopping artery, and constantly moving.
This street has an air of new world ...
I continue my merry way to the 'Gran via' to the 'Plaza de Espana' ... I pass a lot of cinemas and tapas bars, more or less appealing for them.
My itinerary
the corner between the 'Gran via' and the 'Plaza de Espana', these 2 'skyscrapers' are really impressive.
La 'Torre de Madrid', which reaches 142 meters, and the Edificio España ' (Right).
Viewed Plunge Edificio España
Between the two buildings, the memorial of Cervantes.
monuments to the glory of Cervantes are ubiquitous
the evening begins to fall, and I continue to walk my own way ... By a happy coincidence, I come to the 'Palacio Real 'and' Plaza de Oriente '.
The Palace is actually the official residence of the king of Spain, but there it is not. It dates from the early eighteenth century.
The photo does not make the impression left by the time
I'm much more impressed by the wonderful sunset looming in the shadow of the palace by the architecture of the latter.
The view is really superb, and the quiet atmosphere (the area is pedestrian) gives this time one side ... Royal!
I cross a street to reach the 'Plaza de Oriente', contemporary ... Joseph Bonaparte.
One of the many statues lining the 'Plaza de Oriente'
Many statues line this little place beautifully colored by the sunset. Some young
Madrid engage the skate near the 'Teatro Real,' most prestigious Opera of Spain.
theatro The Real Madrid
allowed me to approach Spain with a different angle: far from the factories to tourists from the coast, we discover a city that does not reveal easily, like its inhabitants, but we guess the face of a rich cultural and architectural deserves.
(... At the risk, sometimes falling on Madrid do not hesitate to mix wine with lemonade ....)
