Madrid. Who needs landmarks?

There was no time to recover from my nattering marathon as the day after the English Conversation Programme ended, I was thrown back on to the coach to the centre of Madrid. Fortunately for me, I was talking again with a speed of 100mph in no time!...

Now, they say never believe everything you read, so I was trying to take what I had read from a traveller's book about Madrid with a pinch of salt. According to this publication, Madrid isn't a 'beautiful' city because it doesn't have a particular landmark to 'wow' tourists like the Big Ben and Buckingham Palace does for London, or the Eiffel Tower for Paris.

Accurate or way too harsh? I was on a mission to find out.

It didn't help that the scorching Spanish weather had me constantly yearning for a siesta but I was on a mission - you didn't see James Bond complaining about the weather or Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible sprawled out on his bed doing nothing all day, did you? It was time to get tough!

First things first - I wanted to see the Royal Palace, or Palacio Real, which is the official residence for the Royal family and is the biggest building in Madrid. It also happens to be the largest royal palace in Europe with a massive courtyard that seemed to go on for miles. Once inside, the lavish rooms and huge banqueting halls were so captivating that I felt like I was walking around in a daze for the most part. The desire to touch marble tables and silk curtains within my reach nearly sent the guards into a frenzy, at which point I felt like 'Jane' Bond, the secret spy, with the King's guards keeping a suspicious eye on me throughout my two hour visit.

As impressed as I was by the Palacio Real, I was not convinced this was the icon I was looking for. I also checked out Museo del Prado and Retiro Park, both of which were highly recommended as top attractions, but again - it would be treacherous of me to claim that either were Madrid's main attractions. Retiro Park may have wowed those who are not used to the likes of Hyde Park and St. James's Park, but it really didn't leave that much of an impression on me.

I knew I wasn't going to discover any magnificent icons at the Flea Market of El Rastro on Sunday morning, but it was still a pleasure to join in with fellow punters hunting for bargains and hidden gems. Maybe that's what's it's all about, simply mingling with new friends and the locals whilst indulging in Sangria, Paella and Churros (fried dough dunked in hot chocolate) and enjoying the weather (in the shade). Who cares about not having significant icons to show it off, right?

Still, I was curious to see what else Madrid had in store...

One extremely hot and sticky day, I gave in to temptation and had a lengthy nap to find it was almost sunset when I woke. Had I not promised to meet a friend later that night, I might not have discovered how beautiful the city is at night. Some people say some things look a lot nicer in the dark, and I'm not saying Madrid is an ugly city (far from it) but attractions seem to stand out a lot more at night.

The Alcala Arch (pictured left) and fountain, which I walked past a dozen times without so much of a glance during the day, took my breath away as bright lights illuminated the beauty of the statues and architecture that stood in the middle of busy roads. The sights in front of me were so stunning that I took the time to admire them, snapping away to find the perfect shot.

Another attraction definitely worth visiting at dusk is the Ancient Egyptian Temples and Tombs, better known as Templo de Debod (pictured right). Built in the 4th century BC, it was dedicated to the God Amun and goddess Isis and once stood in the Nile alley of Egypt before being given to the Spanish. The authentic Egyptian temple itself seems a bit out of place in a city like Madrid, but that's what makes it an even more intriguing attraction to visit.

Of course, situated in Puerta del Sol is the 'Symbol of Madrid' - a statue of a bear eating strawberries from a tree. The female bear is said to symbolise the fertile soil of Madrid while the tree symbolises the aristocracy. Chances of the statue winning any awards next to the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben are slim, but it still manage to attract a decent amount of fans queuing to take pictures with it.

The author of the publication might be right about landmarks in Madrid not being the most beautiful and scenic in Europe, but it certainly doesn't mean the city lacks any charisma and character because of this. In fact, friendly people, bustling lifestyles, stunning icons like the Alcala Gate and Templo de Debod, shopping districts like Puerta del Sol and Gran Via as well as people-watching locations like Plaza Mayor makes Madrid one of my favourite cities to visit of all time.