|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Long afternoon naps followed by extended hours of sight-seeing, Madrid offers a perfect balance of languor and vigour to any tourist, writes Shveta Pathak
THE lively metropolis of Madrid never seems to sleep. And the culprit is the Sun god, which is reluctant to set. For tourists to the capital city of Spain a full-blown sun at 9 pm is a mind-boggling site. Though it is not something they mind as it stretches their hours of sightseeing, shopping and just imbibing the spirit of the city. An everyday siesta from 1 pm to 5 pm is a typical Spanish habit, which even visitors adopt gladly, since increased hours of daylight ensure enough time for outings. Madrid is a city of great monuments. Among its highlights is the Royal Palace, the official residence of the King of Spain, which has 2,800 rooms. The palace with its colourful the frescos has Spanish marble, gilded stucco and mahogany in abundance. The wall-sized paintings, the royal finery, queen’s writing room, the bedrooms are sheer grandeur. Soaking up the entire experience of only one of the three levels can take more than two hours. Though open to the public, the palace remains closed when in use by the King for state functions and ceremonies. A couple of kilometres’ walk away is the El Prado Museum. It houses some spectacular paintings. A large bronze statue of Diego Vel`E1zquez greets you at the entrance. The museum is known to feature one of the world’s finest collections of European art from the 12th century to the early 19th century. These were a part of former Spanish Royal Collection. The museum is a massive place, housing over 5,000 drawings, thousands of prints, coins, medals, and almost 2,000 decorative objects and other works of art. It has some fine works of artists, including Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, El Greco, Bartolomé Estéban Murillo, Jusepe de Ribera and many other Spanish old masters.
Las Meninas by Velázquez and Pablo Picasso’s best-known work
Guernica are also featured here. There are many great works, belonging to Flemish and Venetian schools, too.
For a sports enthusiast a visit to Real Madrid Stadium is understandable but it is equally popular among not so sporty as well, going by the number of visitors the enormous stadium attracts. The huge stadium boasts of a capacity of 80,000 seats. There is an Adidas outlet at one of the levels of the stadium selling replicas of the football cup that Spain had recently won as well as souvenirs. A visit to Spain is not complete without watching a flamenco performance. This foot-tapping dance is joy to watch. Though this popular Spanish art, say experts, has changed over the years, especially in the way many female dancers showcase temperament over artistry. Nevertheless, the vigorous performances by the artists leave spectators enchanted. The Spanish opera is another must for tourists to this cultural destination. Plaza de Mayor is a happening shopping area with a line-up of open restaurants, it has something for every tourist — flamenco dresses for kids, Madrid pens, hand fans, key chains et al. But the hefty price tags are a bit deterring. At over Rs 67 a Euro, the prices are certainly prohibitive. Spanish food may not sit easy on every palate as many find it bland. The local dish paella, rice with veggies and meat, is available in plenty as well an ample variety of breads. Madrid is a happening
city. It is also a lively metropolis with many pubs, cafes,
discotheques and nightclubs open late into the night. Don't be
surprised if you get stuck in a traffic jam at four in the morning,
and the people you meet are not necessarily going off to work.
|
||||
|
|
||||
