17 MAY 2017.DAY 11:PART III.MADRID, DAY TWO.
MOROCCO,SPAIN,PORTUGAL TRIP.
We reached Madrid yesterday16 May,saw only Prado Museum.
Today's,Madrid sightseeing will be covered in three parts ,Part I,II & Part III.
Part I:Madrid Sight seeing donepre-lunch.Blog Already published.
Part II:Toledao sightsightseeing.Post-lunch Blog aleady published.
Part III:Madrid sightseeing after return from Taledo.This blog
This is the screenshot of day two,17th of Madrid sightseeing(Evening)
Screen shot of map, above, gives limited information. On the other hand "Interactive Map" gives much more information. For interactive map Go Here.
OR go to link : https://goo.gl/Y1Lqvg
With this URL,Interactive map should open in a new windowTo navigate through this map use the left vertical panel on the map :1. The size of this map can be increased or decreased as with normal maps.2. The panel gives contents of the map which are self explanatory.Placing the cursor on any item,say Mayor Square,in this panel mayor square will be highlighted by a white circle.in the interactive map.Go to Mayor Square,Zoom if you want to see details of Mayor Square.3. Click on Mayor square in panel it will open an information window in the interactive map giving information about Mayor square.Up to 10 photos can be loaded about that place in this information panel. Photos about that place have been uploaded in this information panel.To know about the captions and other details of photos, you will have to visit album for day 11(You will have to see all the photos of that day.)For this Go Here.or copy paste this link in URLaddress bar : https://goo.gl/gtL6T6
4. Similar action can be repeated for information on all other places given on interactive map.
MADRID
Major attractions of Madrid.
Major attractions of Madrid.
After completing our visit at Toledo we left at around 6:45 PM and reached gate of the Saint Vincent in Madrid at around 7:45 PM.First place to be visited in Madrid was the Square of the Sun or Pureta Del Sol as it is called locally in Spanish.In the map above "Sol"indictes Pureta Del Sol.
PURETA DEL SOL,GATE OF THE SUN.
Pureta Del Sol,Photo courtesy:esmadrid.cm
Pureta Del sol was a gate in the city wall of Madrid
It was
located in the east of Madrid and had
emblam
of the rising Sun outside the gate,
hence
the name
Pureta Del Sol which
means
G
gate of the Sun
.T
he name carries on even to this day.From 12th century onwards suburbs had started growing outside the wall. A Plaza or square was created near the gate.
P
resent semicircular shape
(see map)
of the square was result of a massive renovation work carried out between 1854 and 1860
.O
n the fla
t
side
of
semi circle
,
which is South side of
square.
A
grand
building was
built for Royal P
ost
Office
W
hich became a very important meeting place for Couriers coming from abroad and other parts of
Spain
to the
P
ost
O
ffice which was visited by all those
who gathered here
for the latest news
and meetings.Building of Royal Poast office is has great significane in the life of Citizens of Madrid.Other important historical land marks include,
El Oso y El Madroño
(
the Bear and the Strawberry Tree),
Mariblanca statue
(The Venus) And E
questrian
S
tatue of Charles III
. Brief information about these land Mark is given later in the blog.
Several busy historical streets, such as Calle Mayor
(Main Street)
, Calle Arenal
(Arenal Street)
, Calle Alcalá
(connecting Main traffic circle with ornamental Gate of same name
rich with stone carvings & elegant sculptures.
near
Parque del Buen Retiro
(Park Of Good retirement),
and CallePreciados
(
Precious Street:
fifth place in the streets of the world where rent is more expensive.
)
, converge here.
Today
Pureta Del Sol
or
Gate
of the
S
sun is one of the
Madrid's
most famous bustling and Central square located just a short walk from
Plaza Mayor
. It is now a major place of tourist attraction and for the locals as a meeting place.
Some more photos of Square og Gete of the Sun.For all the photos go to album for 17 May 2017,Day 11 of the trip GO TO ,or to link :
https://goo.gl/fxd1KL 
At Pureta Del Sol .
At Pureta Del Sol .
At Pureta Del Sol .
ROYAL POST OFFICE,CASA DE CORREOS
Royal Post Office, Photo courtesy:esmadrid.com
Royal Post Office,My photo.
