In Madrid

Madrid was relaxing. 

12 hours of stranding at the Charleroi sapped off all the energy from me and gave me a big shoe bite. But the bodily hindrances proved no obstacle to the visual delights we were so eagerly looking forward to. It just made my presence a little delightful to curious onlookers, well dressed ladies, excited young ones and the gentlemen looking forward to well- dressed Latino ladies on the sunny streets of Madrid. The soft woolen sole less shoes was the only cover my shoe-bit ridden toe fingers would except. So wearing my attitude and cheerful smile, I confidently put on the visual delight! 
And Ola! We started with the typical tourist attractions. Plaza Mayor was a good start. Colorful wigs in shiny blue, bright red, tangling pink, olive green were not just available for sale, but some daring patrons actually chose to wear them on the Christmas eve. The Christmas market at the Plaza was a nice walk. Confectioneries tasting like oranges, blackberry, pineapple, mangoes and blackcurrent took me back in space and time to the innocent childhood, when sweetmeats were enough to sweeten my innocent world with all the happiness. Spain without sea food! Without Paellea! Without Tapas! Ohlalala!! Would be saint like.... But the pleasure seekers would not appreciate that. So thought my significant other. And he rushed to seek stimulus for his drying taste buds. The sea food bazaar, next to Plaza Mayor is your place to be if you love sea food. Oysters, fishes, octopus, prawns, crabs, lobsters, topas made in a special Spanish style with Spanish Sangria( literally 'blood' in Spanish, named so because of its colour) adorned the numberless food counters at the bazar. The sea food connoisseurs thronging the place in droves leaving  no breathing space, made one feel as if the food were available for free.   

Leaving Spain without eating oranges, without bathing in the sun and above all without watching 'bailamos' flamenco would have been like living but not breathing. So we chose to breath! Lazing around on the sunny afternoon beneath the brilliantly shining sun at the three adjacent Gardens: Jardines Cabo Noval, Plaza de Orient & Jardines de Lepanto, we admired the magnificient Palacio Real, a grand majestic figure, reminiscent of rich Royal legacy of Spain, silhouetted against ciel blue skies surrounded by scenic natural beauty was definitely relaxing. Tour inside the palace was equally mesmerizing. The intricate Royal paintings, decorations, the scientifically advanced Pharmacy and the rich Royal armoury, left me thinking. And my simple mind thought is the Royal Title too much off a responsibility, too much of surreality on the frail shoulders of a simple human mind. Shrouded in the Royal aura definitely seemed glamorous, the Palace indeed was grand, large enough to spend a week to see all of it. But was it grand enough to define the boundaries of freedom of a human being. And it seemed too difficult to me to answer. So I tried to forget the question. And we moved to take the panoramic view of the natural landscape from the lobby. It was spectacular. It was platonic. And with the setting sun, we said, Buonanotte to our third day in Spain.