Our flight from New York arrived in Madrid in the morning at the T4S terminal. I tried to sleep on the flight as much as possible so we could enjoy sightseeing once we arrived. At T4S, we followed the direction to terminal 4S and took C1/C10 train to Atocha station. The C1/C10 train ticket machines were just before you entered the station. It took around 45 minutes to reach Atocha station, and our hotel was conveniently located within 10 mins walk. After checking into our hotel and quick rest, we started walking to see the sights of Madrid.
Plaza Mayor is a central public space in the heart of Madrid. There were a lot of restaurants there, but it was still early in the day to be seated. The plaza has multiple entries and exit points, and many people were there during the day. It might get even more crowded in the evenings.
Saint Michael Market, There were a lot of stalls of different kinds of food. It was very crowded and not enough space to sit and enjoy your food. We quickly sampled some food and moved on.
We continued walking towards the temple of Debod, with views of the cathedral on our walk.
More excellent views of buildings and fountains on our walk.
Viewpoint closer to the temple of Debod with views of the cathedral and the palace. It is an excellent place to watch the sunset if you plan to come here in the evening.
The Temple of Debod is an ancient Egyptian temple that was dismantled and rebuilt in the center of Madrid. It didn’t have any water when we visited, so there was no reflection. It was free to enter the museum, but there was a long line to get inside.
Cathedral church of armed forces
Cathedral de la Almudena It was a massive cathedral, a magnificent white structure.
The interior decor is clean and modern, with white walls and colorful ceilings.
It has a huge magnificent door at the entrance with all the details
Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family in the city of Madrid. The exterior of the palace looks very beautiful. We didn’t go inside because we had already visited some other palaces in the past and pictures were not allowed inside. It costs €13 to enter. You can get more information about tickets and hours, click here.
We went to San Gines to try chocolate and churros. It is a popular breakfast item, but the restaurant is open all day, and there is no wrong time to try it. There was a long line to enter, but it was moving fast. The service was fast, too, and we got our chocolate & churros in no time.
Puerta de sol There was some construction going on when we visited, so most of the area was closed off. People were taking turns taking pictures with the bear and the strawberry tree. After some photo clicking, we continued our walk.
On our walk, we pass on some government building; it says congress of deputies.
We went to Taberna El Sur for dinner. We had Patata bravas, Spanish Omelet, and Sangria. It was a small restaurant, and we were lucky to get a table as we were early. The service was fast and efficient, and we enjoyed our food here, an excellent introduction to Spanish food. You get a free shot of liquor in the end.
After dinner, we went back to the hotel, it was a long day, but we enjoyed our first day in Spain.