Our
last day in Miami was spent hiking around. We went to the
Lincoln Street mall, which was huge, and then walked around the
area to see the sights. Our flight was around 7pm, so the
balance of the day was preparation for the flight.
The photos below are what we saw.
This
sweet young thing fancies herself as a model. She was
cute, but her buddy was using an iPhone which is not the best
vehicle for photos.
We
continued walking until we hit Biscayne Bay. The cranes at
the port of Miami are visible in the distance.
There
were some very nice condos next to Biscayne Bay.
We
returned to our hotel via the Lincoln Street Mall and spotted
this cool "thing".
The
flight to Madrid left Miami at around 7pm and showed up around
10am (Madrid time). The Madrid airport is huge, but very
modern and very clean. Customs was non-existent which was
a surprise. Gladly, we did not need a visa which was good
because we did not even check. Our hotel was downtown and
we had a nice view out of our balcony. Above is the tower
of the hotel.
There
was a theater across the street from the hotel.
Our
hotel was on "The street of the dangerous virgin". Aren't
they all?
Classical
statues on the roof of the building across the street from our hotel.
While
headed to the Plaza Mayor, we passed this private casino, the
"Casino de Madrid". Ornate and exclusive.
Interesting
statue. The folks on the right are watching the street
performers.
Lots of
young folks sitting around. The fountains seemed to provide
a focal point.
Another
"famous dead dude" on a horse. That quote is an
infamous line from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" when Ted
is asked by the history teacher about Napoleon.
The
plaza reminded me of Trafalgar Square in London. I have no
idea how this fellow "mounts up".
A river
of tourists on the move.
More
street performers.
More
variations on a theme.
Nearly
all the buildings in the area were "mixed use" where the ground
floor was commercial and the upper floors were
residential. Note the nice colors and details in the iron
work on the balconies.
We
passed a specialty store with many kinds of custom hams.
A river
of humanity on the move after work.
There
was a very large police presence on the street. Above,
Steve chats with one of the officers.
Being
springtime, the trees were in bloom.
No trip
to Spain would be complete without a pitcher of Sangria.
We got pleasantly buzzed while eating tapas.
And speaking
of buzzed, the Plaza Mayor was filled with drunk futbol fans
getting ready for the big soccer game the following day.
Look at
the trash on the ground from the empty cans.
Futbol
hooligans is the correct term. They were singing in unison
(sorta). There was a heavy police presence complete with
riot gear. These guys were hammered. As it turned
out, trouble happened later that night after we left the
area. The BBC stated:
Leicester City fans were charged at and subjected to what appeared to be an unprovoked attack from Spanish police, a BBC journalist has said. BBC correspondent Phil Mackie said he witnessed the scenes in Madrid, where Leicester will play Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final. He said he met supporters who had been left bruised after being hit on the head, arms and knees. The Spanish press reported that eight Leicester fans were arrested. Some fans were hit with batons and bundled into police vans, the correspondent added. Mr Mackie told 5 live the trouble happened in the Plaza Mayor, in Madrid, where Foxes fans had been told they could gather. He said: "I got down [to Plaza Mayor] and found a number of young Leicester fans with bruises, who had been hit on the head, arms, knees and a couple of them dazed. Some of them drunk as well. "As I was talking to them there was a charge. Police officers just charged a group of Leicester fans who were, as far as I could tell, just walking past and chatting to each other. "Three of them were pushed to the floor and hit with batons and bundled into the back of vans and taken away." Aaron Richard Howells, who was in the square, said there was a lot of good-natured singing from supporters, but some younger fans got too close to police with their chanting. He said: "We [witnessed] police targeting groups of people, smashing beers from tables, and even them throwing chairs towards the fans, as well charging with batons and riot shields." However, another supporter who was in the square said some ticketless fans told her they liked to make a nuisance of themselves and "expected trouble later". Spanish newspaper, La Voz de Galicia, reported that eight fans had been arrested following clashes with police and that riot gear was used to disperse about 300 supporters. Leicestershire Police said it could not comment on what happened.
Notice
the painting on the walls.
Another
"famous dead dude" on a horse in the middle of Plaza Mayor.
As is
frequently seen on chain link fences in Paris, love locks are meant
to show a couple's undying devotion. Right up until they
are divorced, of course. As they say: "Love is
grand. Divorce is a hundred grand".
The side
streets to Plaza Mayor were awash in folks checking out the
sights. The paseos were lined with ornate brick and stone
buildings.
There
were a number of nice fountains near the plaza. Note the
intricate ironwork on the balconies.
This church was close
to the plaza. Note the impressive carvings above the
entry way.
An impressive tower,
but clearly contemporary due to the brick work. I do not
know if the church was refurbished or if this is original.
The interior was
equally impressive.
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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2017, all rights
reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.