city views of madrid, spain

Spanish Architecture

There was so much beautiful architecture to see...great to photograph all the different perspectives.

More Artwork

Some artwork that I found interesting at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía...

Picasso's famous artwork: Guernica
 

The courtyard...

A day in the life of Madrilenos... (Madrid, Spain)

Casa Mingo Restaurant (Madrid, Spain)

Casa Mingo serves Asturian food. I suggest ordering the roasted chicken with a bottle of cider.  Featured in Mario Batali's On the Road Again with Gwenyth Paltrow was what drew me in.  But when we arrived here, I was intrigued by the simple, rustic decor and loved the fact that many locals were dining here.

Listening to the Spanish guitar at Casa Patas (Madrid, Spain)

We watched a flamenco show at Casa Patas in Madrid and this was taken during the show. What a beautiful night!

Museo Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (Madrid, Spain)

After the Prado Museum, the Museo Reina Sofia is the next museum to visit.  Featuring 20th century art, the museum is named for Queen Sofia and houses art collections of Spain's famous artists: Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.  You should definitely come here to see the museum's most famous artwork: Picasso's Guernica. The modern architecture of this museum is amazing too!

 

Definitely check out the hours when admission is free!

Siesta Time (Madrid)

The people of Spain take their siesta times seriously.  As a foreigner, it can be frustrating as all the shops close between 2pm and 5pm.  But I now understand that in the summer, the heat can be brutal here and it's just nice to just relax, drink a nice refreshing beverage at a sidewalk cafe, and just do nothing until the sun goes down.

Madrid at Night

There always seem to be something going on at night in Madrid, especially during the summer when it's a bit cooler and the Madrileños can venture out.  Summers are great for outdoor concerts, eating at the outdoor sidewalk cafes, or chatting with old friends at the square.

 

This was our hotel where we stayed: Hotel Roommate Mario. Very sleek and contemporary. Great location also near the Opera. Placido Domingo was doing a show there one night and the city put up a huge screen in the public garden square for people to watch. After the show, he later came out, along with the queen, to greet the public!!

Madrid Sites

 Here are some more of Madrid sights....

Old City Charm (Madrid)

Madrid is a great city to take photographs.  This beautiful city has the old traditional city charm with its cobblestone streets, small alleyways, and old streetlamps. It was definitely a different experience than Barcelona.