Feb 14, 2010 - Iberian excursion, day 3 - Madrid

We're finally out and about in Madrid...

We start things off at the Plaza de Cibeles, where the Palacio de Comunicaciones (Communications Palace) dominates the skyline.

We take a subway to Oriente Square,

where we check out Almudena Cathedral

and gaze at Palacia Real (the Royal Palace).

However, some of the most scenic highlights were happenstance.

On to Madrid's traditional main street...

which heads to its main square, littered with artists, performers, and tourists.

This looks a little eastern European to me. The painted walls remind me of Bavaria.

But Spain takes its street perfomers to the extreme. (You'll see better examples than this bullfighter taking on a costumed 'toro' in Barcelona.)

We have a nice lunch here on the square before heading on to Puerta del Sol.

Another busy plaza, this has more than just four street directions, in typical seemingly random Spanish fashion.

Jill and Ella pose at The Bear and the Strawberry Tree sculpture (though the sun was so bright I couldn't tell Ella wasn't looking).

Meandering back to the hotel for a quick break, we pass gorgeous buildings at every turn.
Imagine if other countries in Europe didn't participate throughout WWII... They could all look like Spain.

No idea - just awesome architecture everywhere.

Ella and I suit up for our first outing with her riding in the Baby Bjorn, facing forward.

We leave our centrally-located hotel

and head out on the streets of Madrid.
It was quickly obvious that, though Ella hated being put in the Baby Bjorn at first, she LOVED being able to see everything as we walked the city.

We headed out for some tapas and wine.

Ella was a great baby - such a trooper!