Today was May Day (Labor Day) and the streets of Madrid were filled with demonstrations by a variety of political parties. Fortunately it was quiet and organized. We waited until the afternoon to take the students into the city. When we arrived at the Atocha (the train station) there was a long march taking place. The participants were members of the Communist Party and Workers' Party. The later were carrying flags similar to those that flew during the II Republic (1931-1936).

When you walk through the city you discover all kinds of interesting graffitti. This one must have been a result of last years voting in Catalunya about whether to break from Spain and form its own country or not. It is evident that this tagger believed that it wasn't a good idea.

Walking up the calle Las Huertas (entering the Barrio de los Escritores) we found this band playing. They were pretty good!

We came on this unusual protest. Two sets of individuals were tied to light poles with plastic wrap. They invited children to grab the ends of the plastic wrap and race to untie the people as quickly as possible.

What happened next is they called my youngest son, Seth, to participate. Here is racing around the pole being cheered on the by the crowd. He didn't win, but had a great time!

We visited the Plaza Mayor. This the Puerta de Toledo that begins at the plaza. There were just mountains of people in the downtown area making it very difficult to stay together.

This is the Basilica Pontificia de San Miguel. It is a beautiful example of Italian baroque built in the 18th century at the request of Isabel de Farnesio. The basilica is particularly significant since it houses (at the back of the church) the Nuncio of Vatican (its embassy).

And, of course, we had to take a time out to have some gelato. This is the best ice cream in the city! If you ever visit Madrid, remember PALAZZO. You won't regret it.

We saw a lot of interesting sites not featured here. Among them were the ruins of the old Moorish walls of Madrid, the Cathedral of the Almudena, the outside of the Palace, the Palace Gardens, the home of Lope de Vega, the Convent of the Trinitarias (where Miguel de Cervantes is buried), the Convento de las Descalzas Reales, and so much more. The poor students were hot, tired, and exhausted. After we finished we separated with some accompanying me and my family to the Parque del Retiro (the Central Park of Madrid). Here are some pictures: