Before a delightful dinner at the Hotel Regina (our accomodation for the night), Peter and I went for a walk around the area. And we stopped for a beer, which was very enjoyable. (We managed to convey our needs, even though neither of us speaks Spanish!)
We were fortunate to be staying very close to the Puerta del Sol, an oval plaza surrounded on all sides by cream coloured 18th century buildings. It's also ground zero from which all distances in Spain are measured. This bronze statue of a bear and a strawberry tree in the middle of the plaza is the most popular rendezvous point. At midnight on New Year's Eve, people gather here to eat the traditional 12 grapes in time to the striking of the clock.
Some of those cream coloured 18th century buildings.
Another view of the plaza, including those buildings.
As night descends, the city lights appear. And the large statue on the building opposite the hotel stands out!
Mass in Almudena Cathedral
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