Sunday, November 22, 2015
El Rastro is the famous Sunday flea market which takes over many streets between La Latina Metro station and Ronda de Toledo in the Embajadores district. We rode the Metro from our hotel to the closest station and followed the crowds.
The temperature was 45 degrees this morning and perhaps a bit warmer by the time we got to El Rastro so we couldn’t believe how crowded it was. A mass of humanity moved at snail’s pace through narrow ancient streets.
One person’s junk is another’s treasure. I love the pink plastic flamingo! If I lived in Madrid, I would have made an offer to buy it. :-)
Street musicians provided entertainment for the shoppers who seemed to be buying used clothing and jewelry.
Crowds of multi-generational families were gathered in the Rondo del Toledo square buying, selling and trading ‘football’ cards.
We escaped the crowds and found a metro to take us to the center of the city. We walked to the famous Plaza Major which was undergoing preparations for the Christmas season.
It’s late November and the days are short with darkness settling in about five o’clock so our tourist time felt limited. We stopped at a small restaurant for a hot drink and enjoyed the ambiance of the Spanish culture of “tapas.” Our Potatas Bravas and Gambas al Ajillo were delicious!
We didn’t have dessert, but the pastries in a window looked very inviting:
We explored more of the city and then found a Metro to take us back to our hotel.
