2006 retirement tripSpain March 22 to April 7

Madrid second visit

Monday 3 April, 2006  We leave the wonders of the Alhambra and catch the train from Granada to Madrid. The train travelled due north leaving Andalusia and entering the plains of La Mancha and on to Atocha Station in Madrid.
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Monday 3 April, 2006   We arrived at Madrid's Atocha Station from where we had departed 13 days ago. We walked from the station to the Vincci Soho hotel - marked with the splat on the map. Jenni's flu worsened while mine stabilised.
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Monday 3 April, 2006  We check into the Vincci Soho and, although not cheap at $177 per night, it's easily the best we've had.
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Monday 3 April, 2006  And it has a genuine high-speed internet connected by Ethernet cable. Oh joy, oh bliss.
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Tuesday 4 April, 2006  Jenni is flat on her back with the flu. This is a day of rest for both of us. I kill the day in the hotel room doing important things on the Internet and manage to order lunch and dinner all by myself (by pointing at the menu).
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Jenni is well enough to continue. We head for the Prado Museum on Paseo del Prado.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The Prado has the following: On the top (Second) floor works by Goya, Mengs, Tiepolo, Watteau
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  On the first floor, works by Greco, Tiziano, Poussin, Rembrandt, Rubens, Ribera, Velaquez, Ribera, Murillo, Goya
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  On the ground floor, works by Rafael, Van der Weyden, El Bosco, Durero.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The Prado also contains important collections of more than 5,000 drawings, 2,000 prints, 1,000 coins and medals, and almost 2,000 decorative objects and works of art
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Sculpture is represented by more than 700 works and by a smaller number of sculptural fragments.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  On the left an original by Titian painted in 1550 and on the right same thing by Rubens in 1628. Adam and Eve were, of course, white Caucasians.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  It's quite permissible to take photographs of any art work, even paint a copy if you want. This contrasts with the anal attitude in Australian Art Galleries. I suppose the Europeans realise that there's only one original.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The majority of the works are on the first floor.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The museum was opened in 1819 but was commissioned in 1785.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The building housed the royal collection of arts and it rapidly proved too small. The first enlargement of the museum took place in 1918.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  So small!
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The Prado Museum is huge, about a city block long.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  We then enter the Botanic Gardens next to the Prado Museum.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Cost us €2 because it's a botanic museum, not a botanic garden.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  My lasting memory of Madrid is of the beautiful tulips everywhere.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Very formal and geometric in layout. A legacy of the Moors perhaps?
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  There was also a cactus nursery. For someone from a hot climate, it seems strange to grow cactus indoors.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  .
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  There was also a Bonzai section.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  This was a miniature red maple, no more than a couple of feet high.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  We leave the Botanic Museum and head for the Parque del Buen Retiro (Park of the Pleasant Retreat).
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  This is a huge park a short distance to the east from the Prado Museum. There are of course sweaty joggers and dog owners who regard this as a great place for dog poos.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The park is called El Retiro for short and is 1.4 km² (350 acres). The park dates from the 1620s, when the Count-Duke of Olivares gave the king several tracts of land in the vicinity for the Court's recreational use.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The gardens were neglected after the death of Philip IV in 1665 but have been restored and changed on many occasions, notably after being opened to the public in 1767. It became the property of the municipality in 1868.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  This is the Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace), a glass pavilion inspired by The Crystal Palace in London.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  It and its artificial pond were built in 1887 by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco for the Philippine Islands Exhibitions.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  it was first used to display flower species indigenous to the Philippines which, in 1887, was a Spanish colony.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  These trees, Cypress swamps (Taxodium distichum), were imported from northern Mexico and their main feature is that part of their trunks and roots are under water.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The purpose of the exhibition was to demonstrate Spain's wealth and power to the rest of Europe. There are now art galleries in the Crystal Palace.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The lawns are an unbelievably lush, deep green.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Palacio de Velázquez, in the Retiro Park. The building was designed in 1881 by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco and built from 1881 to 1883 for the Mines Exhibition of 1883.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Winged lion at the entrance of the Palacio de Velázquez.  It is now used for various exhibitions, some of which are put on by the Reina Sofía Museum.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Close to the northern entrance of the park is the Estanque del Retiro (Retiro's Pond), a large artificial pond. Across the water from here is the monument to King Alfonso XII.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Alfonso XII  was king of Spain, reigning from 1875 to 1885, after a coup d'état that restored the monarchy and ended the First Spanish Republic.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Brave souls had rented boats and were rowing on the lake. It started to rain very shortly after taking this picture - and it was very cold. This lake at one time was used to stage mini naval battles to amuse royalty.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Formal gardens in the El Retiro.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  Daffodils are the other lasting memory of Madrid.
