Yesterday I started my summer break with a day trip to Madrid. This was my
first trip away from Alicante since I returned from Croatia in early March, and
my first use of any kind of public transport since then. In fact, I originally
planned to drive, but in the end the convenience and speed of the train won
out; the high-speed AVE train covers the 450 km to Madrid in about 2 hours 20
minutes, almost twice as fast as driving, and obviously less tiring. So I took
a 7 a.m. train to Madrid, spent a couple of hours in the Museo Reina Sofia
looking at contemporary art, followed by a walk in the Parque de Buen Retiro,
then a visit to the recently re-opened El Prado to re-visit some of my usual
favourites from the past, such as Velázquez, Goya or Bosch. Then I walked to
the Puerta del Sol square, which was much less crowded than on an average
summer day, but then again, it was 40C (104F in US money) at that point, and
hanging out on a square with no shade whatsoever was not an attractive
proposition. So I walked down one of the main shopping streets that emanate
from this square, and happened upon this group of young people and their dogs
outside the Corte Inglés department store:
https://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-xkhBJ2H/A
<https://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-xkhBJ2H/A>
They were collecting money for animal rescue in one of the few places in Madrid
that had sufficient footfall to make such efforts worthwhile. And the dogs
certainly attracted attention and money:
https://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-kBKv5c6/A
<https://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-kBKv5c6/A>
Including from me. I emptied my pocket change into the jar held by the young
woman on the left, and then got her to pose for a quick snap. The dogs were
obviously more interested in the sandwich the other volunteer was unwrapping:
https://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-ZFkJQdv/A
<https://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-ZFkJQdv/A>
It was nice to be in the big city again. I walk around the totally deserted
Plaza Mayor too, Madrid’s main tourist trap—except that this year there are no
tourists and the locals don’t go there much. Many more pics to come.
Cheers,
Nathan
Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
http://www.frozenlight.eu <http://www.frozenlight.eu/>
http:// <http://www.greatpix.eu/>www.greatpix.eu
PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
<http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws>Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/
<http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/>
Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator
<http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator>
YNWA
"I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right"
--
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