I LOVE MADRID!!!!

Got to Madrid this afternoon and I already know I LOVE it! Better then Barcelona! But that's just my opinion - and it's not that I'm trying to rank cities best to worst - just love the feel of this place! And I arrived in the rain so it already had a strike against it - doesn't matter. It has been a great day starting with taking the train here from Barcelona. I wish we had trains like they have here. Not your clackety-clack Amtrak - smooth, sleek, fast and comfortable! Got here in just over 3 hours but it went by fast. Pretty sure I dozed for part of it. Which brings me to say that I am beat - and have a packed day set for tomorrow. So instead of a history lesson on what I saw - I thought I would just post some fun stuff I saw today - and save the other info for tomorrow. I saw the Royal Palace today and it was amazing - so stay tuned!!! 

My train!! Even looks fast doesn't it?? 

Something I have seen numerous times already here in Madrid - mannequins dressed on balconies!! Just makes me laugh! It probably means something terrible like "we sell drugs here" but I still think it's funny. Sometimes they even have two of them - looks like a party! 

But that dress has to go!!! 

I was wandering around and just happened to find the street where priests buy their vestments - not kidding!! There were at least 6 stores in a row and all had vestments in the windows! Lots of colors! Shouldn't there be some kind of credentials required to buy this stuff? 

Then I turned the corner and found the Flamenco Dancing stores. I would have a hard time deciding between these outfits. And they were not cheap!! Beautifully made in lovely fabrics - these are the real deal!!! 

And for the men....... 

And I ate!!! Woohoo! Happened across this wonderful market called Mercado De San Miguel. It was an old market that just got a face lift. I walked around the whole place before deciding what to get. And great people watching. You just get whatever you want from the various stalls and bars and try and find a community table to eat it at. Everyone walking around with a beer or glass of wine in hand trying different things. And some pretty exotic stuff! 

Mercado De San Miguel Market - I will most likely be back another time!! 

Great ready to feast your eyes! 

Clockwise starting at the top. Wine bar, olive bar, chocolate selection, weird fish selection - check out the black spikey ball!!! 

Fresh mozzarella bar, caviar bar, oysters, desserts, quiche's and empanadas. And there were actually lots more!! 

Ok so here is my boring choice! But delicious!! 

Spinach and ham quiche and goat cheese vegetable bags.  

I think I took at least 50 pictures of statues, squares and buildings. I have no idea what any of them are but they look awesome! Check out this building. It has big horse statues on top - how cool is that? I would like that on my building!

This could be a prison for all I know but it looks so cool!!

And it stopped raining - look at that blue sky. It's supposed to be a great day tomorrow so I am heading to bed. Lots more to see, do and eat here!! I'm having a blast - thanks for coming along!!