There are many ways to explore a city. You can ride the buses, walk the streets, and take numerous tours. In Madrid, you can also ‘segway’ around the city. 
We met up with Antony Bruce, the owner of the Madsegs Tour Company, at the Plaza de Espana in front of the statues of Don Quixote and his faithful servant Sancho Panza. Under their watchful eyes, we learn the basics of Segway travel. Lean forward and the segway moves forward. Lean backwards to reverse. The control on the left handbar lets you turn left or right. A short practice around the Plaza and suddenly we are good to go.
First stop was the Templo de Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple given to Spain in 1968. The Temple once stood in the Valley of the Nile but it’s continued existence was threatened by the construction of the Aswan Dam. So the Egyptian government dismantled the historic site and freely gave it to Spain in 1968. Stone by stone, the Spanish government reconstructed the ancient Temple, opening it to the public in 1971
A brief stop at the Temple and then we zoomed off to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), Plaza de Oriente and the adjacent Almudena Cathedral. In the courtyard of the Almudena Cathedral, we were given advanced lessons in segway ‘gliding’ and the opportunity to re-key the segway to a faster speed.
Weaving through the small streets and plazas, we received a running commentary about the history of Madrid. We passed by churches, statues, and Sobrino de Botin, world’s oldest restaurant. Ernest Hemminway made the Botin famous in his book The Sun Also Rises. 
Arriving in the Plaza Mayor, we stopped for a well deserved break. We are served food and drink and allowed to glide around the Plaza for one last play. Then it was time to return to where we started. No one could believe that the three hour tour was finished. No one wanted to give back their segway. Some even considered booking another tour…
General information:
Reservations are essential for all tours. You can book in advance on the website or call ( 659 82 4499) for same day tours. There are three tours a day - 1000, 1600, and 2100. Each lasts three hours, costs 60Euro and includes a photo CD and refreshment. Safety helmets are available but not required.
Video of Madseg evening tour:
Friday, September 07, 2007
Madrid on Two Wheels...The Segway Tour
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8 comments:
Oh, my goodness!
That is definitely the way to see around! Pity I don't have enough time to try it when I come to Madrid at the end of the month! But, I'm provisionally booked for another programme in April ...
Isn't it odd about the Debod Temple? ... I tried googling it, and it seems it didn't exist before 1972! If you want to know its ancient history, it seems the only thing to do is visit the temple!
Look forward to hearing much more about Madrid!
Best,
Keith
It was so much fun...definately a must do for anyone looking for a different way to discover Madrid.
Those Segway tours are popping up all over the place, even Tel Aviv has one now. I'll have to try it one of these days.
They have them in Stockholm now too.
I have to admit that I too was most struck by that Egyptian building in the middle of Spain. I love things Egyptian so that made it all the more fascinating. So, Spain helped Egypt with some project (what project I still can't quite understand) and Egypt said, "here, take this," and gave them a building. It's amusing to read about how they have made good use out of this gift! Sounds like it's quite the attraction. :)
Evelyn: It was for the UNESCO project in the 60s, which involved moving temples (the best known is Abu Simbel)which would otherwise have been flooded when the Aswan High Dam was built.
Oh! I get it! Thank you! I learned something! There is so much to absorb in the world! Sheesh! :)
Hi everyone,
thanks for stopping by and commenting. The segway tour was great..it's was such a different way of seeing the sights...
Keith, thanks for info about the temples...it was so strange to see them in Madrid...and yet, they fit right in...
Cheers,
Liz
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