Spanish city is devilishly good
ASEuropean capitals go, Madrid is a bit of an oddity.
Unlike Rome and Lisbon it’s nowhere near the sea.
And it doesn’t have a major river artery running through it like London or Paris, which allowed trade to transform her into a metropolis.
Instead, positioned slap bang in the middle of the country, Madrid couldn’t be any further away from water.
It’s almost as if someone simply put a pin in the map to decide where the heart of Spain should lie (imagine if Harthill in Lanarkshire was Scotland’s administrative hub if you can).
Actually that’s more or less exactly what they did – and they weren’t even Spanish.
It was the occupying Moors who decided to create their Spanish capital here 2000 years ago.
Despite its rich history, modern Madrid is not some ancient ruin but a bustling and vibrant city.
I’m here with my wife staying in one of the best hotels the city offers – the five-star Barcelo Torre de Madrid.
The last time I was here was nearly two decades ago when I came with a pal and a shoe-string budget.
Then, our digs were somewhat basic – far from the case at Barcelo.
Situated on one of the city’s most prominent squares, Plaza de Espana, its location makes it an ideal base camp to explore Madrid.
Unlike other capitals, Madrid is pretty compact and with a metro connecting the airport to the city centre, it only takes half an hour from disembarking the plane to discovering our swish suite.
The hotel boasts first-class facilities including a stylish bar,