MADRID || A Lucid Summer Dream
Madrid left a deep mark on me.
I can still vividly remember the golden warmth of the Spanish sun tenderly kissing my face as I made my way through the Temple of Debod, the sparkling water of the Great Pond piercing my eyes like diamonds at sunset, the still yet oddly expressive stone lions and bronze mermaids perched on the steps leading to the majestic Monument to King Alfonso XII, the meticulously manicured Sabatini Gardens of the Royal Palace, the cacophony of heavy traffic and bustling pedestrians on the busy Gran Vía, the stagnant summer air occasionally disrupted by a gentle breeze…
The sights, the sounds, the first impressions, the euphoric feeling of being in a foreign city all come surging back to me whenever I look through these photos I took during my inaugural trip to the capital of Spain. The breadth of Madrid’s architecture, museums and monuments fascinated me greatly. The vast, well-trimmed public gardens within the city served as pockets of sanctuary for me to relax, meditate and escape from the urban chaos. At nighttime, the city revealed its true beauty. A glimpse of its eclectic nightlife and late-night restaurants made me fall in love with Madrid even more.
It’d be absurd to fully and accurately describe my fondness for this magical city in a few paragraphs, so I shall let the pictures do the talking. I sorely miss the carefree summer days in Spain!
The sprawling urban landscape of Madrid from my hotel.
A quiet, charming street in Madrid.
A cute dog taking a nap at the Plaza Mayor.
That Spanish summer light!
Buildings bathed in golden light as the sun goes down.
Temple of Debod at sunset.
The beautiful interior of Taberna La Carmencita, the second oldest restaurant in Madrid.
The garden courtyard of Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
Palacio de Cristal, a must-see architecture in El Retiro park.
The Royal Palace of Madrid. This shot was taken roughly an hour after sunset.
A nice evening stroll through the Plaza de España.
Photography by James Yang