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| Estación Museo Chamberi |
After a relaxing Saturday planning for our upcoming vacation next month we thought we should get out of the house today! After deciding to stay in the city we opted to go and explore some things we haven't really seen. The kind you walk right past all the time.
We decided to write today's adventure up in a blog for all those other folks also living in Madrid who are looking for an air conditioned building to hide away in for a few hours! We had quite a few stops today and covered a lot of ground, first up and the closest to our house was the Platform 0 museum (Estación Museo Chamberi) located in Chamberi District. This little museum is operated by the city council and is a small metro station that was built in 1919 when the first subway line (line 1) and its corresponding 8 platforms were opened.
Later in the 1960's when passenger numbers increased and more carriages were required the station platform could not, for some reason be extended so it was closed in 1966.
The door was just shut and closed. Later the council decided to re open the platform as an education endeavour. Now it not only gives an insight into Madrid's history but it also provides a visual interpretation center on how they built the metro and examples of older tickets. We really liked that you felt you were quietly stepping back in time right under a busy road. Original adverts remain on the wall and you walk through the old turn styles. Most impressive is that the metro still passes through the station and we had never ever once seen the museum from inside the metro!
Entrance: FREE
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| Checking out the ads from the 1960s |
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| Leaving the station |
After our trip underground we took a shaded backroad West across the Chamberi district towards Moncloa. This district we often find ourselves in when walking in the evening for its beautiful Oeste park!
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| Museo de América |
But today our next mission was to visit the National Museum of the America's (Museo de America). The museum is a little way out from the city center but totally worth visiting. Inside there are lots of archeological and artistic artefacts from across America (taking a small guess here we think most of the precious pieces might have been taken hundreds of years ago when the Spanish ravaged and pillaged their new world). They had a temporary exhibition of traditional clothing from Peru on show which certainly didn't quite look that comfortable.
The museum is very easy to navigate and although its almost all in Spanish we were given an English map. The museum is divided over two floors and five main areas; Society, Communication, Religion, Knowing about America and The reality of America. When you need a break from all of the Mayan or Incan cultural ceremonial pieces, swords, topographical and geographical maps or life size displays of houses, just looking at the enchanting building itself.
Entrance: FREE on Sundays!
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| Prized tresures representing indigenous chiefs |
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| Knowing of America room with Mayan art |
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| Loved this little guy (from Peru) |
Around this time we were both getting fairly famished and lunch was on our mind! As we walked away from Moncloa and closer towards the city we stopped to grab some food to take with us. At Parque de la Montana we set up our little meat and cheese picnic in the shade of a tree overlooking the Temple of Debod. This ancient Egyptian temple is 2200years old and was a gift to Spain. With quite a fascinating history this small temple was built against the banks of the Nile in Southern Egypt, dedicated to the Goddess Isis. In the 1960's it was constructed, relocated and rebuilt in Spain. Again this is another area we have frequently walked past but never ventured in. So when lunch was gone and only the juice of our olives left for the pigeons we wandered in. We were fortune to time it right as sometimes there can be a bit of a queue. Inside you can witness some worn down and tired hieroglyphics (but who wouldn't look tired after 2200years?). Entrance: FREE
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| In front of Temple de Debod |
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| Walking down the green streets |
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| View from Parque de la Montana |
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| Outside the Almudena Cathedral |
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| Inside the Jardines de Sabatini, Royal palace in background |
After departing the Temple of Debod, it was really starting to warm up! We took cover quickly in the Royal Neoclassical Jardines de Sabatini and refilled our drink bottles. Here we got a fantastic side view of the Royal palace! But we didn't stop long... we were on our way to Plaza de San Isidro!
Plaza San Isidro, quite a difficult place to find in the windy backstreets of Lavapies, was something we eventually ended up just stumbling across. This small little Museum of San Isidro (Museo de San Isidro) dedicated to Madrid's Patron Saint was quite a fascinating little find. First off you're provided an interactive 3D insight to the wild, prehistoric animals that roamed Madrid in the past as well as the geographical changes the region has been through. Next up were several archeological fossils dug up from Madrid including human tools and a Neanderthal molar dating back thousands of years. We quite liked the model of Madrid dating back to when the city walls were built and it's really visible how much the city has changed and developed. After this you kind of realise you're in an ancient 16th courtyard which is equipped with a 'miracle' well and sweet little Chapel with a fresco roof, dedicated to the Patron San Isidro. Entrance: FREE.
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| Museo de San Isidro, Plaza de San Isidro |
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| Holy Chapel of San Isidro |
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| Entrance to the Prado |
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| Lavapies District, Yellow Restaurant |
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Taking a break in the grass,
one of us is more knackered |
Our last stop was Madrid's most famous National art Museum: El Prado. With one of the world's most finest (and largest) art collections dating back from the 12th century located literally one our door step its a little appalling we haven't found time to go yet! But... not without lack of trying! Set in a stunning building the Prado is a magnificent museum.
What strikes you first it that the museum was huge, and designed surely to get you very lost. At the entry you find yourself in with multitude of choices in which direction to turn and explore.
With a guide map of the most well known images we tailored our visit towards those. Stopping to rest now and then. There is also a central temporary collection which changes every few months, currently showcasing 10 Picasso pieces from Switzerland. Interesting... but we much preferred the Picasso works in Barcelona.
Entrance: FREE on Sundays 5-7pm
Tot Siens,
John and Kara
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