France - At home in St Pierre en Vaux

8th August, 2008

Having a glass of Beer at the Angere Railway station

With Raveen and Elizebeth

France - TGV Station at Paris Airport

8th August, 2008

The train station at the Charles de Gaulle airport is within the airport premises itself and it is possible to get a train connection to most places from here. The TGV has an extensive and very efficient service. We caught the TGV to Angers which is comfortable 2 hours ride. This is a superfast train.

Train Station at CDG Airport, Paris

At the platform

Madrid - Retiro Park

July 20, 2008

A visit to the Retiro Park in central Madrid in the morning can be a relaxing experience. Built in the early 18th century ( 1868) by King Phillip the IVth as a retreat for the Royal Spanish Family. the park is spread over 360 acres and has a lake in the centre and another small lake on the west side. There are some beautiful buildings in the park including a museum.

The park is a very popular place , particularly on weekends where families come for picnics and leisure. The park has beautiful gardens which offer a place for respite and relaxation. It also has numerous statues but probably the most well known is the El Angel Caído. It is dedicated to Satan, possibly the only such statue in Europe.

The Retiro is also a favourite place for performing artists and includes street theatres as well as performing musical bands which also take this opportunity sell there music on CD's

Street Performers in the Park

Relaxing in the Park

Madrid at Night

Madrid Town Hall at Night

Church in Goya

Views of Gran Via Close-up of a building in Gran Via

Almudena Cathedral - Madrid

Located opposite the Palaceo Real ( Royal Palace), this neogothic cathedral is a magnificiant building called La Almudena after the virgin of Almudena to whom it is dedictated. The stunning blue facade is a delight to see.

The cathedral is stunning building with a bright and modern interior

The interior of the cathedral is full of light coming from the beutifully stained windows and the multicoloured ceiling. Its grand grezing organ adds to the grandeur and gets played on Sundays and holidays.
The huge central dome measures 20 Mtrs in diametre

The beautiful stained glass windows in the cathedral are not be missed

The Royal Palace - Madrid

The palace is built entirely of stone - granite from the Sierra de Guadarrama and white Colmenar stone. Massive foundation walls support the building on the steep slope down to the Manzanares which is laid out in gardens (the Jardines de Sabatini to the north, the Campo del Moro to the west). The impression of imposing and unapproachable majesty which is conveyed by the palace is reinforced by the massive substructure of finely dressed ashlar with small windows. An intermediate floor, also with small square windows, forms a transition to the main structure. The balconies of the principal apartments are separated by Ionic columns and Doric pilasters. Above the main floor is another intermediate floor without openings, and above this again a final floor with windows. The facade is topped by a balustrade of white stone with statues of Spanish kings

The main front is on the south side, facing the Plaza de la Armeriàa. Like the other fronts, it bears the royal arms

Close View of the Coat of Arms on the Front of the Palace

Palacio Real de Madrid - Gardens

One of the top tourist attractions, The Royal Palace is the official residence of the Royal family. These days however, the Royal Family only use it for state ceremonies. The rest of the time it’s open to the public. Otherwise known in Spanish as the Palacio Real, the Royal Palace was built during the 18th and 19th centuries, and is a monumental building.

The right of the Royal Palace is flanked by a Garden with numerous statues.

The Palace gardens are known as the Palo del Moro

( Garden of the Moors). These gardens orignated during the reign of King Philip II, the present appearance however dates from 1890.

The square situated to the east of the Palace, and known for this reason as the Plaza de Oriente, has recently been remodelled. It contains several of the statues of the kings of Spain carved during the reign of King Ferdinand VI.