Christmas deco in Madrid

The climate of Madrid is continental; mainly dry and quite extreme at times. Madrid sees perpetual sunshine and a characteristically hot and dry summer, and a fairly cold winter with frequent frosts during the night and the occasional snowfall. The city had not snowed yet in early December, and was decorated with Christmas lights all over the streets.

Madrid possibly has the largest number of bars per capita of any European city and a very active nightlife; Madrileños are known to stay up until as late as 5AM-7AM. It is quite common to see a crowded Gran Vía on weekend nights. 

Due to this lifestyle, my hostel is located near the fun areas which ended up a headache for my sleep since my window faced the street. I was woken up 1-2 times each night by my night owl roommates. 

Day trip from Madrid to El Escorial

I took 50 minute bus there, then was told it was closed on Monday. I walked around the property but could not find a way to view inside. I plan to try again on Tuesday. I run into a Korean traveler who gave me a ride back to Madrid. I toured him across the city then checked two museums free on Monday.  

Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, the city's main attraction is the world famous Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (El Escorial for short), a World Heritage Site that was the political centre of the Spanish empire under King Philip II.

With an annual number of 500,000 visitors,the Escorial – ostensibly a monastery, but in fact built as a royal residence – is one of Spain’s major tourist attractions.

Originally commissioned as mausoleum for his father Charles V, when building completed in 1584 the grounds included a basilica-church, monastery, royal household and library. The pantheon contains the remains of Phillip II and those of his parents, Charles V and the Empress Isabel of Portugal.

Some highlights not to miss in El Escorial:

• The Basilica contains two great cenotaphs on either side of the high altar: to the right, that of the founder, King Philip II; on the left that of the Emperor Charles V. The sculptor Pompeyo Leoni was responsible for the gilt bronze statues in the two royal groups.
• The Pantheon of Kings is directly underneath the altar in the Basilica and is worth the extra money for the full priced ticket.
• The magnificent Gallery of Battles was recently restored and shows scenes commemorating battles from Phillips military campaigns.
• The Chapter Houses with the collection of paintings from Tintoretto, El Greco, Titian and others.
• El Grecos painting of "The Martyrdom of St. Maurice".
• The Library and its vaulted ceiling decorated with frescoes.

Parks in Madrid

• El Retiro Park, The main park of Madrid, the perfect place to take a rest during a sunny day, or take part in the drum circles around the statue of Alphonso XII on summer evenings. There is a large boating lake where one can hire a rowing boat - great fun for the children! There is a monument to the victims of the Madrid 3/11 terrorist bombings, the Forest of the Absent, and the Crystal Palace, a large structure entirely made of glass. 

• Royal Botanical Garden (Real Jardin Botanico).
• Templo de Debod, An Egyptian temple, located in one of Madrid′s most beautiful parks. Near the Royal Palace and Plaza de España, it was a present given by Egypt to Spain for its role in saving the temple of Abu Simbel from the floodwaters of Lake Nasser following the construction of the Aswan Dam in southern Egypt. I ran into a mother and her grown up daughter visiting from Taiwan and briefed them the ways to take buses to their destinations within Spain. Then I realized that I still had time to cover the Museum of America and run to see it. 
• Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste, The rose garden of Madrid, located in the same park as the Templo de Debod. 

Off Alhambra

There are two other attractions unknown to most visitors: Carmen de Los martires, and Rodriguez - Acosta foundation.

Alhambra, Spain

The Alhambra: Part fortress (the Alcazaba), part palace (Palacios Nazaries), part garden (the Generalife) and part government city (the Medina), this medieval complex overlooking Granada is one of the top attractions in Spain, with many visitors coming to Granada expressly to see the Alhambra. The last Moorish stronghold in Europe, the Alhambra reflects the splendor of Moorish civilization in Andalusia and offers the visitor splendid ornamental architecture, spectacular and lush gardens, cascading and dripping water features, and breathtaking views of the city.

