Exploring Old Madrid
Madrid is a much much smaller city than London, the whole of the historic centre is quite walkable. The city only became the capital of Spain in 1561 when Philip II moved from Toledo to what was then a town centred on an old Arab alcazar (fortress) on a hill in central Castille. The city rapidly grew in importance, and the enormous wealth flowing in from the American colonies enabled the Spanish Kings to build lavishly.
In the cetre of the oldest part of Madrid is the Plaza Mayor, a 17th-century square that looks similar to the Place de Voges in Paris and Covent Garden in London. It was used for bullfights and executions during the Inquisition but is now an empty square lined with cafes and tacky souvenir shops. It is well preserved, but not interesting enough to keep me for more than half an hour.
Close by the Plaza Mayor is Mercado San Miguel which is like Borough Market in London. It full of stalls selling all manner of delicious Spanish food and wine, and we could have spent a long time there, but we were on a mission to see the sights of old Madrid. Madrid has a mix of architectural styles that depend on who was ruling at the time. The oldest parts were built during Habsburg rule, so have a Germanic look to them, whereas the eighteenth and nineteenth-century buildings are under Bourbon rule and look more French.
The Almudena Cathedral looks Baroque and constructed in the 17th century, but in fact, was started in 1883 and finished in 1992. It is lovely inside without being over-decorated, which is often the case with Spanish cathedrals. It has a modern painted ceiling and stained glass windows, and is free to get in.
The Palacio Real is very very big, a fitting centre of power for what was the biggest and richest empire in the world. Spain imported shiploads of gold and silver from their Peruvian mines, and a good proportion was spent by the King. The palace stands on a hill overlooking the Manzanera river where the original Arab alcazar stood. At the front of the palace is a huge plaza, the size of the Horseguards Parade.
The enormous state rooms inside are sumptuous to the extreme, every surface is covered in gold, silk, carved wood or porcelain. There is one room where every square centimeter is covered in elaborate porcelain created in special royal factories. Indeed for hundreds of years, the only factories in Spain were those producing luxury goods for the King. Philip II was married to Queen Mary, daughter of Henry the Eighth. So for a few years, Philip was the King of England – sort of.
During my travels, I have been to more palaces, castles, stately homes and cathedrals than you can shake a stick at. So I feel a bit like the Queen when she is opening her presents on Christmas morning, “not another diamond tiara”. Basically, I’m not so impressed by unlimited riches anymore and enjoy the contrast of clean modern designs. I think Spanish Royalty might enjoy a trip to Ikea to pick up a Billy Bookcase and some Tea Lights for the chandeliers.
I thought that the Royal Armoury was very impressive, with enough armour, guns and swords to kit out a battle in Game of Thrones. All that heavy metal gave us an appetite, so we had the Menu Del Dia in the Palacio caff, which was very tasty and good value for ten euros.
Over the road from the palace is the Temple of Debod, an actual Egyptian temple given to Spain in gratitude for the help they gave in moving the Aswan temples. There are so many temples in Egypt they can afford to give them away, especially a temple that will end up under a hundred feet of Lake Nasser. It does look like a municipal ice cream kiosk, it isn’t one of the better-looking temples.
After a hot and sweaty walk down Gran Via, we had tapas in the San Anton market, a multi-story building filled with foodie outlets. We shared a table with a retired professor of English from Kansas City, Missouri. He had traveled a huge amount, mostly on cheap cruises without his wife, and recommended the Baltic cities; Riga, Tallin, and St Petersburg. Julie asked if he had been to South East Asia and he hadn’t been to Asia at all!
Twickenham 1,Kansas City 0.
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