http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/sets/72157631344553438/
There may be many stories about the name origin of the city or the time when it was found. Nobody denies that the river around the citadel was called al-majreet, ie source of water, This eventually let to the later name, Madrid. The citadel was built north of Toledo to protect it from Christian invaders. The ultimate fall of Toledo was preceded by the capture of Madrid citadel in 1085. Five centuries later it replaced Toledo as the capital of the country.
Today it is a modern city and rivals Barecelona in all what a city has to offer. We arrived in the middle of the day in a hot summer August. It was the day of the Eid. The hotel was in the middle of the city. Like many other cities we visited, the center of the city, or the old city, has many streets for pedestrian only. It allowed a lot of space to walk, and the stores are able to attract the shoppers in many ways. It was hot and many streets had covers, large sheets of canvas , connected to each other, and tight roped to the balconies of the second floor above.
STREETS OF MADRID:
STREETS OF MADRID:
On the streets you see people from all over the world, whites, blacks browns, yellows every body. I was surprised to see many Far East Asians. Not many Pakistanis or Indians amongst visitors. There are many vendors from Africa. Many a times I saw them wrapping up their makeshift shop and running away into smaller streets, soon to see the cops following them. Reminded me of an oft repeated scene in the Biutiful, which features Javier Bardem and is a story of Barcelona.
Street names in Spain are not on a street sign as we are accustomed to. They are written on the walls of the street, ie on private property of houses. Some of them have great artwork.
Most of the sightseeing places in Madrid are thus from the post Muslim era. Interestingly the biggest functional mosque in Spain is here in Madrid. It is a modern building and is in the modern part of the city, on the other side of Retiro Park. I was able to see it only from the outside which in a tour bus the next day.
THE CENTER OF SPAIN:
One of the main plazas of the city, if not the foremost one, is Puerta del Sol, and our hotel was a five minute walk from that. It is the Kilometer Zero, ie the center of Spain. The centre of the square is always full of activity, day or late at night. Kind of Times Square of Madrid. Actors with still postures, charlatans, and skaters all line up. You see a singer or a music instrument performer in every street or on every block of the city. I think the change adds up by the end of the day. Although we were warned about the pickpockets a lot, but there is no violent crime. The entire sightseeing area of city can be accomplished on foot from this plaza. Keeping it in the middle, Museum and the Retiro park are on east side and the Royal Palace on the West side. both around 20-30 minutes walk each.
RETIRO PARK:
The first day we ventured out east on foot. Prado Museum was closed, by the time we reached, so could not see the most impressive piece of art in Spain, Picasso's Guernica. Later we found out that many places change their visit times without giving out good notice and until you check it on the websites, you may be in for a surprise. We moved on the The Retiro Park. It is an interesting park. Once it was a royal park but a Charles III which in Spanish means Carlos III gave it away to the city. He is known as the best mayor the city had. It has a pond in the middle where we went for a roving boat ride in the lake opposite the monument of Alfonso XIII. Just like Central Park it has a festive attitude. Many vendors are there lining up to sell their trinkets. many acrobats and dancers are there, so are musicians. Two buildings next to it, Palacio de Velazquez and Palacio de Cristal were showing exhibition "Collaborating Agents" of Spanish experimental artist Nacho Criado who died in 2010.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/7903895998/in/set-72157631344553438/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/7903895998/in/set-72157631344553438/
MODERN MADRID:
The next day, after coming back from a day trip to Toledo, we learned to our surprise that a half day bus tour of Madrid is included in our package. We took advantage of it it took us to places we would not have thought of going. There is modern Madrid on the other side or Retiro Park which wide boulevards and Champs Elise like atmosphere on Paseo de la Castellana. Saw the mosque from the outside on the way, had a drink at Hard Rock Cafe and saw the biggest Spanish flag and Statue of Columbus facing south, not west towards Americas. Perhaps it suited the alignment of the road. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/7903964078/in/set-72157631344553438/
In the evening saw the Royal Palace. They claim to be the third greatest palace, after Versailles and Vienna's Schonbrunn. It is however still a working palace and the King conducts regular business here. The royal family however lives somewhere else. The famous Madrid Peace Conference, not so successful for Palestinians and hugely successful for Israel, was held here in 1991.
Late night was for shopping. Did not know that Desigual and Zara are Spanish outlets.
Late night was for shopping. Did not know that Desigual and Zara are Spanish outlets.
We are used to acknowledge the European and Arabic versions of the same names ie Ibn Rushd and Averroes, Moses and Musa, Jesus and Eisa etc. In Spain one comes to know yet another version of names, ie Spanish. Charles is Carlos, John is Diego, Christopher is Cristobal, Cordova is Cordoba, Seville is Sevilla and so on.
ON THE ROAD TO AL ANDALUS:
Spending two nights in Madrid, we were ready to move on to the Andalusia, or Andalucia' as Spaniards call it.
Al Andalus, to which we Pakistanis have no genetic connection but grew up feeling nostalgic about it.
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