Fallen Angel and Churros (Madrid ~ Spain)

26 September 2002

The trip from Seville was remarkably smooth, an uber to the train station (ubered as it was only 36c more expensive than the bus) and the 2 1/2 train trip (travelling at speeds around 250 km/hour) was v smooth. Only hiccup was the handle on my wheelie bag snapping off but that was quickly repaired with a bit of cord from Sally's handbag, 

First impressions of Madrid are that it's bloody cold, not surprising as we are now wbout 500 km north of Seville. Had a good wander around in the afternoon when we arrived just getting the feel of the place. A lot more manic than Seville and just a bit grittier.

Second day checked out the art  museum primarily to see Picasso's Guernica.

The grey, black, and white painting is huge, 3.5 meters tall and 7.8 meters wide and was painted in response to the 26 April 1937 bombing of Guernica, a Basque country town in northern Spain which was bombed by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy at the request of the Spanish Nationalists. It's at this stage that I realised that needed to do a bit of reading about the Spanish Civil War as my knowledge of it is pretty much near to zero.

In a nutshell Spanish Civil War, was military revolt against the Republican government of Spain, supported by conservative elements within the country. When the initial military coup failed to win control of the entire country, a bloody civil war ensued, fought with great ferocity on both sides. The Nationalists/rebels (Roman Catholics, military,  landowners, businessmen) received aid from Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. The Republicans (urban workers, agricultural labourers, and educated middle class) received aid from the Soviet Union as well as from the International Brigades.

The war lasted for about three years and based on paintings and displays still forms apart of the Spanish psyche.

After this we went for a relaxing walk in the park where we spotted this fountain.

Think it's safe to say it's one of the few fountains that represents a certain fallen angel aka Lucifer. 

Also within the park were a few very ornate buildings such as a crystal palace.

and the Palico denVelazquez.

Overlooking  a lake is a Monument to Alfonso XII. The monument was built in 1902 at the request of the Queen Mother Maria Christina of Austria and the design was chosen as a result of a competition. Suffice to say the winner spared no expense in a grandiose design.

Within the park also sits Ahuehuete del Buen Retiro which is one of Madrid's oldest and revered trees, so if course we had to check it out.

The next day we headed out the Madrid Real Alcazar. 

Only allowed photoes of the first few chambers but even so they will give a deal for the grandeur and opulence of this place.

Like the palace is Seville this was was originally built by the Moors in the late 900's and then extended extensively till it burnt down in 1734 and the rebuild didn't include any of the Mudejar elements found in Seville, which I must admit I prefer over the OTT Baroque style.

After the palace we checked out a small church called "Royal Chapel of St. Anthony of La Florida" as in 1797 Goya decorated the ceilings with frescos. To preserve the frescoes, a hermitage symmetrical to the previous one was built in 1928 right next to it, where worship could be practiced leaving the original preserved as a museum.

In the UK after a hard night of boozing the place you head for is a kebab shop, in Malaysia it was a laksa stall in Madrid it is a churros and chocolate restaurant and  Chocolateria  San Gines has been doing a good trade in chocolate and churros for a long time.

Tomorrow is a day trip to Toledo.