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Wednesday 5 April, 2006  The Puerta de Alcalá is a monument near the main entrance of El Retiro Park.  Its name originates from the old path from Madrid to the nearby town of Alcalá de Henares. It was built in 1788, Sydney's year of birth.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  This is where we spend our time today. At the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral and the Palace. All easy walking from the hotel (marked with a splat)
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The Plaza Mayor. Its origins go back to 1581 when Philip II of Spain asked Juan de Herrera, a renowned Renaissance architect, to devise a plan to remodel the busy and chaotic area of the old Plaza del Arrabal.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Juan de Herrera created the first plan in 1581 to remodel the old Plaza but construction didn't start until 1617, during Philip III's reign.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The Plaza Mayor is rectangular in shape, measuring 129 by 94 meters, and is surrounded by three-story residential buildings having 237 balconies facing the Plaza.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Giambologna's equestrian statue of Philip III dates to 1616 . . .
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  . . . but it was not placed in the center of the square until 1848
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The Plaza has been the scene of many events: markets, bullfights, soccer games, public executions, and  during the    Spanish Inquisition   , "autos de fe" ( the ritual of public penance of condemned heretics). The inquisition started in 1492 and lasted until Queen Isabella II abolished it in 1834.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Not surprisingly, the inquisition was used to expropriate (steal) the property of heretics. In the square today, there are no more fun things like public humiliations or hangings. The area instead is given over to restaurants and shopping.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  From the southern entrance, we can see the twin spires of the rear of the Basilica de San Isidro. This church acted as a substitute cathedral from 1885 until the completion of the Almudena - the main cathedral.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  We walk down Calle Mayor  towards the palace area - the street sign reads Plaza de la Villa.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The Plaza de la Villa is occupied by the Casa de Cisnero. It was originally a palace constructed in 1537 for the Cardinal Cisneros. It has recently been restored and now houses various Town Hall departments.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The viaduct. It joins the Royal Palace area with Las Vistallis. It was planned along with the palace but not constructed until the late 19th century.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The present structure is reinforced concrete and was built in 1942.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Being near the royal palace, there are some magnificent apartments here.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Ancient Arab ruins. The ancient Arab walls and buildings have been protected from 1953 without much success
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  This is part of the ancient Moorish wall that once surrounded Madrid. It dates from the 12th century.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The origins of modern Madrid come from the 9th century, when Muhammad I ordered the construction of a small palace in the same place that Palacio Real occupies today. Around this palace a small citadel, al-Mudaina, was built.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The Manzanares River is near where the ancient palace was, so the Muslims called it al-Majri (source of water).  From this came the naming of the site as Majerit, which later evolved into the modern-day spelling of Madrid.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The citadel was conquered in 1085 by Christian King Alfonso VI of Castile in his advance towards Toledo. He reconsecrated the mosque as the church of the Virgin of Almudena (the garrison's granary) In 1329.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The Cathedral of the Almudena as it is today. These are the apses (semi circular projection that contains the alter) at the rear of the cathedral.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  We walk down behind the Palacio Real along the Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Normally, you can walk through the grounds but not today; the king was at home.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  This area of the palace is called the Campo del Moro (Field of the Moor). Legend has it that the Moors once camped here for the siege and the eventual conquest of Madrid.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The grounds are befitting a king.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  We walk to the end of the eastern side of the palace, then up the hill on the northern side to find the Jardines de Sabatini.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The gardens were built by a chap called Sabatini in the 18th century and were built on the site of the royal stables.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Walking around to the eastern side of the palace, we find the Jardines de Cabo Nobal.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  They are beautifully maintained and feature perfectly formed tulips. No surprise really; this is after all the grounds of the royal palace.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Across from the  Jardines de Cabo Nobal are beautiful apartments. One can imagine from their prestige address, they'd be very expensive.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The eastern side of the Palace.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  This was funny but sad. A car had accidentally driven into the restricted traffic area surrounding the palace (the King being at home). The Police immediately stopped the car and turned it around.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Since the 2004 Madrid terrorist attack, which Spaniards believe was in retaliation for their joining the "Coalition of the willing", they are extremely sensitive about the possibility of more looney attacks. The king would be a prime target.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The main entrance to the Cathedral of the Almudena.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The palace forecourt on the southern side of the building.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The flying flag means the king is at home (I think)
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  We head for what appears on the map to be a large modern shopping centre. We pass this interesting taberna on the way.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  We find the shopping centre but there appears to be something strange about it  (other than every square centimeter of grass being covered in dog poop which is not strange in Spain).
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  It's shut for siesta.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  Not a soul. This must drive the rest of the Euro area bonkers. Can you imagine trying to do business from France just a few kilometres away?
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The rest of the day was a waste - we went to the Reina Sofia, the National Museum Art Centre (MNCARS) near Atocha station. It had large displays of Picasso and Salvador paintings and sculptures. Picasso's Guernica was there.
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Thursday 6 April, 2006  The Guernica. This was Picasso's response to an atrocity where a Basque village was bombed with the mass killing of innocents.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Friday April 7, our last day in Spain. Today we go back to the palace because its open for visitors. We also discover that Gran Via is somewhat grand. Then we  wander down the Paseo del Prado for a better look.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The sign out the front said that the palace tour started at 9:00. They started selling tickets at 11:30. Jenni, ever patient, waited but I didn't. She did the palace tour on her own.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  A few slides from Jenni's tour of the palace.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  To quote Jenni:  "The Palacio Real is a genuine palace, the first I can ever recall being in (never got into Buckingham Palace or the White House)."
