We walk away from the fabulous Mercado de San Miguel and wander through the streets and squares of Madrid toward the train station and the Prado.
We're in a more modern part of town now, walking up Paseo del Prado past the botanical gardens and the Prado Museum toward Plaza del Cibeles, with fountains that have become a symbol of the city of Madrid. On our way to the plaza, we pass the Monumento a los Caidos por España, commemorating those slain in the May 2 rebellion against French troops in 1808.
From Paza de Cibeles, we wander a bit up the Gran Via, the main shopping street in Madrid, before hopping back on the Metro to our hotel in the Las Tablas area of Madrid. Las Tablas is a planned residential/commercial area built at the beginning of the 2000s, with about 62,000 residents and home to many companies, including the Telefónica headquarters where 15,000 employees work, other telecommunications companies (BT, Huawai, Nokia, FON), and other businesses (BMW, Renault, Peugeot, Hyundai, and various bank headquarters). As a residential/business district, the area is also full of shops, restaurants, and schools, with people and activities at all hours.
We go back to Plaza Mayor in the evening for dinner and get a beautiful view of the area at night and the people out and about enjoying the city and the beautiful spring weather.
What a great day of wandering and exploring Madrid.
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