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Madrid

You probably recall that I went to Madrid in late October for the expressed purpose of seeing a football match. Of course, I could not miss an opportunity to improve my collection of Madrid photos. So, I walked around the city and looked in to a number of major points of interest.

I’ll start not with any of those, but with a few examples of the street art that make Madrid streets so much fun to explore.
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid
There are plenty of eye-catching architecture, such as this Art Deco movie theater…
Madrid
…or simply a cluster of residential buildings with their intricate balconies.
Madrid
The corners of streets in the city center are marked by the colorful depictions of the places or things that the streets are named after or, failing that, of the streets themselves.
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid
That last sign is rather meta. It has itself in the picture.

Enclosed Plaza Mayor is one of the signature places in Madrid. It is always crowded or, in the early morning hours, too garbage-strewn from the previous day to lend itself to street-level photography. This shot only hints at its architectural grandeur.
Plaza Mayor, Madrid
The historical Plaza de la Villa was the city administrative center for over 300 years until just a decade ago.
Plaza de la Villa, Madrid
Catedral de Santa María la Real de La Almudena is age-wise a little baby compared to other European cathedrals. Its construction started in the late 19th century and was completed only in 1993.
Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid
Its modern-day construction means that it is brighter and in many aspects more vividly decorated than the majority of its brethren.
Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid
Catedral de la Almudena, Madrid
The Royal Palace is a massive presence on the western edge of the city center.
Palacio Real, Madrid
Atocha railway station.
Estación de Madrid Atocha
As in many major European cities, the main train station is an architectural highlight in itself, both on the exterior and the interior.
Estación de Madrid Atocha
An illustration of the monumental nature of the Bourbon Madrid, this humble building is but a Ministry of Agriculture.
Madrid
The most famous example of the Bourbon-era architecture is Palacio de Cibeles, which headlined my limited portfolio when I posted my favorite Madrid sights entry several years ago. Here are some fragments of its interior.
Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid
Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid
Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid
I climbed to the lookout at the top Palacio de Cibeles again (ok, not climbed – there is an elevator that takes you to near the top). Among the best shots that I managed from there was this lucky glimpse of Plaza de Cibeles devoid of passing cars.
Madrid
A view towards Torres de Colón, the brown office towers with greenish top. It is among the most well-known examples of Madrid’s more modern architecture, dating from 1970s.
Madrid
And a view towards the intersection of Gran Via and Calle de Alcalá, where Edificio Metrópolis, a Beaux-Arts beauty from the beginning of the 20th century, stands as another of Madrid’s emblematic sights.
Madrid
Madrid is one of the most visually impressive cities in all of Europe. I feel I am still ways from doing it justice photographically speaking.

These and other pictures from Madrid can be found in my Flickr gallery.