Arriving in Madrid

 Wednesday, March 25, 2026

It is dark when I land in Lisbon on my way to Madrid. Local time is 4.44am, which is 1.44am Brazil time. I have dined and tried to sleep on the plane, without much luck, and I am bone-tired when I settle in the lounge for the 3+ hour wait for the connection to Madrid. Flying across the countryside in the bright daylight Portugal and then Spain look dry and pale, broken by the surprise of snow-capped mountains


It's unexpectedly warm and sunny when I land in Madrid. Taxis are plentiful and have a fixed rate, thus minimizing stress for the traveler. I have booked a small studio near the Plaza Mayor, which looks perfect for me

After a shower and a rest I walk around my new neighborhood, visiting the busy Mercado São Miguel full of tempting foods and drinks


And the imposing Plaza Mayor, just around the corner


It's challenging to follow the GPS directions on Google Maps for my return to the hotel. I trawl up and down the same narrow cobbled streets several times, until I finally take the right turn - back to rest up for the remainder of the evening and be ready for my first adventure tomorrow: The Museu do Prado.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My seventh and last day

Image
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 I wake up feeling extremely lazy after yesterday's 12K steps of walking - and also with the prospect of packing. I pull myself together and after a while my bed looks like this 🤦‍♀️ But I manage to exit the room by noon and leave the bags in the reception, where I book a cab for 5pm. My plan is to walk around, have a special lunch somewhere nice and eventually make it back to the hotel in time for the cab ride. Using my Metro app I plot the way to the Alonso Martinez station where I will look at two possible candidates for lunch, La Tavernetta (recommended by Eduardo, Gracielita's husband), and Fismuler (recommended by Mada). The former turns out to be in quiet exclusive street, surrounded by interesting and $$$$ stores, and close to a charming park, Plaza Villa de Paris. But it's early yet and both restaurants only open at 1.30 - I have an hour to while away. So I walk the 10 minutes to the other restaurant, Fismuler, which looks rather forbidden a...
Read more

My fifth day

Image
 Sunday, March 29, 2026 The weather today was unusually cold and bitter, despite the sun, and with warnings for strong winds later in the morning.  I had my first breakfast out in a cozy café down the street - hot chocolate and a croissant - and then set out on my quest to find El Rastro, the famed flea market. On my way I captured the light on these buildings, looking like a Di Quirico painting. It was the only picture I'd take all day, due to warnings of active pickpockets 😱 The flea market was arranged on both sides of a warren of old criscrossisng streets with booths selling anything you could imagine, clothes, leather goods, jewelry, scarves... I went through everything, holding on to my bag, and picked up a couple of things. I even found 2 dog toys in a store run by two Chinese ladies bickering loudly. After a while the wind picked up and blew down some awnings and I decided to head home, where I could talk to dad and then to my sister.  Then I received a lunch inv...
Read more

My second day

Image
 Thursday, March 26, 2026 I wake up at 8.30 am, which is pretty great, considering the +4 hour time difference. I feel rested and ready to go. A quick look in the street shows people wearing puff jackets and hunched up against what seems a raw morning. I'm out in the street by 10.30, dressed in layers. My aim is to walk to the Prado Museum, about 20 minutes away, and perhaps find some breakfast on the way.  On the Plaza de Santa Ana I find this charming statue of Frederico Garcia Lorca holding a little bird. I don't find a single breakfast place on my walk and I'm in sight of the museum when I finally spot a prosaic Starbucks, where I enjoy a latte and a croissant in the company of several Americans.  My ticket is for noon, but I manage to get in at 11 and thus start my quest to hit as many high spots as I can, Velasquez, Titian, Rubens, El Greco, Bosch and many more.  Highly organized Asian tourists with guides whispering into microphones, throngs of school children...
Read more