Royal Post Officel,The Clock Turret.
Royal Post Office locally known in madrid as "Casa de Correos" It was built by French architect Jacques Marquet (1760 - 1768) as the central headquarters of the Post Office.It is located on the flat side of the semicircle of Square of the Gate of the Sun. It was designed in the Baroque style of the period. The combination of materials, brick and stone with wrought iron on the balcony, and the sculptural details of Antonio Primo are emphasised throughout the structure.Today it is the Office of the President of Madrid, the head of the regional government of the Autonomous Community of Madrid.
Since its completion in 1770,Royal Post office, Its Clock turret which dates back to 19th century and was a gift from the clockmaker Losada, the stone slab on the pavement out side the Post Office building,The Statue of Venus,all have become very important and integral part of lives of citizens of Madrid.
Role of Clock Tower: On every New Year's Eve,on December 31st, it is this clock which marks the end of the year for the citizens of Madrid AND thanks to television as the event is telecast live on national TV, all of Spain as well.Citizens of Madrid gather around in the Plaza and with each of twelve chimes of the clock eat twelve grapes thus completing the ritual of "eating of 12 grapes".
Photo courtesy:Tourism in Spain.
Near the door way of Royal Post office a stone slab has been embeded in pavement which is Spain's "zero Kilometer" stone.The plaque was placed here in 1950 and replaced with a newer stone in 2002 and again in 2009..
All the major roads in Spain take this stonr as detum and the distance measured from here starting from zero.
Some thing akin to Zero Mile" in Nagpur city.
BEAR AND STRAWBERRY TREE.
The Oso & Madroño,Bear and the Strawberry Tree.
Statue of Bear and the Strawberry Tree or The Oso & Madroño as it is called locally in Spanish,is a 20 ton brinz statue re-located at the junction of Pureta Del sol and Alcala Street in 2009.
The official name of the statue is 'El Oso y El Madroño'. According to legend the original name of the city was "Ursaria" ("land of bears" in Latin), due to the high number of these animals that were found in the adjacent forests with plenty of Madrono Trees.Originally it was a female bear as "oso"is Female bear.Marodona means Arbutus(Strawberry Tree).The Bear and the Strawberry Tree have been the emblem or symbol of the city from the Middle Ages.The same image appears on the city's coat of arms.
The statue is very popular amongst the local and a meeting point. It has also become a very popukar tourist attraction and saught after place for a "selfie"
Statue of Venus(Mariblanca)
Statue of Venus (Estatua La Mariblanca) at Plaza Puerta del Sol, a replica of the seventeenth century original that used to adorn a fountain located here, now held at the Casa de la Villa.
Generally statues referred as Mariblanca are female figures of uncertain origin which may relate to the fertility goddesses Venus or Fortuna. The name, which is common in Spanish relates to a statue which was purchased in the year 1625 by a Florentine merchant Ludovico Turchi as a gift to crown the lost Fountain of Faith in Madrid.
EQUETRIAN STATUE OF KING CHARLS III.
King Charls III,in Spanish:Carlos III
King Charls III ascended the thrown on 10 August 1759.An enlightened sovereign and patron of the arts, Charles III I made far-reaching reforms such as promoting science and university research, facilitating trade and commerce, and modernising agriculture. He also tried to reduce the influence of the Church and avoided costly wars. His previous experience as King of Naples and Sicily proved valuable. He was the most irrefutable figure in the fruitful relationship developed between the Crown and Culture in Spain in the Modern Age. His government, in addition to the great public works it promoted, also instigated state intervention in aesthetic aspects on a broad and varied scale.
Effects of hisefforts are evident even to thid day.
Due to his popularity , on popuar demand a 9 meter tallagnificant Equestrian tallagnificant Equestrian statue of King Carlos III was installed at Pureta Del Sol.
By this time it was about 8:20 PM . As there was still time for the RV with our coch we Walked a little distance along Alcala Street. Glad we did as got some photos of beautiful statue on roof tops of equally interesting buildings. Returned to the square . Took some more phots and boarded coachat RV point,wre taken to Diwali Restaurant foe dinner.From there straight to the hotel for a well earned sleep.
TOMORROW WE START FOR BARCELONA.
END:17 May 2017, DAY 11
END:17 May 2017, DAY 11
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