The Plaza Mayor is one of the largest such places in Europe. It has been used for celebrations, demonstrations, parades, executions, bullfights and autos-de-fé. It was here in 1680 that the insane King Carlos II burned alive 19 people and scourged a 101 more, all in one day.

Today it's markedly a more peaceful place, ringed by outdoor cafés and closed to motorized traffic. I shot a lot of images here: these are two I liked best.

It's said that 700 balconies ring the plaza.

A half-dozen narrow streets pierce the walls of buildings giving access. They still bear their ancient names, derived from the particular businesses that concentrated in each particular one, such as Calle de Cucharillos—Knifemakers' Street.

I anxiously await the comments and criticism of these images by frequent commenter Elguapo. Billie (blog) will know instantly which of them was manipulated in Photoshop. I'm hoping to fool Elguapo. We'll see.