bubbles in the Plaza Mayor

Madrid, Spain

The Plaza Mayor of Madrid dates back to the late 1500s and has gone through many transformations over the centuries due to a series of fires in 1631, 1670 and 1790.  Nine entrances lead into this grand square which is lined with 237 balconies decorating the three-story residential buildings on all four sides.  Historically this square was used for bullfights, markets, soccer games, public executions and an array of other things.  Today it is surrounded by shops, restaurants and cafés and is used as a place to gather and entertain like the man in the photo making gigantic bubbles!