Atocha

Puerta de Atocha is the main railway station in Madrid.  We stayed about a block away in a tiny little two bedroom apartment.  We caught a shuttle from the airport to the train station then walked the short distance to the apartment.  I think we must have walked through or by the train station every day.

We saw the tropical trees when we arrived.  But we hadn't realized the effort that was needed to keep the trees.

Is that steam?  Or just water?  In addition to the tropical gardens they had a photo exhibit of Russia as seen from the window of a train.  It was quite breath taking, really.  It made me want to ride a train through Russia.  

There are turtles in several areas.  These reminded me of Simpson...she had a  little turtle on the Mish...what was it called?  I don't remember.  Nugget? Maybe.

The station was built with the collaboration of Gustave Eiffel.  That guy had his fingers in everything it seems.  The Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, Atocha.  As train stations go, it's not ugly.  It's a surprising bit of paradise intermingled between the hustle and bustle of every day commuting.