September may not be the perfect month to be in most of Europe as summers are near about ending but in southern Spain the weather in this month is just perfect. I planned a trip to the Spanish cities of Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba , Seville, Granada and Barcelona in September of 2018. The plan was to land in Madrid and then drive by road first to Toledo, then Cordoba, Seville , Granada and Barcelona in the same sequence and cover all these places in 2 weeks.
Mesmerised by MADRID
I flew in the Emirates Airbus to Spain via Dubai from Delhi. With ample amount of time during the halt at Dubai, I could scan the huge Dubai airport and all the shopping options that it had offer at a leisurely pace. Of course the edge Dubai airport has over other airports is not only it's world class amenities but also the innumerable gold shops selling best quailty gold ornaments, coins at a reasonable price. Additionally, you can pick up high quality electronics , gadgets and dry fruits on the go from here!
On landing in Madrid, I drove straight to my hotel Hotel Courtyard Madrid which is very centrally located in the city. The biggest indigenous store of Spain ‘Corte ingles’ was right next to the hotel. In addition the metro station was at a walking distance from the store. The whole city of Madrid is very well connected by metro and I chose this mode of travel to explore the city.
The first place I decided to explore in Madrid was its business epicentre , the ‘ Gran Via’ which basically means the Great Road. This road runs right thru the heart of the city and is lined by upscale stores on either side. All big brands stores and eating joints were available on this road. This is an excellent place to pick up leather items, trendy clothes and home decor items. I was lucky because a number of stores were offering big sales during the time I visited. One shop that you don’t want to miss is Alihop. This store sells quirky stationary and daily use items and is a great place to pick up gifts for friends and family back home.
Next I decided to explore the creative site of the city. To do that I took the metro from Gran Via to Calle de Alcazar where the 2 of the most popular meuseums exist very close by. The one I visited first was Reina Sofia which displays the Spanish artwork of the 20th century and displays artwork of famous artists such as Picasso. This building had 3 floors full of artwork. A portion of the meuseum is for free viewing by the visitors while the other portion can only be seen after buying a entry pass. It was indeed a treat to see the beautiful artwork although as photography was not allowed in some portions, memories could only be kept in the mind and not be captured in the camera. Another meuseum worth visiting is the Museo del Prado.
After visiting both these places in the day , I headed to the another famous square called Plaza de Espana .This vibrant market place has innumerable eating joints ,shops and night clubs. Even at mid night the place teeming with locals and tourists. After tasting nick knacks from various outlets, I headed to the famous night club called Joy Elsava in the Plaza. The club opens up at Midnight and party continues till wee hours in the morning. The whole experience of being at this club,one of the first clubs to open in madrid, was indeed worthwhile. I danced to a number of Spanish numbers in a dance floor loaded with people enjoying every bit of the nightlife at the club.
The nightclub was inaugurated the night February 24, 1981, the day of the "Golpe de Espado" in Spain. Soon this became one of the venues referenced in the capital of Spain, incorporating a new concept unknown in the country: macro-disco..
The next day, I decided to take a tour of the city to see the major tourist attractions around the city. The tour started with a visit to Madrid Palace. The beautiful place is the largest palace in Europe and is located at a hilltop with a view of the rest of city down below. The plush interiors of the palace and tastefully doneup rooms were a pleasure to see. Various architecture forms ranging from Gothic to Rococo were included in the palace architecture.
After leulisurely spending the morning at the palace I then moved to see the famous Madrid Bull ring. This Bull Ring, called Plaza de toros de Las Ventas opened in June 1931. Bull fights are still actively held in the Bull ring although killing the bull is prohibited following protests by animal activists. In various parts around Spain Bull breeding is an active occupation as the sport is very actively followed and encouraged. The magnificent Bull ring has a seating capacity of more than 20,000 people , a circular arena.
Next stop was made to the Madrid Football Stadium. The stadium is the official stadium of the world renouned Real Madrid Football club. It is the mecca of football fans.
Another beautiful place we visited in Madrid was the temple of Debod. It is a temple gifted by the Greek to Madrid.
Any trip to Madrid is incomplete without seeing the museums which have centuries of beautiful artwork in them. The world renouned museums I saw in Madrid was Reina Sofia and Prado Meuseum .
A quick video on the 5 of my favourite places to visit in Madrid!
Next stop was made to the Madrid Football Stadium. The stadium is the official stadium of the world renouned Real Madrid Football club. It is the mecca of football fans.
Another beautiful place we visited in Madrid was the temple of Debod. It is a temple gifted by the Greek to Madrid.
Any trip to Madrid is incomplete without seeing the museums which have centuries of beautiful artwork in them. The world renouned museums I saw in Madrid was Reina Sofia and Prado Meuseum .
A quick video on the 5 of my favourite places to visit in Madrid!
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