Monday 3 July 2006
Highlights: Palacio Real, Cathedral de Nustra Senora de la Almudena

Today I choose to visit the Palacio Real (Spanish Madrid Palace).   In the end I picked a day that had the Spanish King in attendance (which is rare).   I believe he was meeting another head of state but I don ´t know who.   Either way I got to see the regal horses and carriage, quite cool. Next to the Palace (which was closed to the public and had heaps of police etc) was the splendid Cathedral de Nustra Senora de la Almudena.   I spent the rest of the day walking around this city; along the way I visited the El Rastro, which is the city’s main market (I wasn’t impressed).

I have to say that without a doubt Madrid is the most beautiful and clean city I’ve seen in all of Europe, if only I had air conditioning or if the temperature was a little cooler (I struggled at the warm 35c it was today).