Madrid is an amazing city and having a place you can call as your home in this amazing city for a few days was just fabulous. I had been in communication with Quinqe quite frequently. We arrived by taxi from Atocha station given some bags. Calle Mayor is a very very central plaza that runs east-west and thru Plaza Sol which is really the center of the universe as far as Madrid is concerned.
The apartment check-in was done by philip and it was well explained and coordinated. No issues at all. The teamwork is great!
We stepped out for dinner at night and the neighborhood came alive. Lots of restaurants and bars are nearby and are very high quality. Plaza Mayor is one of the major landmarks and the Mercado San Miguel market where every type of tapas is available is well within walking distance. (2 blocks!!!) Don't forget to eat at the stall with all the mozzarella tapas. It became our breakfast joint!
The museums are walkable (Prado - 20 min, Reina Sofia - 25) as well, or by metro 2 stops. The third largest palace in Europe, the Royal palace just a few blocks away from the apartment.
The key issues: noise. The apartment is on the second floor (US #2). And the windows are well insulated but inspite of that clanking and clinking all night as trash cans get emptied by the cleaning trucks and boisterous youth unravel mysteries of Madrid linger on in a tired travelers dreams. Well if you are here to live it up, this is the place. Keep it clean though. Its a charming apartment.