M&M Smith: JULY 2016 : Madrid walking tour

We have arrived in Spain. We will spend 2 days in Madrid before heading up to the north-west.

We are staying at the budget Mediodia Hotel, conveniently placed across the road from the main Atocha bus and railway station and next to the Reina Sofia Gallery. Clean, neat and in walking distance to all major attractions.

Our hotel is close to the Prado on the Paseo del Prado.

Also nearby and outside the Museo CaixaForum is this fabulous vertical garden, which comprises 15,000 plants. We enjoyed the Degas, Kadinsky, Picasso etc exhibition from the private Phillip's collection at the Museo on Saturday.

We did a walking tour, partly self-directed and with a Sanderson's New Europe free walking group.

We started at the Puerta Del Sol.

The bear and pomegranate tree are both symbols of Madrid. The bear, because of the constellation, and the pomegranate tree from Granada in southern Spain.

Our guide book recommended having desayuno (breakfast) at La Mallorquina, which was established in 1894.

Definitely a good choice with fresh pastries being brought out every few minutes to replace the demand.

A quick turnover of customers, eating at the counters. Freshly squeezed juice, pastries and coffee. 9 euros for 2 of us.

Close by is the main plaza, Plaza Mayor. Originally a market place, then a venue for bull fights and executions, now it is a gracious eating area with luxurious accommodation in the surrounding walls.

Beautifully refurbished apartments and (expensive) eateries.

The old bakery, beautifully resplendent with frescoes, now the tourist office.

Beside the Tourist Office is a lavishly tiled bar, Torre del Oro, established in 1910, which celebrates bullfighting, gory photos and severed bulls' heads all the go.

Nearby, outside the plaza, is the Mercado San Miguel.

Air-conditioned, modern and full of fresh produce.

Seafood and tapas of every variety

Meats and ham (jamon).

In contrast, also outside the walls of the Plaza Mayor is the traditional restaurant, Restaurante Botin.

It was founded in 1725 and according to the Guinness Book of Records is the oldest restaurant in the world. Frequented by writers, as early as Cervantes and more latterly, Hemingway.

It specialises in suckling pig, which we ordered today, which they carve with an up-ended plate it is so tender.

Then we walked up Calle de la Pasa, which houses the Archbishop's residence and was the official place to have a marriage licence issued in days gone by. It also was where the poor were given bread, if they attended mass on Sundays. This kept the attendance figures high and was given great approval when submitted to Rome in the yearly census.

Attractive apartments.

Convento de Corpus Cristi, which still houses cloistered nuns.

Every day from 11am-1pm every weekday you can ring the bell at the Convent and be ushered in silently and order special sweets and pastries. You will never see the nuns but your order will be delivered through a grill with your change. This has been going on for centuries, St Teresa of Avila, was said to one of their best customers.

A Moorish doorway said to be from the 15th century. In fact the now- named Latin Quarter was originally the Muslim area, decimated during the Spanish Inquisition.

Facing the Royal Palace (now only used for formal occasions) is the recently completed (in the 1990s) Cathedral of Almudena. According to our guide a mishmash of styles as it took so long to complete.