Late... but Back... Happy 2009!!!...

Hello everyone Happy New Year!!!... Happy 2009!!!... I'm Back after a big vacation but I really need it, to start the New Year of full shape!... Thank for your kind comments on my blogs... I leave u today with a shot of the firework first firework of the year...

(MAD)rid Xmas Atmosphere!!!...

Not the best shot!... But I think is very representative of the Xmas atmosphere in Madrid... Cold Nights, Clear sky, lights everywhere, Christmas markets, busy people from here to there... well... is Xmas and you can feel it in the air... :-) I don't know if I'll be able to post in the next 2 weeks 'cause I'm going on vacation :-) Yuppiiiiii.....
FROM (MAD)RID DAILY PHOTO I WHICH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS (and just in case I can't post in the next few weeks) A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!...

Sky Watch Reflected!

I love to shot buildings reflected on buildings, I some know what I think about it... (for the ones who don't or don't remember, Look here) :-) So I thought I'll try do capture some sky watch this way... and here it is!!!... Have a nice weekend everyone.

Royal Palace from Sabatini Gardens...

The Sabatini gardens were made in honor of Francesco Sabatini, architect that in the XVIII century did a great deal of works for the crown, the gardens were open to the public in 1978 and built in the early '900's in the place ocupied by the royal stables (built by sabatini). On ower day this garden is a must see for anyone visiting Madrid.

And before I forget (again) I'd like to thank Rakesh Vanamali who awarded 2 times in a row... :-)

As usual one gives what one receives, so I'll give this awards together too to 8 bloggeres...8 friends...

Rob of Trieste DP

Blognote of Arona DP

JM of Oeiras and environs DP

Pia K of Pomp & Serendipity and The World According to Pia

Marie-Noyale of Larchmont DP

Nobu of Tokyo Snap Photo and Funabashi Daily Cell Phone Photo

Olivier of Evry DP

Babzy of Babzy photos Blog

Prado North Entance by Night

I was out for some shots the other night when it started to rain and I had to put my camera away... but before I made some shots... This is the north entrance to the Prado Museum, and probably the better know by everyone, if your out to visit this magnificent museum you'll sure enter here...

Metropolis Building Details

Remember the Metropolis building by night post, here, well I decided to show you the beautiful details of it's corner facade... This building opens the Gran Via on its east side (corner with Alcalá street). Hope you enjoy it as much as I do... :-)

More Christmas lights...

Hello everyone, I've being really busy in this last few days and I'll probably be like that till after Christmas but I'll do my best to keep on posting, answering and visiting your blogs...
Today I leave you with some more Christmas lights, a detail from Alcalá gate x illumination...

Rowing in the Retiro Park Big Pond...

Is a common tourist, and not only, practice - Rowing in the Retiro Park big pond - theres not much to see, I mean the pond is rectangular... you can go around it and you'll see the same stuff... but well the nostalgics and romantics love the tour... :-)

¡Christmas lights ON!...

All the the city is now illuminated by the Christmas lights and the Christmas spirit (buy, buy, buy, and buy... do it now or... :-) I'll be posting some more of this in the next weeks, giving everyone to know the 4,6 million Euro Madrid Christmas illumination... Is a bit too much don't you think???!!...

(MAD)rid Towers Sky Watch

I live you with another view from two of the tower... And have a nice weekend everyone!!! :-)

Reflections on a (half) rainy day!...

Remember the Madrid Towers?... well their finishing them now... All towers (there are 4) are around 250m high and I would say their omnipresent in the city (It's possible to see them from all city around). Some days ago I went there to see them from another angle... and I got this reflection of one of them, designed by Norman Foster...

Ladies roundabout!!!...

I was just out for a tranquil walk on the beautiful Paseo del Prado boulevard, when I saw this ladies!?... I thought: -What are they talking about?!... So I approached... but I didn't get anything!?... I rounded about... and still nothing the primordial theme they were talking just was out of my reach...:-) and I thought: -I have to post this!!!... and here they are :-) the ladies roundabout...

No Sangria???... No Party!!!...

If you go out at night while visiting Madrid (and thats a must), you'll find scenes like this almost everywhere, doors and windows open and people half in, half out... this is one of the reasons I always go out with my camera you never know when you gonna find a good shot... Here we are in Santa Ana zone and around there are places that only serve sangria... :-) Can you believe that???!...

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.