走街串巷马德里(Walking the streets of Madrid)
2023年6月初，我们从里斯本坐跨国长途大巴，因为没有边境检查站，不知不觉中就离开了葡萄牙，进入西班牙，最后到达目的地马德里。欧洲的生根协议，给欧洲人，以及在欧的来自世界各地的游人，甚至非法移民，都带来了很大的方便，同时也为各个欧洲成员国节省了边境设站的开销。当时车上坐在我身边的一个西班牙人，三十出头，健谈友好，英语也算流利，就是口音太重，较难明白他的话意。他说经常在附近的国家轮换居住，他当时住在里斯本。这样轮流方便地移居不同的国家，还真有点令人向往。
到了马德里，看到路面交通非常拥挤，像极了洛杉矶。长途汽车站与地铁站、火车站相连。旅馆选远了一点，得坐一段火车才能到达。西班牙人很热情，一路问陌生人，只要懂英语，都会解答我们的路问。所以虽然旅馆离市中心区较远，还算顺利地到达了旅馆。
马德里市中心广场站叫“Sol”。我们坐地铁从此站出来，就感受到了热闹的气氛，人流量很大。有七，八条街从广场不同的方向，向外延伸出去。不知应该先逛那条街？广场有一侧，不是街口，而是一幢大楼，楼下有两个拱门呈开放式。于是我们先进入了拱门到了大楼的另一端。另一端却是个长方形的广场，有不少摊位，歺厅，及商场。几个摆摊的小贩总想用英语与我套近乎，问我哪来的呀，韩国人？我都以不懂英文回绝了，那有闲工夫与他们聊。这个长方形广场就是马约尔广场(Plaza Mayor)。
离开该广场后，就随意地逛附近的街了。过了一段时间，好像街道更具现代感了。于是感觉应该回到起初的广场，另找街口出去逛。回到广场后，向相反方向的街口走出去。这一下就开始了马德里的即兴奋又新奇的街行游，直到天黑。期间耗光了照像机与手机的电。这种情况还是第一次发生呢，足见马德里中心区域的丰富景观。
现在把在马德里步游时拍下的众多视频进行了整理、剪辑、编排、连结成一，并配上音乐，作为像我们一样，有心自由行马德里的朋友们的视觉参考。
从视频中可立马感受到马德里的艺术氛围与魅力。随街可见的古老气派的欧式建筑，历史上大师级艺术家们的雕像，如浪漫派画家戈雅Goya 的雕像等。特别要提到丽池公园(EI Retiro Park)， 就像一个艺术与休闲相结合的大众乐园。去了马德里，一定要去看看。
马德里，一个充满历史感与艺术气息的现代都市，让人难忘。从视频中可见一斑。
Walking the streets of Madrid (2025-01-25 00:21:26)
In early June 2023, we took a long-distance bus from Lisbon. Because there was no border checkpoint, we left Portugal and entered Spain without knowing it, and finally arrived at our destination, Madrid. The European Schengen Agreement has brought great convenience to Europeans, tourists from all over the world in Europe, and even illegal immigrants. It also saves the cost of setting up border stations for each European member state. At that time, a Spaniard sitting next to me on the bus was in his early thirties. He was talkative and friendly, and his English was fluent, but his accent was too heavy, so it was difficult to understand what he meant. He said that he often rotated to live in nearby countries. He lived in Lisbon at the time. It was really a bit desirable to move to different countries in this way.
When we arrived in Madrid, we saw that the road traffic was very congested, just like Los Angeles. The long-distance bus station is connected to the subway station and the train station. The hotel was a little far away, and we had to take a train to get there. The Spanish were very enthusiastic. We asked strangers along the way, and as long as they knew English, they would answer our questions about the way. So although the hotel is far from the city center, we still arrived at the hotel smoothly.
The central square station in Madrid is called "Sol". When we took the subway out of this station, we felt the lively atmosphere and the flow of people. There are seven or eight streets extending outward from different directions of the square. I don't know which street to visit first? There is a side of the square, not a street corner, but a building with two open arches doors. So we first entered the arch and went to the other end of the building. The other end is a rectangular square with many stalls, restaurants, and shopping malls. Several vendors always tried to get close to me in English, asking me where I came from, Korean? I refused and replied to say "No English to me", because I didn't have time to chat with them. This rectangular square is Plaza Mayor.
After leaving the square, We casually strolled around the nearby streets. After a while, it seemed that the streets were more modern. So we felt that we should go back to the original square and find another street corner to go out. After returning to the square, we walked out of the street corner in the opposite direction. This is the beginning of an exciting and novel street tour in Madrid, which lasted until dark. During this time, the battery of the camera and mobile phone was exhausted. This is the first time that this has happened to me, which shows the rich landscape of the central area of Madrid.
Now I have sorted, edited, arranged, and linked the many videos taken during the walking tour in Madrid into one, and added music, as a visual reference for friends like us who are interested in selves-traveling in Madrid.
You can immediately feel the artistic atmosphere and charm of Madrid from the video. The ancient and magnificent European buildings can be seen along the street, and the statues of master artists in history, such as the statue of the romantic painter Goya. In particular, El Retiro Park should be mentioned, which is like a public park combining art and leisure. If you go to Madrid, you must go and see it.
Madrid, a modern city full of history and artistic atmosphere, is unforgettable. It can be seen from the video.