Urban shots

Sierra de Francia, Salamanca Province.

The south east corner viewed from a side street.

Azca, Madrid. A 10 min walk from my flat to here. As I give many classes in the Azca Business Centre, I pass this way often.

Nuevos Ministerios and Azca, Madrid.

Torre Cristal, designed by Argentinian architect César Pelli, of Petronas Towers, Kualar Lumpar and 1, Canada Square, Canary Wharf, Docklands, London fame (who died aged 92 a couple of days ago), viewed from the neighbouring Torre PwC (reflected in Torre Cristal). Cuatro Torres (Four Towers), Madrid. Snow-capped Sierra de Guadarrama on the horizon.

A pleasing village but on a steep hill. The high street just goes up and up and up ...

I live in a flat on the left and in the middle where the interesting windows are is a music school and if the wind is in the right direction I get wafts of wonderful music! Yes, the storm broke that evening!

Moncloa metro station, Madrid

On an evening stroll near me, but down a pedestrianised road I hadn't been down before, I saw these. This game is hopscotch, I don't know the other one.

On an evening stroll near me, but down a pedestrianised road I hadn't been down before, I saw these. The other game is hopscotch, I don't know this one.

A side street near me and Otis' factory in Madrid (Otis seem to have the near monopoly of lifts here). I point out to my students that it is a good old Cornish surname and they look confused, assuming it is an 'American' name! (It's true that the company founder made his name in the US but he was from Cornwall) --- citation needed

Paseo de La Castellana, looking towards the 4 Towers (only 2 visible from this angle).

Paseo de La Castellana looking south into the sun and towards the Torres Kio, Plaza de Castilla and then into the centre of Madrid.

Sadly they painted over last year's street art and it has been replaced by lesser material. I guess the earlier lot, which i captured at some length, was contracted only for a year and professional street artists were engaged. I suspect their replacements were local artists, better than average but not the same at all. All this is pure conjeture.

When I downloaded this it suddenly started dancing and moving and the lights were flashing and it looked like it was in an earthquake. Something to do with Google Drive trying to be clever and realizing I'd taken a few shots of this close together and the lights on the tall building do change every minute or so. I wondered if the effect would transfer to this site but of course not. Anyway I was much taken by surprise at first!

Big difference in meaning between a master's certificate in Spain and an MBA in the UK (and the US of course) and one that threw me for years. Ask me if you really want to know. But what it has to do with the name of this building, I have no idea.