Driving into Madrid - and next day investigating Madrid

Driving into Madrid on our first day is almost too traumatic to put into too many words (particularly for Bob). Let’s just say that the road network around Madrid is highly complex, the GPS instructions thus required “stay in the left 2 lanes, then stay right, then take the exit to xyz, then get back into the right lane and take the next left etc.”., all within the space of 100 metres - just about impossible unless you have some idea where you are meant to be going. Suffice to say we got ‘lost’ at least 3-4 times and ended up going backwards, and crossways, and a lot of rude words emanating from the Pilot (fortunately not directed at the human navigator), before we finally made it to our place of refuge, Madrid Camping Arco Iris.

It is quite a way out from Madrid, and on checking in the lady made it sound just as complicated to catch the bus/tram/train to Madrid, as it was to get here, so we begin to question the wisdom of coming at all!

However the next day, we go back to Reception to confirm the travel arrangements to get into Madrid, and a different person says “in my opinion, the best way to go is to catch one bus to the Light Rail Line 3, then catch Line 10 Metro to Plaza Espana” - we assume this means he thinks differently to the lady that was there yesterday. So we follow his suggestions and voila it isn’t that hard (although later coming home is a bit of a comedy show with Bob trying to pay the bus with €20 note an being told "no!" - eventually we scrape up €6 in coins and he lets us on the bus!).

We emerge from the underground into a grungy looking streetscape which doesn’t give us a good first impression, but go down a side street and find the Plaza de Espana and right there the underground exit we were probably supposed to come out on. The plaza itself isn’t anything particularly fancy, and a huge stage is being assembled for something for Xmas we assume (when we go back the next day they are also assembling 1 or more large Xmas trees).

Plaza de Espana:

So after that, when we start to move around, Madrid is a bit of a revelation! I wasn’t that keen on a big city visit, but walking around the pedestrianised streets is very pleasant, after you get away from the clamor of Gran Via (the main street) right there at Plaza De Espana.
We do our own walking tour, and see some delightful buildings, including on the upper stretches of the Gran Via, and we visit the San Miguel Market (prices to suit a capital city, and too expensive for our pensioner budget). Also the Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Oriente and the theatre, the Cathedral, and the Royal Palace, and the ‘Balcon’ with views out over the gardens to the mountains beyond, before completing the circuit back to Plaza de Espana to catch the Metro/Light Rail/Bus back to the campsite.

Gran Via (main street):

Plaza Mayor, Plaza Oriente and Puerta del Sol:

Beautiful Royal Palace:

"Balcon" views over gardens to mountains:

It’s easy but we do have a bit of a wait for the final bus, which seem to run to a different timetable that what it says.

Adious until tomorrow - investigating more of Madrid