20250408 Spain Madrid 2

20250408 It’s our 2nd day in Madrid and once again the sun is shining so we call a uber and head to the town centre to exploring the sites and check out the history of Spain. Our first stop was the Madrid’s walled enclosures and all Hamish (my grandson) could say was, it’s just a wall Grandma, but we know there’s much more to this historic site.

Madrid's walled enclosures near St. Mary's Cathedral is referred to as the Muslim Walls, these ancient walls were built in the 9th century during Muslim rule and form the oldest construction in Madrid.

Almudena Cathedral in Madrid (Santa María la Real de La Almudena) is a modern cathedral by European standards. Construction began in 1879 but there were many delays due to money rashings, architects dying and the Spanish Civil War. It wasn’t until in 1950 work restarted and the cloister was finished in 1955 then the main façade was completed in 1960, the exterior is traditional Gothic, but the interior is very modern, the church wasn’t actually consecrated, meaning, (to make or declare sacred) until 1993.

It’s free admission so off we go and I must say this church is something, the detail in the sculptures not to mention the stained glass windows that depict the Virgin of Almudena, among other religious images are just beautiful.

The last time I did this was when I was a little girl and I followed everyone to accept the bread of the lord, at least I think it was, only to find out later it’s only if you done your holy communion, which I never did. I had to get a photo to show Des I prayed for him.😇

The image shows several marble plaques, likely grave markers, with Spanish text, I found a breakdown of the text on each plaque which I assume they are names and dates of prominent families who passed away.

Middle Left Plaque:

* MORCILLO FERNANDEZ QUINTANA GARCIA FAMILY

* LUIS 2-1-1935 - 16-11-1961

* DIONISIO 8-4-1906 - 24-2-1978

* M. PATROCINIO 8-11-1905 - 22-3-2011

Center Plaque:

* FAMILIA ASTILLERO BASTANTE 

* D MANUELA BASTANTE MUNOZ DE MORALES 25-4-1901 + 9-3-1961 

* D JOSE ANTONIO ASTILLERO ALDEA 16-3-1895 + 13-4-1979 

* D PATRICIO ASTILLERO BASTANTE 12-10-1922 + 5-3-2013 

* ILMO. MONSEÑOR D. ANTONIO ASTILLERO BASTANTE 29-6-1927 + 13-7-2022 

* PROTONOTARIO APOSTOLICO DE S.S. DEAN DE LA CATEDRAL DE LA ALMUDENA 

As we stroll through the cathedral I am in awe of the interior features with over 400 columns all made of granite from Colmenar Viejo and marble from Novelda and check out the designs at the top of each column, just amazing.

Wow, this place is just astonishing, it just makes me wonder how much money goes into maintaining Chapel’s like this, and this is just the beginning of our adventure.

The Chapel stands on hill with a view of the city and its surroundings.

We now try to follow a map heading to the town centre but not before we take a photo of our little balancing star.

 

We continue our walk along the street when I noticed this street sign and with a bit of investigation it refers to a historic pedestrian street, Calle de Segovia, (street of Segovia) known for its charming architecture landmarks like the Aqueduct, and traditional shops and cafes. I love the effort that’s put into a simple street sign and the impact they have on tourist like me.

Viaducto de Segovia bridge is the third bridge to be refurbished and preserved, this reconstruction retains the shape of the second viaduct but increased its height by two meters, its span by almost 200 meters, increasing its traffic capacity, unfortunately with the new construction the bridge got a reputation of being the most used suicide location in Madrid, with at least 4 people killing themselves here per month - fortunately measures have been introduced to reduce this.

This is just one of many murals that line the streets as we walk the streets.

We enter the street of Costanilla de San Andrés that’s full of history as most of these streets are, the origin of this street goes back to the medieval period known for its narrow winding streets that’s a big part of Madrid’s past from an Arab fortress. 

We went in search of a much needed loo when we saw a bunch of kids which we assumed were tourists standing outside of one of the many old buildings so Sharyn walks in and finds a loo, in some parts of Spain you have to buy toilet paper or take your own so lucky for Sharyn someone was handing it out. I stepped inside to take a look and snapped some photos when I was approached and told, this is a Private School, opps, so I promptly left but I managed to take one photo, I’m thinking this could be an art school.

We came out of one historic street only to walk into another and at the end of the street stood the, Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great, established in 1761, honestly there is not enough hours in the day to check out the amount of historic sites just in Madrid let alone the rest of Spain, I just might have to return.

Now this is the type of animal I like, he stood there not making a sound with a tin attached to his harness collecting cash, tax free, what a little trooper.

Which way do we go now guys, it’s getting close to lunch so I’m guessing left to the Plaza Mayor.

“Don Fruta” is a fruit shop that’s been operating for over 70 years, it’s part of a family business, originally called Cítricos Gustavo Ferrada, the shop is dedicated to the marketing and export of fruit and vegetables which started in the 1950s and has expanded to include various fruit products, including juices, cut fruit, and salads

This is a familiar site in and around Spain, it’s even becoming more so in our own country only the homeless eat out of rubbish bins and sleep in the streets and in the parks. I find it hard to believe this is still happening in the 21st century.

Caramelos Paco, an awsome candy store we spotted on our walk around town and Hamish was quick to run inside to check it out, what kid wouldn’t, even Sharyn and I were intrigued. The shop dates back to 1934 and became a popular location after the Spanish Civil War, seeking to bring comfort to a sugar-starved population. The store's origin story involves a branding trick by painting the name on rocks along the roadside using tar and a paintbrush. This simple yet effective marketing strategy contributed to the shop's immediate success. The store has been passed down to the 3rd generation who now maintains the family’s commitment.

OMG, this store is amazing and these pair are in heaven, now to make a decision on what to buy, we could be here a while.🤷‍♀️

After leaving the lolly store we then ran into a pasty shop, this is too much I just wanted to buy one of everything.

No! It’s not lollies, this cleaver woman makes her own pasta and decorates it to sells on the streets, yum home made pasta, what more could you want. 

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