Madrid

What I did with less than 24 hours in Madrid

I took the 9:10 am Altaria train on Thursday, February 24, 2011, from Granada to Madrid-Atocha. Price was 69.40 euros ($94.80), and it took 4.5 hours. I checked out of the hotel at 8 am and was on the train by 9 am.

The train to Madrid was the oldest train I took. The tray tables were metal, and I bashed my nose on one!
During the 4.5 hours, I read up on Madrid, decided what I wanted to do, ate breakfast (yogurt, donuts, orange juice, and a bag of chocolate-covered peanuts!), read a book, and watched the movie Grownups with Adam Sandler (on the TV monitors).

I took the subway from the Atocha train station to Puerta del Sol (price of 1 euro [$1.35]), where I came up and walked a few blocks to Plaza del Carmen, where my hotel was located.
It was amazing to be back in Madrid! I felt right at home after being gone for two years.
The left photo is of the exterior of the hotel. The right photo is of the first of five flights of stairs. (I didn't try the elevator.)

I had reserved a single, quiet room by e-mail at Hostal Acapulco, but when I arrived, no such room was available, so I was given room 48, a twin room with a window on the square.
Price for the room was 49 euros ($67.60), which I paid upfront after seeing the room. Price included tax and unlimited wifi!

Room 48's bathroom was ensuite and was more than adequate.

I'm a Puerta del Sol girl (love it like I love Times Square in New York), so I was happy to see most of the construction that marred the square two years ago was completed.
But why SpongeBob and Patrick were there, I'm not sure :)

I had done most of what I wanted to do in Madrid on my previous trip, so this time I did one of the last remaining things I hadn't done: visit the Royal Palace. The price was steep (10 euros, $13.50), but I really enjoyed it. I followed the Rick Steves self-guided tour, and my jaw dropped over and over again at the lavish interiors.

After the tour of the palace, I walked 12 minutes more to re-visit my favorite Madrid site from my first trip: the Temple de Debod, an actual Egyptian temple moved to Madrid.

It was just after 4:30 pm, and I'd done what I wanted to do. What to do next? I got a Kit Kat McFlurry at McDonald's (2.30 euros, $3.15) and ate it as I walked towards the Prado.
At the Prado, I caught bus 27 (fare 1 euro, $1.35) to go see modern Madrid.

The most famous site along the journey was Santiago Bernabeu stadium, where Real Madrid plays.

End of the line was the Puerta de Europa twin skyscrapers. To get back to the Prado, I should have crossed the street and taken the bus back, but I decided to take the subway (which actually took longer).

I couldn't pass up one last chance to see the Prado, so I went during the free hours. Entrance this time was through the Jeronimos entrance.

After the Prado, I ate dinner at McDonald's (5.45 euros quarter pounder with cheese meal, just like my first night in Seville), got a chocolate bar and Sprite for dessert at El Corte Ingles, and went back to the hotel.

The next morning, Friday, February 25, 2011, I got up at 6:45 am, checked e-mail, showered, changed, packed, and was out the door by 7:45 am. I took the 2-euro ($2.75), 3-transfer subway option to the airport, which took about 45 minutes. I took the 11:00 am Delta flight from Madrid to New York-JFK, then a Delta flight from JFK to Detroit. It was another great trip!