Geert JM Vanderkelen

Today I left Madrid, flying to Belgium. Monday I’ll travel back to Germany, after first filling up on mussels and visiting family.

I do love the word ‘revamping’.

Today I woke up very tired. To much walking around and culinary excitement the past days? Who knows. Ten minutes later I was downstairs on my way to the Metro, but with no good plan in mind.

Today I walked around the Paseo de la Castellana (with a pit stop recharging my camera’s battery). I must say there were some striking contrasts. On the Calle de Serrano (calle=street) you’ll find some design shops of know and local/Spanish brands. The Serrano Mall is a must to check out (if you are into poshly things). But once around Chueca, and going more west you pass Malasaña..

Aah.. Vacation.. The time of the year you not only think about eating a burger and chocolate cake mixed with a Mexican beer, you actually do it.

I’m sitting here slightly getting drunk, but nobody minds and me neither.

I’m dining here next to Plaza Mayor in Madrid (Spain btw), like a good tourist I am. I know there are more kinky places, but with 30 degrees outside one stops bothering looking.. Yes, I did actually check a few places.

I’m drinking here a Cerveza, it might have been the 3rd one already. Dining at an Argentinian place, also 3rd time, next to Plaza major, going Calle del Toledo. I did enjoy something I actually rarely order: some kind of steak. It was really tasty. Now you hate me right? You vegetarians! Oh, that’s OK..

I’m sweating.. Today I noticed the salt of my sweat is making white lines on my black polo. Weird I thought, but lesson learned: don’t wear black in hot places.

Maybe I should ask for the bill as they are running out of space on their terrasse.

(Pictures with comments on Flickr)

There seems to be some competition between the two, but for me the Plaza Mayor wins over Plaza de la Puerto del Sol. First, it’s actually a square; and second it’s totally traffic free! (Traffic goes under it.)

At first it did remember me of the Piazza di Marco, but the only thing Plaza Mayor has in common with it, is that it is actually a square or, for the mathematicians under us: a rectangle.

The sides of the square are actually homes; some are even for sale! On the ground cafés and restaurants are trying to gear tourists to some table. Do not eat here however! Go to the La Latina district or the streets just outside the square, it’s much better and people don’t try to lure you in!

The main attraction is the Casa de la Panaderia (bakery), in the middle of the northern side of the square. It has some funny looking frescoes and the two towers host a clock, and.. a barometer! I learned the latter one while zooming in on it with my lens.

Around the Plaza Mayor you’ll find other plazas. Like the Plaza Provinzia just outside with the Palacio de Santa Cruz. A bit further you’ll find the Plaza Santa Ana, apparently famous for it’s night live. Dinner there however proved to be rather dull; having a drink there was nice though.

Till now, the most interesting place around the Plaza Mayor was Calle de Toledo. It’s the southern exit of the square. There is a nicer Argentinian restaurant which serves good food for a fair price.
If you detest street musicians like me, you better don’t go here. They just start playing, making loud ‘music’ while you try to enjoy your dinner. They actually get very annoying, some even angry, when you don’t pay. Make sure they don’t find out you are tourists, or they’ll just press even more for your money. Don’t give in! Just a trick! Well, I payed one..

Make sure to check my pictures on flicker if you want to see where I went. I’m not going to blog every day so verbosely!

(Pictures with comments, completing my blog here on Flickr)

This morning I wondered the streets around Gran Via and found them surprisingly vivid! People roaming the entrances of shops still to open, tourist getting maps, churches.. getting no attention, I think?

First thing I wanted to do is buy a travel guide. Lucky I found the Eyewitness Travel guide from Dorling Kindersley; old, but I figured the short historical facts of buildings and places must be still kinda accurate. Old Madrid was my first route.

Puerto del Sol is probably, or better apparently, the most important plaza in Madrid. Maybe a bit like Time Square in New York, or Grote Markt in Brussels. It’s not so impressive however. Moreover, it ain’t a square at all: it’s a half moon! The square’s most important building is the Casa de Correos. It’s OK looking, but I can imagine better sights to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Check for yourself:

Probably something that is overlooked by lots of folks without travel guides is the Kilometer Zero marking on the ground, just in front of the Casa de Correos. Apparently, it marks the start of all roads in Spain. But since we are living on a (kinda) globe, it could be center of the world too. I guess there were to few touristic attractions, and they invented one more.

There is also this famous statue.. No, I’m not talking about the equestrian statue of Carlos III, but about Madrid’s bear sniffing the strawberry tree. Apparently, this is where the name from Madrid is coming from, but since it’s just one of the few theories, I’m not going to elaborate.

The buildings around Puerto del Sol square are quite nice looking. They are 5 stories high I think. One on the northeastern side is even having a big old billboard of a sherry brand named Tío Pepe. It actually looks stupid, but the square got associated with it. Makes it again worth talking about; free commercials for Tío Pepe on this blog, mm.. maybe should ask money.. mm.. maybe I should try it.. mm.. The billboard is actually working!

Next is Plaza Mayor..