Exploring España: Madrid #1

I may have spent the past three years living in Madrid, but before I visited it in April 2011, the city had never even been on my radar. And when I did finally book a flight, it had more to do with financial logistics than a desire to visit the city...

I was living in Portugal and trying to put together a trip to Italy for the Easter holidays. No matter where I was prepared to fly from, to or via, I just couldn't make the trip affordable. Then, while perusing possibilities on easyJet's website for the umpteenth time, I realised I could fly from Lisbon to Madrid, and from there to Venice. Never one to be content with just touching down in a city, I extended my holiday, giving myself a two-day stopover in this once overlooked city.

From the moment I landed I felt comfortable, almost as though I was coming home. And yet I had never been to the city before. I cleared passport control with ease and made my way to the metro station where I bought a 10-trip ticket and headed for Sol – the heart of both Madrid and Spain. From Puerta del Sol, it was a short walk to Plaza Mayor... and I was instantly won over. It was everything the guide book had promised and more. Stunningly beautiful and lively, it fast became a home from home, and one which I would come back to several times that day.

Plaza Mayor, where I fell in love with the city



Created in 1616, this bronze statue of King Felipe III stands in the centre of Plaza Mayor

I spent the rest of my time in Madrid just wandering around the city, taking in the sights and the sunshine. From Palacio Real to Parque de El Buen Retiro, and from Puerta del Sol to Puerta de Alcalá, I was in holiday heaven. In just two days I had fallen completely and utterly in love with the city. Even as I was flying to Venice I knew I had left a little bit of my heart behind in Madrid. I knew that one day I would be back. I just didn't know when.


Palacio Real de Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, but is only used for state ceremonies




Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Almudena



Museo del Prado

Iglesia de San Jerónimo El Real is the remaining structure from the 16th century Hieronymite monastery

Villanueva Pavilion in Real Jardín Botánico



Templo de Debod is an ancient Egyptian temple that was rebuilt in Madrid




Templo de Debod



A huge urban park in the west of the city, Casa de Campo was once a Royal hunting estate

After my Italian mini-break I went back to Portugal to see out the rest of my contract. I thought that I might go to Spain for the 2011/12 academic year, but a decision made on a whim landed me in Poland. Initially I loved everything about the place, but five months into the contract I came to feel trapped by it. I couldn't bear living in a small town where not only did I not speak the language but I didn't have a hope in hell of learning it. I couldn't stand the fact that the nearest big city was 2.5 hrs away by bus, and the airport even further. Or that to visit one of the more interesting cities meant a four-hour train ride. I wanted culture, meet-ups, events, a social life, a language I could (sort of) speak, good public transport, a major international airport, a better salary and much better weather. I wanted big city, bright lights. There really was only one choice: Madrid, the city where I had left my heart ten months earlier.

Fired up with enthusiasm I started researching the hell out of schools I might want to work at. I shortlisted four and sent off a speculative application to my number one choice. I finished my Polish contract on 15th June, 2012, flew back to the UK on 17th June and was in Madrid for the 19th to be interviewed for what I hoped was my dream job. I was offered the job the same day, and thus I found myself living in the city of my dreams...

Exploring Portugal: Óbidos

When looking for recommendations of places to visit in Portugal, one name came up time and time again – Óbidos. Curiosity aroused, we shoe-horned it in to our whirlwind tour of Central Portugal, and booked an overnight stay.

Located in Estremadura, this walled town has its origins in Roman times. However, the Romans abandoned the town in the 5th century for a more secure hilltop location. The Moors took it over around 713 AD. They lived there for centuries until it was taken from them in 1148 by the first King of Portugal, Afonso I (r. 1139-1185).

In 1210, Afonso I's grandson, King Afonso II (r. 1212-1223) gave the title of the town to Queen Urraca (whose name means 'magpie' in Castilian). Since then, Óbidos has often been patronised by the Queens of Portugal, which led to it being informally called Vila das Rainhas (Town of the Queens). In keeping with this, King Dinis I (r. 1279-1325) gave the town to Queen Isabel, who was then aged 11, as a present on their wedding day in 1282. Over time, the town underwent several changes. The castle and the town's walls were remodelled during the reign of King Dinis I, while a castle keep was built by his great-grandson, King Fernando I (r. 1367-1383).

