Here is the Temple. It's hard to take a bad photo of this beautiful spot.
If you look closely, you can just make out two figures on the right side.
The reflecting pool at the back part of the temple grounds.
You can see that the plaza and park in which the temple sits is quite elevated from the street.
In the distance, you can see the mountains.
Looking toward the back of the temple at the edge of the plaza.
Looking out over the valley. In the far distance is the Cathedral Almundena and the Royal Palace.
Another view of the valley below the temple plaza and park. Notice those two domes in the valley?
Don't know what they are, but my guess is - more churches - maybe twin churches...
And then, we walked all the way back to our hotel near the Prado. I have lots more photos that I took on the march, but I did not take any photographs of the sad Plaza Espana where the statues of Cervantes, Don Quixote and Pancho are located in one part; they were all blocked off by construction and the Plaza itself was, sadly, loaded with grafitti and litter. The fountain is still beautiful and the water was on. Even though every single bench in the small park area at the other side of the Plaza was loaded with grafitti people (including me) sat on them and appreciated the falling leaves. The air was still warm when we started back; it felt like autumn rather than January.
Now I'm ensconced in the hotel room again, even though it's nice out right now. I fell asleep at 9:30 p.m. Madrid time last night and awoke at 2 a.m. I laid in bed for an hour hoping I would drift back off to sleep, to no avail. So I finally got out of bed and read the news, etc. and tried to do some blogging, but blogger just was not cooperating last night -- I should say, early this morning. My poor body doesn't know if it's coming or going. Right now my computer is showing Milwaukee time as 8:42 a.m.
I desperately need sleep!
4 comments:
Absolutely fabulous pictures, and gosh, you are good on your feet! I've been to Madrid many times, but never to the Temple De Bod - I must speak to my friends about this next time (they always take me to art galleries - sigh - and the cinema, and to the cafés and restaurants, yum). What you need (besides sleep, but you can only get that at siesta, early afternoon)is, of course, 'real coffee' with a bit of milk: a cortado (cor-tahdo) or a cafe con leche (more milk). The bigger cafés have got decaf, (descafeinado - des-cah-fay-e-nahdoh), for the evening. (Really. What you guys call coffee...)I do hope you got some sleep!
I have finally gotten something approaching a reasonable night's sleep - last night. We got home from the James Joyce (where we had a good American-style meal including a salad each) where we shared a very good large bottle of white house wine and watched the UMA v. GRA soccer match on a big screen. The place had thumping music and loud, rowdy and good-natured people milling about shouting whenever UMA scored. It was a slaughter - 5 to 1 UMA - by the time it was over. Mr. D and I felt a little bit sorry for Granada. I did manage to get a siesta in yesterday afternoon, too, although later than usual (between 4 and 6). I will ask for a cortado this morning with breakfast. We have discovered VIPS. I just cannot function on a small cup of cafe con leche, delicious as it is, and a "continental breakfast" of one thick slice of toast and marmalade! Yesterday I had scrambled eggs and bacon - HEAVEN!
Oy! I tried cafe cortado with breakfast this morning - I think I grew some hair on my chest! It's like Turkish coffee, according to Mr. Don. It was delicious - and strong - and in this teeny tiny cup. Not the coffee and milk I was expecting. Back to coffee con leche tomorrow, LOL!
Sorry!!! But I meant it for setting you up after siesta rather than for breakfast. Well. Have fun!
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