European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cafe con leche and a pastry at a Coffee shop is a Good Way to fuel up before setting off to explore Madrid. Ltd wife Ssali Llly pandering thro an unguided tour of the Spanish capital by David Tarrant staff writer we forgot the City Guidebook at the hotel and by the time we realized this we were already in downtown Madrid and ready to see the sights. Actually after several Days of seeing tourists stumbling around with their noses buried in tour books i think that subconsciously i simply wanted to wander  through one of Europe s most fascinating cities. F a it was a sunday morning and we bought a City map at a newsstand at Puerta Del sol As convenient a place As any to Start a walking tour of Central Madrid. Now i know that All the Alert travel readers out there Are saying Quot wait a minute. Did t you just say you weren t going to use a guide of any sort Quot that brings me to the first Rule of travelling spontaneously which is. There Are no rules. Travelling spontaneously is fun. Still a Good map is Nice to fall Back on in Case you get lost. The first thing we noticed at Puerta Del sol was that there was a Money changer open. A few Days of travelling by the Book had left me with virtually no free time to change dollars into pesetas so i took advantage of this Opportunity. Jim Derheim my travelling partner and photographer on the trip sat Down on the Edge o a water Fountain to watch the morning Hustle and Bustle or whatever photographers do when they re not shooting. The first order of business after changing Money was to get a cup of Coffee and a pastry. And the Plaza at Puerta Del sol is just the place to find a Nice Light Spanish breakfast. There Are several cafes in the area but in my opinion there s none better than la mall Orquina. The atmosphere in this cafe and pastry shop is festive and Breezy and the service is fast and efficient. Ask for a Cate con leche Coffee and Cream and cast about for one of the hundreds of types of pastels pastries i deeded on the Tejas a cookie shaped like a Taco. Thus fortified Jim and i took off Down the main drag of Calle mayor to Plaza mayor the heart of old Madrid. Every sunday this enormous Plaza holds a major Coin Anc stamp Market. Normally visiting a Coin collectors convention ranks right up there with seminars on life insurance on my list of things to do. But if you get the Chance to Check out this one do so. Madrid is definitely a big league town for Coin collectors. Almost everybody in Spain from eager schoolboys to Cigar chomping retirees collects coins. From the looks of it you d think that All you have to do is dig a Hole somewhere and you d come up with a handful of old roman coins or coins minted by the big Guy himself Charlemagne an maybe even some coins from those wild and crazy visigoths who Quot wintered Quot in Spain for a couple of a potential buyer famines a Vendor s wares at the sunday Coin and stamp Market. Centuries during the dark Ages. We met Tim Boltin at the Coin fair. A senior airman stationed a Torrejon a near Madrid Boltin said he liked to go to Madrid every sunday for the Coin fair and Flea Market called the Castro near Plaza mayor. Quot the Flea Market has everything. Leather. Arabic trinkets. Get there Early though because it gets too crowded to move by  before going to the Flea Market we strolled around the Plaza mayor built in the 17th Century. In the Early Days bulls were fought Here in horseback but there were also Public burnings or autos de be during the inquisition. Today you can also find a tourist information office Here a if so inclined. We walked under the cd chillers Arch on the Plaza s South Side to the area around Toledo Street where we found the Flea Market. On any evening crowds pack this area particularly Cava san Miguel stopping at Many of the Small restaurants known As cavas where it is possible to Sample wine and Small dishes of the local cuisine. But it was Only noon and we stayed just Long enough to glance at a few of the hundreds of Booths of leather work Craft Ware food and whatnot. Boltin was right. If you Don t get Here Early the place gets As tight As Money at the end of the month. We continued walking West a few blocks to the Palacio real or Royal Palace a gleaming White building with massive pillars and a spacious courtyard. The Palace is surrounding the Lake at Al Retiro Park. Open daily for Tours. But on this Day a Large group of horsemen had convened just outside the Palace Gates l celebrate Spain s Long equestrian tradition. At least tha what Jose Borga Perez one of the horsemen told us. Ensuing Parade along Bailen Street caused a huge tra Jam but it was Worth it. The riders wore traditional 8 stripes Magazine August 29, 1991