The Alhambra was a palace, citadel, fortress, and the home of the Nasrid sultans, high government officials, servants of the court and elite soldiers from the 13th to the 14th century. Other notable buildings belonging to a different time period are also located within the Alhambra complex, most notably the Renaissance style Palace of Charles V, which houses the Alhambra Museum (with historical artifacts from the site) and the Fine Art Museum.

The walking tour took me to fully appreciate the unique architecture of the Alhambra set within the surrounding landscape, from Albaizín (most notably the San Nicolás Viewpoint) and Sacromonte. 

The Alhambra is a vast complex, composed of many structures and gardens on its lush grounds, and there are four primary attractions: the Alcazaba, the Palace of Charles V, the Palacios Nazaries and the Generalife.

• Alcazaba. The ruins of a massive fortress perched atop the crest of the hill overlooking the city, this is the oldest part of the Alhambra and offers some of the finest views of anywhere in the complex, with an expansive panorama from the top of the prominent tower that gives a spectacular view of nearly the entire city and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Within the fort's walls are the ruins of a town which once held soldier's homes and baths, though today only the outline of these rooms remain.

• Palace of Charles V (Palacio de Carlos V). A more recent addition to the Alhambra, this sixteenth century building was commissioned following the Reconquista by Charles V as a royal residence close to the Alhambra palace. The square two-level structure is done in Renaissance style with an impressive circular courtyard ringed by a colonnade within. The building is also home to two museums, the Museo de la Alhambra on the lower floor with a collection of artifacts and art from the Alhambra, and the Museo de Bellas Artes, a small fine art museum on the upper floor, as well as a couple of changing museum exhibits which regularly feature art with some connection to the Alhambra.
• Palacios Nazaries. The Nasrid royal palace and the primary (and thus most crowded) attraction of the Alhambra complex, the palace is an impressive, at times breathtakingly beautiful work of architecture. Visitors get to see spectacular archways and windows, carved wooden ceilings, intricate molded-plaster work and colorful ceramic tiles at nearly every turn as they meander between lovely rooms and lush courtyards. Mexuar is a set of administrative rooms with a beautiful prayer room and a small square courtyard with the golden Façade of Comares, before emerging in the Court of the Myrtles, a rectangular courtyard with a long pool of water flanked on each side by a myrtle hedge (hence the name). At the end of the courtyard you can enter a room to view the twelveLion Statues from the fountain in the Court of the Lions, which is currently undergoing renovation. Cross to the other end of the Court of the Myrtles to enter the Ship Room, with its spectacular carved wooden ceiling in the shape of an upside-down hull, and the Chamber of the Ambassadors, the palace's largest and perhaps most spectacular room, which once functioned as the throne room and features a star-studded wooden ceiling, intricately carved stucco walls and beautiful arched windows. From here you'll pass through a series of small rooms, including the Washington Irving Room, where Washington Irving wrote Tales of the Alhambra, as well as down an open-air hallway with an excellent view of an adjacent courtyard (the Court of Linda-Raja) and the Albayzín. Passing by the old bath house is the Hall of the Two Sisters, a spectacular domed room with an intricate stucco ceiling and lovely views of the Court of Linda-Raja. From here i navigated around the edge of the Court of the Lions to the Hall of the Abencerrages, structurally similar to the Hall of the Two Sisters. 
• Generalife. The lush and gorgeous gardens of the Nasrid kings, the expansive Generalife is the finest set of Moorish style gardens in Andalusia, positioned on a hill situated at the rear of the complex overlooking the Alhambra palace. There are beds of colorful flowers, more exquisite architecture, leaping fountains and cool shade. There are two entrances to the Generalife, one at the ticket booth on the east side of the complex and another next to the Palacios Nazaries which leads to the Partal Gardens, a collection of palace gardens with flowing water streams and a large pool of water which reflects a nearby portico. From the Partal following the Promenade of The Towers, the remains of the main wall and its adjoining towers that separate the Alhambra palace grounds from the Generalife.