Travel with Amateur Traveler · Saturday, August 29, 2026
The podcast highlights Madrid's central Sol Square as a starting point for exploring the city, noting the statue of Carlos IV and the city's heraldic symbol, the bear and the strawberry tree (Madroño). Sol is also significant as the point from which all Spanish mileage is measured.
“I would start out in Sol. Okay. The heart of Madrid.”
“And you can see the statue of Carlos the Fourth, who was a Bourbon king and enlightened ruler from the 18th century, and he did so much for the country and for Madrid.”
“And of course the bear and the strawberry tree, which is our heraldry.”
“It's also where all mileage in Spain is measured from is right here.”