Jamie had to travel to Spain for work so we decided to extend his trip and spend the weekend in Madrid. We stayed on Gran Via within walking distance of all the sights and less than a block away from 3 Starbucks . . oh yeah! (can you tell we don't have a Starbucks anywhere near Maastricht). Parts of Madrid reminded us a lot of Manhattan with the big city feel and constant hustle and bustle. The city streets and plazas were all lit up for Christmas and was clearly a shopping destination for many. We visited the Christmas Markets in the beautiful Plaza Mayor, walked through many of the other main Plazas, visited the Royal Palace and the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande, enjoyed some delicious tapas at Mercado de San Miguel twice, took a long walk through Retiro Park (much like Central Park), enjoyed some authentic Paella for dinner at a Spanish restaurant and listened to some live music at a little Jazz cafe. A wonderful weekend getaway!
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| Plaza Sol |
Grand Via
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| Christmas Market in Plaza Mayor |
Admiring the beautiful architecture while walking the streets of Madrid . . .
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| Royal Palace |
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| Fountains in front of the Royal Palace |
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| Royal Palace Gardens |
Retiro Park
A snapshot of the street while exiting Plaza Mayor / Exterior of Mercado de San Miguel
Mercado de San Miguel . . by far my favorite part of the trip and one of the best experiences of Europe!!!
Best lunch of my lifetime!!! . . lots of fresh fish, caviar, olives, cheeses, olive oil chips and red wine!
I loved the social atmosphere and food so much we visited again the next day!
Authentic Paella at a local Spanish restaurant
Listening to live jazz at a club near our hotel
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