October 17th Chueca

Today we got out for a walk through an area called Chueca, it is north of Plaza Mayor and is an area that was pretty run down not so long ago.  It has a bit of a reputation as a place where you could get mugged at night if you aren’t paying attention, but like all neighborhoods for us it seems pretty sedate. However like all neighborhoods anywhere you could get in trouble if you’re careless.  That being said we started our walk at the ‘Sociedad General da Autores de Espagna’ which is the organization that ensures that Spanish authors and composers receive all the royalties to which they are entitled.  What makes this interesting is that it is housed in one of the most over the top Art Nouveau building we’ve ever seen.  It is recognized as one of the top architectural gems of Madrid and that still almost understates it.  From there we walked through the quarter past the church where one of Spain’s kings is buried along with his wife, from which it gets its name, Santa Barbara.  Then past the supreme tribunal building where all of the high profile trials take place, for people like terrorists and such.  We then walked through an area that is primarily the gay neighborhood of Madrid, lots of fashion and shoe stores to tempt a person. After our walk we got back to the apartment for a quick rest before going for our second Spanish language session.  A busy day all in all.