As lovely as Barcelona was, Madrid is my favorite of the two Spanish cities I had the joy of visiting. It's so much more like that little black dress that never goes out of style--classy, elegant, and timeless. I could harp on the food and the sangria or the incredible museums (including the amazing Reina Sofia, where you must go to gape at Picasso's masterpiece Guernica), but aside from that, I think the feeling that I took away from Madrid was one of going from place to place, or, more appropriately, from plaza to plaza.
Plaza Mayor
We saw Plaza del Sol, which was right across the street from our hotel on the Gran Via, Plaza Mayor, Madrid's largest plaza, Plaza de Lavapies (and if you're anything like my mother, I should tell you no, is not pronounced lava-pies), Plaza de Oriente, and Plaza de la Cibeles. I'm sure there are others that I'm missing--there are just too many to keep track of.
Every plaza has it's own feel. They're distinguished not only by surrounding restaurants, prominent statues and fountains, but also proximity to major sites, like the Royal Palace (Plaza de Oriente) or the Palacio de Comunicaciones (Plaza de las Cibeles), which is the massive, ornate headquarters for the postal service.
My mom and I also had a great time fountain hunting. Our guide books had descriptions of epic-sounding fountains featuring gods and goddesses. We would venture to the plazas in search of the fountains, and read about their peculiarities (like how one has become symbolic of a prominent sports team and therefore attracts large, rambunctious crowds before big games). It became a sort of scavenger hunt, which made the Plaza-hopping all the more interesting.
If you get to Madrid, I urge you to take advantage of those museums; have 2 hour long lunches, naps, and tapas at 10; drink your sangria; and visit the Royal Palace, before stopping for churros and chocolate, but when you're not overly drunk on sangria or in a food-coma, don't forget just to wander around the city from Plaza to Plaza, enjoying the Spanish atmosphere.
Every plaza has it's own feel. They're distinguished not only by surrounding restaurants, prominent statues and fountains, but also proximity to major sites, like the Royal Palace (Plaza de Oriente) or the Palacio de Comunicaciones (Plaza de las Cibeles), which is the massive, ornate headquarters for the postal service.
My mom and I also had a great time fountain hunting. Our guide books had descriptions of epic-sounding fountains featuring gods and goddesses. We would venture to the plazas in search of the fountains, and read about their peculiarities (like how one has become symbolic of a prominent sports team and therefore attracts large, rambunctious crowds before big games). It became a sort of scavenger hunt, which made the Plaza-hopping all the more interesting.
If you get to Madrid, I urge you to take advantage of those museums; have 2 hour long lunches, naps, and tapas at 10; drink your sangria; and visit the Royal Palace, before stopping for churros and chocolate, but when you're not overly drunk on sangria or in a food-coma, don't forget just to wander around the city from Plaza to Plaza, enjoying the Spanish atmosphere.
Plaza Mayor