Today Óbidos is a favourite with tourists and it's not hard to see why. The narrow cobblestoned streets are lined with whitewashed houses edged with vivid yellow and blue paint. Climbing the 13m-high (45ft) medieval walls gives you outstanding views of both the town itself and the surrounding countryside. When you have drunk your fill of the views, you might consider visiting one of the many bars for a sample of ginjinha, a liqueur made of Morello cherries and sugar, and served in shot form in a chocolate cup that you then eat.

Blue skies – the perfect complement to the whitewashed walls

The main street

Blue-edged houses leading to back streets and the city walls

Another cobbled street, another blue-edged house

 

 

I wonder where this goes...

 

 

Quaint houses

 

Walking the walls is a must. From your 13m-high (45ft) vantage point, you can see the town in all its glory. On clear days, you are also afforded extensive views across the surrounding countryside.

Looking towards the castle



Outside the walls some of the houses have red edges

The main street from above

Miles of countryside

Another view of the town from the walls

As with everywhere I go, having seen the main attractions, I found myself being drawn to the details, the things that could be easily missed – colourful plates hanging on a gallery wall, pretty shop-front decorations, street-level windows, and statues bearing plastic poinsettias...

Colourful gallery front

Decorative entrance

 

A street-level window

 

  

Signage outside a shop

 

 

Flower-bearing statue

 

If I'm honest, I don't really think that the town really warranted an overnight stay as what's there can easily be seen in a couple of hours. However, it was nice to be able to have the town to myself in the evening after the hordes of day-tripping tourists had left. Oh, and the hotel I stayed in was gorgeous!

Exploring Portugal: Alcobaça

Whilst in central Portugal, one of things I really wanted to see was the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça. As we were heading south to Óbidos, we figured we could squeeze in a short stop-off.

The weather changed en-route and by the time we reached Alcobaça, rain was falling heavily. As a result, first impressions were poor – a huge monstrosity standing sulkily surveying the rain-soaked streets. After the loveliness of Batalha, Alcobaça felt like a letdown. But we were there so it made sense to at least see it, if only to escape the grey day.

An uninspiring view

The church and monastery of Alcobaça were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal. The complex was founded in 1153 by King Afonso I of Portugal, more commonly known as Dom Afonso Henriques, (r. 1139-1185). It was a gift to Bernard of Clairvaux, a leading figure in the reforming Cistercian order, to commemorate his victory over the Moors at Santarém in 1147.

By the time building work commenced in 1178, Bernard had long since died. The Cistercian monks eventually moved into the monastery buildings in 1223, and work was finally completed in 1252 during the reign of Afonso I's great-grandson, Afonso III (r. 1248-1279). It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989.

Looking down the nave

The 20m high nave

Simple and elegant window

In the transept lie the tombs of King Pedro I (r. 1357-1367) and his mistress, Inês de Castro, who was assassinated in 1355 on the orders of Pedro's father, King Afonso IV (r. 1325-1357). When Pedro became king, he had her remains exhumed and transferred to Alcobaça where she was posthumously recognised as Queen of Portugal. Legend has it that he forced the court to swear allegiance to their new queen by kissing her decomposing hand.

The tomb of King Pedro I

Detail of the tomb

Our wanderings took us through the beautiful two-storey Claustro do Silencio (Cloister of Silence), which was a gift from King Dinis I (r. 1279-1325). The lower storey dates from the early 14th century, while the upper storey was added a little later.

Entering the Cloister of Silence

The bright and spacious walkway

Looking out to the cloister

From there we found our way to the monks' living quarters, the most interesting of which were the huge refectory and the monks' dormitory, a large bright but no doubt cold space. The windows overlooked a second, much larger but less attractive cloister.

The former refectory

The monks' dormitory

The second cloister

By now the weather had improved somewhat and, keen to get to Óbidos, we hurried through the long, cold corridors and back into the main square. We allowed just enough time to grab a few shots of the exterior before we jumped back in the car and headed south...

