Cien Años de Gran Vía

Well I made it...after two exhausting flights and 10 hours of travel with two very unhappy toddlers, I have arrived in Madrid. Once I made it through customs I had to make my way to Petit Palace Italia where I will stay during my time in Madrid. I thought I was off to a very good start to my trip, knowing I could conquer the Madrid Metro system...thanks to all my experience in New York City. But I was blindsided by the crowd I faced when I got off the subway...turns out this weekend is the celebration of San Isidro in Madrid. Please take this advice, never come into a city on a weekend during on of the biggest street celebrations of the year...you will be dragging you suitcase for a long time and going absolutely nowhere. My second lesson of the day....there is more than one Petit Palace in Madrid...actually there are many Petit Palace Hotels...I found four today on my own before stumbling onto the Petit Palace Italia where I actually had reservations.

But anyhow...the part I want to focus on was seeing the celebrations of San Isidro and joining in on the celebration of 100 years of Gran Vía...which happens to be the street my hotel sits on. The entire street was lined with a vibrant blue carpet and attracted thousands of Spaniards. I spent the day tasting the local fare at outside cafes which lined Gran Vía. We also admired the festive costumes worn by the children of the city. Traditional dress had the girls in Mermaid styled plaid dress with a hankerchief in their hair and a red flower. On the other hand little boys sported old fashioned slacks with vests, newsboy caps, an a red flower. The outfits were adorable and their excitement to participate in the celebration made watching them twirl ever more entertaining. This one will be short and sweet...you will see pictures of the celebration of San Isidro, la Calle Gran Vía, and tasty jamon y queso. Tomorrow I will tour Madrid and bring shots of some of the best sites.