Madrid Day Three

We started today back on the buses...Route 1 extended trip. Quite interesting but much of it spoilt by the open top bus not being very open!! As time went on we decided that we needed to get off and actually go INTO some of the places we had seen.
As we walked past, we caught the tail end of the changing of the guard - the soldiers are very smart but so short!

Our first proper stop was the temple (outside pics see earlier blog). It was amazing seeing real life old Egyptian stone work right in front of you in Spain. The temple was covered for 60 years or so by the water from the Aswan Dam so the Egyptians dug it up and sent to Spain to restore! Like the logic!

  

Then the cable car ride. We love these trips! Only a few minutes but gives a different view of the city...not to mention the snowy mountains that are so close.

Here we are inside the Palacio de Comumnicaciones (though I am sure I called it something else in a previous blog!). It is the large white symmetrical princess palace that I was so impressed with ...so now be equally amazed by the inside. It has exhibitions, cafes, viewing towers and offices; very complex.

And from the viewing platform, here are the snowy hills I mentioned earlier!

At the end of the day we went back to the Plaza Mayor for a meal. We had planned to see the city in the dark ( a final go on the buses) but were prevented by a trilogy of reasons.

1. There was a military band entertaining us with lovely music.
2. It still wasn't dark when we finally got back to the hotel....and
3. It was raining and the bus driver wasn't sure where he would finish - what a wimp!!