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Friday 7 April, 2006  "It's a bit over the top but then, it seems to fit the apparent Spanish love of royalty, and royalty who look after themselves"
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Friday 7 April, 2006  "Some of the rooms are quite blatantly shrines to one particular king or another".
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Friday 7 April, 2006  " I find the constant link between religion and royalty somewhat oppressive. Nevertheless, the self-guided tour with the audio thingy was good".
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Friday 7 April, 2006  "You can see quite a number of rooms in the palace, I saw about 23.  My guess is that I saw about one tenth or less of the rooms in the place."
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Friday 7 April, 2006  A Stradivarius copy - just kidding.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The courtyard in the centre of the palace. This is not the courtyard visible from the street.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  "The decorations were incredibly ornate (expected I guess).  Many of the rooms had fabric wall coverings stitched in gold and silver"
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Friday 7 April, 2006  "One of the floors I videoed was gorgeous - I had thought it was carpet, but no, it was marble"
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Friday 7 April, 2006  "Jeff didn't want to see it, but I have to agree with his being over all that stuff."
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Inside the Plaza Ameria, the courtyard at the southern side of the palace. The fence separates the royal courtyard from the public area in front of the cathedral.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The visitor's entrance to the palace.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Bullet damage from one of the revolutions of Madrid's past.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  We discover, finally on our last day here, the main street through Madrid: the Gran Via.  How could we have guessed from a name like that?
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Gran Via, like every street in Madrid, is clogged with traffic. But we loved the splendid architecture of the low rise buildings.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  There is some high rise in other parts of Madrid but the original beauty of this area has been maintained. There is an entrance to the  Gran Via  Metro station here.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  How beautiful. It's on the corner of Calle del Clavel and there's an entry to the Gran Via Metro nearby.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  You can get a proper coffee in Madrid - but not here. Even the coffee in the railway stations was superb. We're at 30 Gran Via.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Gran Via saw its origins in the early 20th century. It was necessary to connect the Cibels area with the expanding Arguelles district to the west. To do this it was necessary to open a way through clustered, crowded houses.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The expropriations and demolition work delayed construction from 1862,  when the first plans were drawn, to 1910 when work began.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  It seems that up every little alley is an impressive monument or building. This is one of a pair of quadrigas that sit atop the Communidad de Madrid Building two streets over in Calle de Alcalá
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Friday 7 April, 2006  This is the side of the Metropolis building nearing the junction of Gran Via and Calle de Alcalá
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Friday 7 April, 2006  This building is on the corner opposite us. It is the home of the Unidad de Alcoholism (Alcoholism Unit)
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The junction of Gran Via and Calle de Alcalá.  Ahead of us is the Bank of Spain established by Carlos III in 1872 and constructed between 1884 and 1891.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Looking down Calle de Alcala  towards the Plaza de Cibels
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Friday 7 April, 2006  On Spain's entry into the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union in 1994, the Banco de España became a member of the European System of Central Banks
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The Edificio Metropolis, on the junction of Gran Via and Calle Alacalá , was built in 1906 and is now owned by the Metropolis insurance company. It is not open to the public.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Approaching Plaza de Cibeles. Opposite us is the Palace of Communications.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Inaugurated in 1919, the Palace of Communications is Madrid's current postal office building. The building is being renovated and will become the municipal headquarters of  the City of Madrid.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Gates leading to the headquarters of the army.
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Friday 7 April, 2006
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Inside the grounds is the  Palacio de Buenavista where the army is headquartered.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Tulip garden opposite the Bank of Spain.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Small crisis as a Policeman stops the traffic so that an ambulance can reach the kerb.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The tulip bed as we cross the road.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  We now wander down the central parkway of Paseo del Prado towards Atocha station.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  White tulips in a garden down the centre of the Paseo.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The Naval Museum framed by white tulips.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The Naval Museum was inaugurated on Paseo del Prado avenue in 1932.  It is home to a collection focusing on the naval history of Spain. It also has overviews of the navies of other countries.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  .
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Friday 7 April, 2006  The Madrid stock exchange. It is the largest and most international of Spain's four regional stock exchanges. The others are  in Barcelona, Valencia, and Bilbao.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  Jenni wanted to visit the Lladro store, so she said that I should go back to the hotel and she'd meet me there. "No way" said I.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  A few moments later, as we approached a pedestrian crossing, a young man asked me,  "Do you speak English?" "Yes". " Well you're being followed by three women who are after your cameras."  Jenni said that she'd already spotted them.
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Friday 7 April, 2006  So our trip to Madrid ended in much the same way as it had started: being stalked with a view to being robbed. Just as I was starting to think that Spain wasn't all that bad.
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Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain  It is the third largest city of the European Union, after London and Berlin.  The population of the Madrid metropolitan area is 5.84 million. The metro area spans a total of 607 km²  (Sydney is 12,144.6 km² ).     END OF OUR ADVENTURES IN SPAIN     Next stop Vienna.
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