Well we managed to be a little less lazy today and only slept in till 8:30! Decided to forego the heavy brek we had at Brunchit yesterday and opted for a coffee and pastry at the little cafe near the hotel. Today is Labour Day in Spain and we figured it would be quite crowded, and boy, were we right about that!! One of the things I had on my ‘to see’ list was the Temple of Debod for no other reason than it intrigued me that there would be an Egyptian temple in the middle of a Spanish city! Story is that the temple, built in the 2nd century, was one of several in danger of being submerged when the Aswan Dam was built. Spain responded to a plea by UNESCO for help in rescuing these temples and, as a token of gratitude, the Egyptian government donated the temple to Spain. It was moved, stone by stone to Madrid, and meticulously reconstructed to preserve its historical value. Unfortunately because it was a national holiday, it was not possible to go inside. Our walk back towards the Puerta del Sol area was like salmon swimming upstream! The sidewalks were packed along the Gran Via, compounded by the fact that there was a huge Labour Day parade taking up the whole street. We had a brief stop at the hotel and then set out to find the nun cookies. However on the way we succumbed to the siren call of churros y chocolata and just had to stop to sample these iconic treats. On to the convent only to find that they were closed and there would be no cookies till Monday! (Insert very sad face emoji here!) Should have bought them when I was doing the Rick Steves tour the other day, but I had wanted Irv to have the experience as well.
Back to the hotel for a break from the heat. Irv decided to stick around there while I opted for some more exploring. Off to the Almudena Cathedral or more correctly, the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Royal of Almudena. I had seen this on the Rick Steves walk I did yesterday and wanted to see inside, and I was glad I had made the trek down. It is a beautiful structure, its lines graceful and harmonious, with less of the ornate qualities one often finds in Catholic cathedrals. The only aspect that might be considered a bit ostentatious is the altar dedicated to St. Mary of Almudena, which is very ornate and VERY gold! There seems to be a mix of styles within the building as well, with some of it bordering on pop art. All in all, a most worthwhile visit.
Back towards home base where I tracked Irv down on Plaza de Carmen enjoying a cold bevvie so I joined him and we sat soaking in the ambience of a sunny afternoon in Madrid. Unfortunately all the walking we had done earlier took a toll on poor Irv’s back and legs and he wasn’t able make it any further than the hotel to suss out dinner. So I ended up heading out in search of a takeout, which I found in the form of jamon y queso bocadillos and a cheese and carmelised onion empanada. We followed that up with a tasty helado for dessert! A good end for a good day!!