Hola!

The Madrid Botanical Gardens
Retiro Park
Rowing our way around the lake in Retiro Park
Spanish flag next to Christopher Columbus in one of the main squares
Our local tapas bar
Me with the Spanish waiter who insisted we got a photo of him
Patriotic football fans
The famous bull ring
Before the crowd had arrived...
Red cape means the kill is about to happen...
Other matador's anxiously watching...
Check out my new sunglasses!
No explanation needed...


So impressed with Madrid. Such a vibrant city with authentic Spanish food and drink everywhere, friendly Spanish people and hot, hot summer days! The best thing was probably the lack of tacky touristy ornaments from China... perhaps that's because it's not a coastal city?

Madrid is full of beautiful parks, art museums, markets and tapas bars. I think our low temperature for the time we were there was 33 degrees, and the high, 40 degrees! My pasty white skin didn't know what was going on :-)

On our last evening we went to a bull fight at the most prestigious bull ring in the world - Las Ventas. Apparently when you make it here as a matador, you have made it! Anyway, I'm still not sure if this was a good thing or not... definitely not something I'd recommend to someone with a light stomach... pretty grose, but I guess I've seen the Spanish tradition and now know what it's all about... 6 bulls later, we have chosen these photos selectively to accommodate for the under 18's. hehe

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The shots of sunny Madrid with all the colour and excitement of the Bull Ring and summery atire and of course the new sun glasses make this a very visual way to share your travels - as usual - thanks.

Anonymous said...

fancy authentic Spanish food!!!!!! you mean no hangi?
How come there was time to take pics of sun glasses when there was all that blood and gore going on? Do they give you fresh steaks as you leave- 6 bulls is a loota meat!
I hit nearly 40 degrees last week. Hot pools at Waiwera.It is nice to be warm isn't it. Wot about the tomato throwing and such?

Anonymous said...

by the way whos the sassy chick with the short skirt and swingin butt cruisin the pickeresce street? And why a photo of onion flowers? Its the French who are called onion munchers i thort?