Location: Madrid, Spain
Summary: A day exploring Madrid on foot from Puerta del Sol, joining a free walking tour, visiting major landmarks, and ending the evening with an unexpected hotel‑bar dinner after a failed taxi trip to a non‑existent restaurant.
Walking Madrid
We took the train into central Madrid this morning, heading for the Old Town around Puerta del Sol, the “Gate of the Sun”. As we arrived, we spotted a couple of guides offering the kind of free walking tours Paul and I enjoy, where you simply tip at the end if you think it’s worth it.
We spent the morning exploring some of Madrid’s best-known sights, including:
- Puerto del Sol
- The Bear and Strawberry Tree
- Restaurante Sobrino de Botín
- Plaza Mayor
- Royal Palace of Madrid
- Plaza de España
- Retiro Park
After a full day of walking, we stopped at Carrefour on the way back to the hotel to pick up a few supplies. Later, we ordered a taxi to a restaurant that looked excellent on TripAdvisor. The taxi cost 16€, but instead of arriving at a cosy eatery, we found ourselves back where we started. The address listed online led us to a run-down part of Madrid with no restaurant in sight.
The driver phoned the place and discovered it was actually 24 km outside the city. With no other options at that hour, we retreated to the hotel bar, which was just closing. The barman kindly made us a cheese and ham toastie with chips and poured us a beer before shutting up for the night.
Add comment