From Haro, we drove south to Madrid. The views along the way were very scenic.
Our hotel was on the main avenue, the Gran Via. This is the view from our hotel room.
Another view from our hotel room
We ate tapas at a few different spots for our first dinner in Madrid, but Casa Lucas really stood out. We had seen this restaurant on a few travel shows.
Pinchos at Teberna Tempranillo
The server at Taberna Temranillo was somewhat salty, but Lisa managed to get him in a good mood to smile for a photo.
Trying the famous churros dipped in chocolate at Chocolateria San Gines.
The Cathedral at the Royal Palace
The Royal Palace
Looking west from the Royal Palace
We happened to be at the Royal Palace during the changing of the guard
Puerta del Sol, one of the large famous squares in Madrid
Dinner at Matador before our flamenco show
We saw a flamenco show in the basement of an old building in Madrid
Breakfast the next morning at a more local market. I messed up and ordered patatas bravas, but they were still good.
We made our way through the largest market in Madrid, the El Rastro Market. It was a madhouse.
Walking from the Prado museum
After leaving the Prado Museum, we spent the day wondering around El Retiro Park, a large park in the center of Madrid.
We had a snack at a local spot in the Lavapies neighborhood. It felt nice to get out of the central tourist area of Madrid.
Lisa was excited to visit this tavern’s cellar, accessible if you ask the staff to bring you down.
Every time we passed this display, Lisa referenced it as “the meat pants”
Near our hotel, Plaza del Callao
The view from our hotel’s pool.
The last stop of our trip before returning to Barcelona was Zaragoza. We spent the day in the city to break out train journey up between Madrid and Barcelona, and to see somewhere a little off the beaten tourist path.
One of the main streets in Old Town Zaragoza
The view from our hotel room
Outside the Cathedral del Salvador
The Puente de Piedra
Crossing the bridge back towards Old Town, with the Zaragoza Basilica in view.
We visited Aljafería Palace before leaving the next day. The palace is a moorish medieval castle built in the 11th centry.
An inside courtyard of the palace
Portions of the palace serve as modern-day government offices. This is where the local parliament convenes.
Ruins from an early roman forum, the Caesar Augusta
Waiting on our train in Zaragoza to take us back to Barcelona
One of the many picturesque towns we passed during our train ride.
Back in Barcelona, we spent our evening walking around the gothic quarter, and visited Ciutadella Park. This is the Parlament building for Catalunya.
The fountain in Parc de la Ciutadella, designed with help from Gaudi
We passed by this enclave during our initial visit in Barcelona. It was near the restaurant we reserved for our final night, so of course we had to stop here for drinks.
