The king of Spain and his family weren’t in when we visited, but we still enjoyed his nice house.Our three-week Spain/France adventure ended with four nights in Madrid — a city that needs far more time than that to fully appreciate all of its marvelousness — museums, architecture, public art, food (including the world’s oldest restaurant), parks (among them centuries-old gardens), nightlife, and on and on. So much so that this part of our vacation is split into more than one post!
“Flamenco & the Sitting Cat,” my novel-in-progress, is titled for my love of Spain and multi-culturalism. My husband and I arrived tired and late. Driving from León took longer than we planned, and rain made finding our accommodations extra troublesome.
The next morning we slept in, and then took a leisurely stroll that quickly revealed tons of political graffiti, much of it for gender equality, amid the big city hustle-bustle…
After a stop for lunch, we started to feel ourselves again, so we ventured further to where the king and his family stay when they’re in town.
The Royal Palace of Madrid was built in 1764. From floors to ceilings, it’s packed with non-stop gorgeous art…
Does the royal family find their ceiling art a pain in the neck?
Check out Marvelous Madrid, Spain, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
In the meantime, if you’d like to know about the rest of our trip…
It started with a weekend in beautiful Barcelona …
where we rented a car and stopped in wonderful Huesca …
Then crossed into France to pretty saint-jean-pied-de-port …
and the next day spent an afternoon in enchanting Espelette …
For several days in phenomenal French Basque Country, we enjoyed Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Bayonne, and Biarritz …
Back in Spain, we enjoyed delicious food and seaside dogs in San Sebastián …
followed by the breathtaking city of Bilbao …
Before we got to Madrid, there was lovely León!
What’s the longest you’ve taken on a vacation?
Happiness Between Tails by da-AL 
Ah, da-AL, I had never before considered traveling to Spain until I saw your pictures and read your descriptions. It was almost as if I were experiencing Spain vicariously. Three weeks? I think I’d want to spend at least 3 months simply absorbing the atmosphere. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
3 months even better for sure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Three-week in Spain / France and some nights in Madrid … Wow! It sounds like a fabulous trip. Glad you enjoy this special time with your hubby. Love your photos, especially the graffiti ones. On my way to look at some of your links. Have a wonderful weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
glad you enjoyed — have a fun weekend you too, dear 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry for my late reply to you. I had some computer problems in the past few days. Have a wonderful week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Urgh — unfortunately I’ve been there too…
LikeLiked by 1 person
It shall past as they say. Have a great day!
LikeLiked by 1 person