Walking back from the Temple, we found ourselves strolling through the baroque Sabattini Gardens of the Palacio Real. It was getting close to sunset, so pardon the dark pictures. The palace was a giant sprawling hunk of limestone; it appeared to be undergoing some restoration (note the scaffolding on the dome).
One of the amazing aspects of Madrid (and Spain in general) was how everything took on a lovely golden hue late in the afternoon and into sunset. The palace looks like a different building, seen with the sun shining on it.
Across the plaza from the palace is the Royal Theatre (Teatro Real Opera, the opera house). This beautiful plaza was a popular spot for tourists, and if you walked down the street to the right of the opera house (Calle Mayor), you wound up in the Plaza Mayor and then back to Puerta del Sol. The Opera metro stop was also one of the most convenient.
The plaza was always filled with people dressed in costumes and playing music. We also just missed helping waiters from a nice restaurant chase after a young lady who had eaten her dinner, and then ran!