The façade with its 13th century rose window and its 18th century towers

Exploring Portugal: Tomar

Founded in the late 12th century by Gualdim de Pais (1118-1195), the fourth Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Tomar was the last Templar town to be commissioned for construction. But both its history and the jewel in its crown, Convento de Cristo (the Convent of the Order of Christ), live on to this day.

The town was built on the remains of the old Roman settlement of Sellium. In 1160, Gualdim de Pais laid the first stone for what was to become the Convent of the Order of Christ, and the Headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal.

Our first view of Tomar was not, in fact, the convent, but rather Igreja de São João Baptista (the Church of St John the Baptist). Located in the main square, the Manueline-style church was built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Today it's the town's main church.

Praça da República (Republic Square) with the Igreja de São João Baptista

The main portal

The church tower

Since the Convent of the Order of Christ was what we had come to see, we sacrificed wandering around the town in favour of making the uphill trek to the convent. On the way up we were afforded lovely views of the town and surrounding hills.

View of the town from the hillside

When we finally reached the top, we were greeted by the imposing Round Church. Built in the late 12th century, this Romanesque church is a 16-sided polygon with strong buttresses, rounded windows and a bell tower. It is believed to have been modelled on similar structures in Jerusalem.


Round church



Inside the fortress walls

Eager to start exploring this once secret structure, we hurried towards the distinctly closed entrance to the church. The detail on this gorgeous Manueline creation was incredible and we spent a while trying to capture its beauty. Then, we went in search of an actual entrance, which we soon found in the form of a tiny and completely miss-able doorway.

The Manueline entrance

Close-up of some of the carvings

The servants' entrance?

It's been so long since my visit that I can't remember what I actually photographed once inside. In order to give this post some credibility, I found a map with the names of the cloisters, but when I Googled the names in a bid to match them to my images, I hit an obstacle. Ignorant tourists have uploaded photos and given them the first name that has come to mind. Consequently, Claustro do Cemitério (Cemetery Cloister) could be one of three, depending on whose word you take.

Looking at the map, I realise I did visit Claustro do Cemitério, but for the reason given above, I can't be sure that I have photos of it. Nonetheless, this cloister was to be the first of many. Mere minutes later we entered Claustro do Lavagem (Washing Cloister), one of the few I am sure of. A two-storey Gothic cloister, it was built around 1433 and it got its name, unsurprisingly, from the fact that the monks' robes were washed there.

The rather plain Washing Cloister

Nice, but only nice

After the beauty of the cloisters at Batalha, this one failed to impress, and we quickly moved on. Fortunately, the Romanesque Round Church was everything we'd hoped for and more. The beautiful interior is decorated with late Gothic and Manueline sculpture and paintings, but the low light made it difficult to accurately record it.

Window in the shadows



A taste of the richly-decorated interior

From there, we continued our journey, wandering through sunlit walkways alongside a seemingly endless stream of cloisters. The walkway below forms part of Claustro Príncipal (Main Cloister), which was the magnum opus of the original convent built by King João III of Portugal (r. 1521-1557). In each of the four corners of the cloister is a gorgeous helicoidal staircase, linking the lower and upper storeys.

Sunny solitude



One of the helicoidal staircases

Claustro da Hospedaria (Inn Cloister) was where pilgrims and visitors were received. Horses and servants were housed on the lower floor, while nobles and clergy were accommodated on the upper floor. Walking along the upper storey leads to Claustro de Santa Bárbara (St Barbara's Cloister), from where you can see the convent's most famous window, Janela do Capítulo (Chapter House Window) can be seen.

Looking down on Claustro da Hospedaria

 

The magnificent Janela do Capítulo was designed by the Portuguese sculptor Diogo de Arruda (c. 1490-1531) and added to the west façade of the nave between 1510 and 1513. Built in the Manueline style, it comprises a variety of maritime and imperial motifs, from ropes and knots to crosses and crowns.

 

The famous chapter house window

One of my favourite parts of the experience was simply wandering through the long, covered walkways alongside cloisters of varying degrees of beauty. And the last one I encountered was no exception, although as already said, I can't be sure which cloister it was attached to.

 

Covered walkway

It was slow downhill walk back into town. I would have liked to explore a little more, but we had to get back to our base in Leiria so I contented myself by grabbing a couple of shots of the River Nabão...

Reflections