Alcala Gate, now, by night...

Today I wanted to post a sky watch thing but I had no time, so I went for a nocturnal walk about and here it is an Alcala Gate night shot. If you want to know more about the gate... remember this post?!... Have a nice week end every one...

Don't let the sunny shot mistakes you... In this days even if the sun is out, it's cold, very cold, right now their are 0ºC / 32ºF... Brrrrrrrrr..... :-) But the Retiro park cats seem not to get much bordered by this cold and keep on with their cat lifes...

Oh!... and if you stay long enough, the Small cat above in a few seconds is going to attack the big one... but their just playing... :-)

Reflections or Distortions!?...

How do old buildings see new buildings? and how new see old ones?... New buildings don't get reflected in old buildings... but the old, most of the times, are reflected on the new ones... If you cant see your self it probable that you think you look like what you see; So, new buildings must think they look like old buildings but old buildings will probably think their distortions of what they really are...

¡More Circus!...

At petition of some... Here is another curious image that the installation of the American circus in "Las Ventas" Bullfight Arena (Plaza de Toros) offers... :-)

Circus as come to town!!!

The American Circus as arrived to "Las Ventas" (the biggest bullfight arena in the world). The contrast between these two spaces and ways of life is so big that it is almost hilarious... Well at least it makes me smile :-)
I'm kind of busy lately so I'm sorry if I'm not commenting on your blogs as usual!!!...

Plaza Mayor Performance...

Plaza Mayor one of the most (if not the most) charismatic squares in Madrid is full terraces, mimes, clowns, human statues, street music... you name it!...

¡Escaping bus on Columbus square!

I was taking a photo of the fountains (behind the passing bus) and of the tower (Columbus tower, 102m height)... but I got a surprise!!!... ;-)

Monument to the discover of America

It's basically a group of three huge concrete sculptures with embossed inscriptions and figures designed by Joaquin Vaquero Turcios and installed in Colombus square in 1977... Each of the "stones" as a symbolic meaning: Profecy, Genesis and Discover.

¡watch the birdie!...

This girl was taking the classic tourist photo to her family in Jeronimos access stairs... I like how they came out!!!... :-)

New and Old overlayer...

The Jeronimos church and the new Moneo building (Prado museum ampliation) superimposed... This view is of complex comprehension, much criticized by many, but from my point of view very rich... it gives complexity to the urban landscape; isn't this what "the city" is all about?... layers over layers of time and space and life - and what ever you fill like - on the same place?!...

Inside Los Jeronimos

Since in the last few posts I'm showing some Madrid interiors here is one more... :-)
It's the church of "Los Jerónimos", this beautiful temple that originally dates from 1505, assumes it's actual appearance in the late XIX century cause of the serious damages inflicted by Napoleon troops in the beginning of the same century. The cloister was integrated on Prado museum ampliation by Rafael Moneo. On its large history, 500 years, it has been, church, convent, hospital, headquarters, warehouse...

Ooohhh!!...and before I forget this is my 150th post... :-)

...in MNCARS belly...

The new MNCARS building by Jean Nouvel, has some very interesting spaces, here the bar/restaurant under the concert hall; the ceiling you see above is literally the belly of the concert hall.

SkyWatch Latina Skyline

Latina is one of the oldest and more charismatic Madrid neighborhoods... It's impossible to walk on it's streets and squares and don't fall in love for this part of the city... the dome on the left is San Andrés (Saint Andrew)... have a nice weekend every body.

Old Atocha Station Interior

The old Atocha station building was (re)built around 1890 after a fire in the original building from 1851; the author of the project was the Gustave Eiffel pupil Alberto de Palacio. The station was 152 meters long and 40 meters large. The old building is now converted in a 4.000 Sqm of covered tropical garden, and comercial center.

11M Monument Core...

Well someone asked me how the monument was on the inside?!... well here is it... a big dark empty room... and in the center of it, the dome... It sure makes you think...

11M Victims Monument

It's placed right in front of Atocha Station; The 11M monument is there to remember the victims of terrorism. Made with glass bricks (the biggest ever made) it has 11m and it's the work of FAM architects. In the interior of the monument an 'amorph' dome shows many of the spontaneous messages that people left (in many languages) in the days and months after the 11M/2004...