Madrid

On my way to give an early morning class in Torre Picasso. My students always comment on London fog. I explain that in my (exactly) 30 years living and working in London (from 05/11/1979 to 05/11/2009), I experienced thick fog ONCE. And that was on or around 15/11/1979 and that was so bad that I fell down a workman's trench in the road! I was unhurt but shaken! I got totally lost for three hours! I couldn't see one foot (30 centimetres) in front of me. But that was the ONLY TIME in 30 years! In Madrid, However, I have been caught in thick fog at least a dozen times in the 9 years I have been here (since 05/11 2010). My students simply don't believe me. For them, London = fog. Guy Fawkes night, November 5th; it has always been a significant date in the calendar for me!

Early morning walk to give a class.

Well, I know what this is supposed to be and all will be revealed in a few weeks!

Panteon des Hombres Illustres. (Near Atocha)

To celebrate the centenary, some trains were painted in the original livery. Valdeacederas Metro Station, Line 1. My sister and fiancé lived round the corner from here when I used to visit them in the early 80s so I knew this station very well. And yet today was the first time I had used it since those days!

This old bridge crosses the mighty Rio Manzanares, Madrid's famed river.

HFF for Marie-claire.

The circular structure at the left is a memorial to the victims of what is known here as 11-M, the 11th May, 2004 bombing of three commuter trains entering Atocha in the morning rush hour. 193 fatalities and over 2,000 injuries were the horrific result. The 11-M monument is simple and moving and it has the names of the fatalities in plain but beautiful calligraphy carved on the inside of the circular monument. You can only enter from within the station and it can be hard to find but worth it! I can't remember now whether I didn't take photos because they were forbidden (always possible in the most unexpected places in Spain) or because I didn't yet possess a camera. Possibly both! I need to re-visit.

So as not to confuse passengers who need to get off at the next stop, Atocha Renfe (The main railway terminus for Madrid), Atocha station was renamed 'Estación del Arte' due to its proximity to the Reina Sofia Art Gallery, where Picasso's Guernica is housed.

It chucked it down very soon after!

HFF everybody!

Passable mock-ups of the first metro trains, the "Clasicos". The originals of these from 1919 were still in circulation when I first visited Madrid in 1981!

Just pleasing lines, materials and colours, imho.

Late 19th century, early 20th century architectural styles. Amazingly still here. Most of the other examples made way for inferior 60s, 70s and 80s stuff.

Parque de Santander, Madrid in fading light.

Madrid's main north - south axis and usually heaving with traffic but it does have some surprising oases such as the grounds of the Natural Science Museum seen here.