Sunday morning we headed out to the El Rastro market by way of the famous Plaza Mayor. Madrid's numerous streets and fantastic architecture make it a great walking city.
At El Rastro, the thick crowds make for slow walking. Everyone keeps their purses, murses, backpacks and fanny packs in front of them. At one point, two men behind us were singing a song with a refrain I'd never heard before: "time to pick a pocket or two." Many local artisans sell their crafts, while others sell essentials like rubber bands and tubing.
After the market, we continued our stroll across the city and stopped for lunch at one of the ubiquitous cafes with outdoor seating. Most restaurants charge at least one euro additional for all items ordered outside.
We made our way to the Museo del Prado that features works by Spanish greats El Greco (he was Greek!), Goya, and Velazquez, as well as Dutch, French and Italian painters. My favorite was Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights. Other than that, the art was not much to my taste. The building and grounds however, were just gorgeous.Even the scaffolding matches.
Nearby is the Iglesia de San Jeronimo El Real.
Throughout central Madrid, the architecture is astonishing. The post office and Spanish banks seem particularly fancy.
Appreciating architecture is thirsty work, so we stopped for second lunch at
Cervecería of 100 Montaditos (or restaurant of 100 sandwiches)!
We spent the rest of the evening finding places to sit outside and enjoy the local ambience. Our first stop was in the La Latina area where a conglomeration of smaller plazas is supposed to be one of the best spots to socialize (especially on Sundays).
We then found the Mercado de San Miguel, which features produce, meat, cheese, seafood, and small shops selling preprepared food. We finished our night on the Plaza Mayor.
