My final stop in Spain is the lovely capital city of Madrid. I stayed at the incredibly awesome Tijcal Hostal, which turned out to be my favorite place that we had stayed. By this point in my trip I had shared rooms with many people and I was ready to relax. So Tijcal offered private rooms with its own bathroom even, for not much more than the cost of a hostel. It was a great find and not only that but Tijcal is within walking distance of anything you could want to see or do and it also sits in the heart of the nightlife. Highly recomended.
And speaking of walking distance, it’s time to get out and explore the city a little bit. The text on the street below says roughly “Rodrigo, this city street, was formerly called New Street. It was opened in 1583 and its buildings were completed in 1629. The current name commemorates the recovery of the city in 1812 occupied since 1810 by the French. I can’t even imagine, I’m standing in a place where people stood over three hundred years ago.
I’m heading towards the city’s most prominent cathedral, but on the way a stop at the amazingly beautiful Plaza Mayor. People congregate here at all hours of the day and night. Some folks selling things, some street performers, families eating ice cream, you’ll see it all at Plaza Mayor.
I’m not a religious person, but I appreciate architectural beauty in all its forms and with a city as steeped in religious culture and history as Madrid, some of the most beautiful sights to be seen are churches and cathedrals.
After the capital of Madrid was moved from Toledo to Madrid in 1561 it was realized that city had no cathedral. Though plans for one were discussed and debated at length the construction of The Santa Maria la Real de La Almudena did not begin until 1879. Then during the Spanish Cival War the project was abandoned only to resume in 1950. Final completion of the cathedral was not until 1993 when it was consecrated by the Pope. So this cathedral in all took over 430 years from start to finish.
Finally the sun sets on my last day in Spain. I can’t leave without taking pictures of my favorite subjects at my favorite time of day.
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