Tag Archives: photography

December 4, 2017 · 5:35 am

Three Days in Madrid — Day Two


Iglesia las Calatravas (foreground); Unión y el Fénix Español building (background)

If you’ve been following my travel blogs for very long, then you know that Ursula and I are huge fans of Hop-on/Hop-off bus tours that allow you the freedom and explore a new city, get off at any scheduled stop, and jump aboard a subsequent tour bus whenever you’re ready to continue. It’s a great way to explore and decide what you’d like to revisit later. On Day Two in Madrid we purchased a two-day pass and began our exploration beyond the city center. This next photo is the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple dedicated to Isis. It was relocated here to Madrid when the original site was to be flooded following construction of the Aswan Dam.

Templo de Debod

Next on the tour, as we headed toward the Royal Palace (detailed tour next week), we got a glimpse of Almudena Cathedral:

Almudena Cathedral

And just two minutes later we were there:

Almudena Cathedral

In between these two views I snapped this fun photo:

Madrid

One of the least appreciated aspects of a double-decker bus tour is the elevated vantage point that allows for shots such as these:

Madrid

Madrid

The bus tour we took in Madrid was with the company Madrid City Tour. The buses were comfortable, and they came equipped with multi-lingual headset jacks. Earbuds are included in the price. An added benefit is that you simply won’t have any difficulty finding one of their buses:

Madrid City Tour hop-on/hop-off double-decker in bright red

The upper-deck cover seen above can be retracted during good weather, which it was during our two days of bus touring. Included on the two tour routes are sights such as the Puerta de Alcalá in the Plaza de la Independencia:

Puerta de Alcalá

The bus also swings by the impressive Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. This stadium was originally completed in 1947, and it has been renovated and enlarged several time since. Today, it seats just over 81,000 fans:

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

I’ll leave you with two final shots for today, and we’ll continue the tour on Wednesday:

Madrid

Madrid

Comments Off on Three Days in Madrid — Day Two

Filed under Photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel, vacation

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

December 1, 2017 · 5:35 am

Fun Food Friday — Fatigas del Querer


Fatigas del Querer

One can develop quite the appetite walking around Madrid all day. For one thing, your constantly bombarded along the streets with views of delectable sandwiches:

Madrid sandwich shop

And delightfully decadent jamón serrano: and jamón ibérico:

 

Jamón serrano

Our travel companions Earl and Dolores were in need of a rest, so Ursula and I headed out on our own for dinner. We asked some of the locals where to go for tapas, and many of them pointed us in the direction of Fatigas del Querer (see this article: Hidden gem in Madrid: reader’s travel tips and their Facebook page). We were not disappointed. When you first enter you pass by the bar:

Fatigas del Querer

This restaurant may look small on the outside, but it’s deep:

Fatigas del Querer

And there’s even more seating in the back:

Fatigas del Querer

Fatigas del Querer

Ask your waiter for assistance. The food portions are generous, which means your waiter can best advise you on how much to order and what plates are best for sampling among your party. Our order consisted of garlic shrimp, which was perfectly cooked and loaded with garlic flavor:

Shrimp in garlic butter

Ursula, being European, loves air-dried meats, hams, and sausages of every type, so of course you know what made up one platter. This platter was quite a load of food for the two of us, and the samplings were exquisite:

Assorted cured meats, blood sausage, and cheese

The sausages and bread sticks were also quite delectable:

Sausages and bread sticks

Fatigas del Querer is Spanish for “Toils of Love”, and love of tapas were evident in every tasty bite of every tasty morsel. The restaurant is well worth finding, but it’s not easy to locate. The address is Calle de La Cruz 17, and Calle de la Cruz is a very small street southwest of Plaza de la Canalejas. If you can locate the plaza, which is fairly easy, then you’re only about 500 feet/150 meters from the restaurant.

 

Comments Off on Fun Food Friday — Fatigas del Querer

Filed under Fun Food Friday, Photography, R. Doug Wicker, Restaurant Review, travel, vacation

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

November 29, 2017 · 5:35 am

Three Days in Madrid — Day One continues


Edificio Metrópolis

Continuing our Day One walk-around Madrid, we headed back to the west from Buen Retiro Park. Traveling alone Calle de Alcalá we found some architectural gems rivaling those along Gran Via. Just outside the park is the Puerta de Alcalá in the Plaza de la Independencia.

Puerta de Alcalá

Make sure you zoom in on that area atop the arch:

Puerta de Alcalá

Continuing west you reach the Plaza de Cibeles, which contains the magnificent Cybele Palace:

Cybele Palace, Plaza de Cibeles

Continuing along Calle de Alcalá you pass in quick succession the Church of San José:

Iglesia de San José

The Edificio Metrópolis (pictured at the top of this article; closeup here) built in 1911:

Edificio Metrópolis

Along the way I also found this beautiful red cat watching over everyone below, as cats are wont to do:

Red Cat

Next up was the Church of the Calatravas:

Iglesia de las Calatravas

And right next to the church is this bit of Art Deco architectural style:

Madrid building

This Friday will not be the usual Fun Photo Friday, but rather a Fun Food Friday as we go out to dine on that quintessential Spanish tradition—tapas. To get to our restaurant we have to go south through Plaza de Canalejas, passing right by the beautiful Edificio Menses with its intricate brickwork and colorful ornamentation:

Edificio Menses, Plaza de Canalejas

4 Comments

Filed under Photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel, vacation

Tagged as , , , , , ,