As we walked toward the Spanish opera house in Madrid, we saw a big police presence and an even bigger crowd of people standing near the Teatro Real — the Royal Theatre.
The crowd, however, wasn’t too close to the building that houses the leading institution of the performing arts in Spain because of the police barricades that prevented anyone from entering.
We also noticed a big media presence, as a myriad of photographers were lined up across from the Royal Theatre waiting to snap a picture of someone.
“Who do you think is inside the theatre,” I asked my wife.
We began to speculate.
We just happened to be in Madrid in late June during the historic NATO Summit that took place in which President Biden met with leaders of other NATO member countries. “Perhaps there was a NATO excursion to the Royal Theatre,” we wondered.
I asked a few of the Spaniards who were standing next to us as we waited to see who exited the charming building that is located in one of the historical quarters of Madrid. No one, however, seemed to know.
A few minutes later, we saw several people exit as the photographers began to snap pictures.
“It’s the prime minister’s wife,” my wife said as we watched. She had seen María Begoña Gómez Fernández on TV the night before and recognized her right away as we watched her pose for a few pictures before being chauffeured away.
And a few minutes later, the road was open, the barricades were down and the police presence disappeared as the prime minister’s wife headed to her next event.
We were hoping we might see the Bidens from a distance but we were never in the right place at the right time. We were, however, in Spain’s lovely capital city for two days as we tried to squeeze in as much as possible during our 48 hours in Madrid.
I normally do not prefer to spend a lot of time in capital cities, as they tend to be too crowded and too fast-paced for my liking when traveling. Madrid, however, is an exception, as it is one of my favorite capital cities to visit.
From its pedestrian-friendly parks and walkways to its tasty gastronomy and big markets, it is a lovely place to spend a few days exploring Spain.
We began each day in Madrid with a walk around Retiro Park, whose glorious gardens, marble monuments, large lake and green grass make it one of our favorite places to visit during any trip to the capital city.
After a long stroll through the park, another must-see in Madrid is the Mercado de San Miguel — one of the city’s oldest markets. The market is full of vendors who sell food from counter bars — everything from slices of Manchego cheese to chicken wraps.
While Madrid has no shortage of places to see, stores in which to shop and restaurants to sample, the capital city is also located close to some other must-see locations in central Spain:
Segovia — home to an impressive Roman-era aqueduct as well as a palace that is rumored to have been Walt Disney’s inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle in California — is just 90 minutes away.
Toledo — a city of some 85,000 people that is located on top of a gorge that overlooks a river — is also 90 minutes away. Toledo is home to mosques, synagogues, cathedrals and art museums that display El Greco’s masterpieces.
Avila — located about an hour outside of Madrid, it is worth visiting to see its old city. Tall walls surround the old city, in addition to 88 watchtowers and more than 2,000 turrets.
There is one downside, however, to visiting Madrid in the summer: the temperature. It’s hot, which might make visiting in late spring or early fall a better time of the year to travel there.
While the summer heat is a bit uncomfortable in Madrid, there are more than enough places to grab an ice cream cone or a gelato in this gem of a city that does not disappoint.
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