October 28/29 - Flight to Madrid

Our flight doesn’t leave until late so we stayed in the hotel all day working on photos.  We left for the airport around 6:00, got checked in and had dinner. 

Unfortunately our flight was two hours late leaving Newark (mechanical issues) but we eventually took off and had an uneventful flight to Madrid.  Our driver was waiting for us just in the arrivals hall and we had a half hour drive to Old Madrid.  Our hotel is the Petite Palace Opera, on Calle del Arenal, a pedestrian street…so we had a short walk to the hotel.  The room is small (mostly bed) but well-furnished and comfortable enough. 

We are right in the middle of things.  A short walk to Plaza Mayor, Puertoa del Sol, Teatro Real and the Royal Palace.  It’s an only slightly longer walk to the Prado Museum and the great Park El Retiro. 

We got a recommendation for a nearby restaurant for dinner but were never able to find it so we settled for dinner at one of the “caves”.  These are shops and restaurants in the first floor of the buildings and they have no windows other than maybe some in the front.  We had vegetable paella and hot chocolate.  Turns out the Spanish hot chocolate is very hot and very dark and VERY thick and very, very good.