October 31 ~ Madrid, España
Although plans to spend the “puente”, or break, in Granada failed, by no means were we going to let it go to waste. That being said, since Jennie’s sister had a place in Madrid, it seemed only reasonable -- and affordable -- to check it off our lists! So, on the morning of Halloween Jennie, Kim, and I, hopped on an early train to arrive in Madrid just as breakfast was to be served. One train and a couple metro stops later, we found a bite to eat at a cafe near Christina’s -- Jennie’s sister’s -- apartment. Kim finally was able to try Tortilla Española and we all enjoyed the cool breeze of fall while sitting outside. Then, after a quick trip to the grocery store for weekend supplies, we met up with Christina at her apartment.
Since it was still quite early in the day, Kim and I decided to join up with a walking tour located in the Old Town of the city while Jennie caught up on much needed sister-time. We began our tour at the Plaza Mayor, which used to be the old market place. From there, we wandered the streets of Madrid with our group all the while learning a lot about Spain’s history and past Monarchs.
Shortly after a break near the -- unimpressive, really -- cathedral and -- more impressive -- Royal Palace, we came to discover that the Palace was free to enter starting at 4pm. We were already kind of drained by our long tour, so Kim and I skipped out and joined the LONG line outside the Palace. However, the long wait was worth it by the time we entered. The building and inner rooms were al styled off of the Palace of Versailles in France. Although the Palace was smaller and there were fewer rooms overall in comparison to Versailles, I thought the individual spaces were more ornate and detailed.
We ran through the Palace quickly as our stomachs began to grumble with hunger, so taking a good recommendation we headed to the La Latina area where we spent the rest of the evening trying new tapas, drinking sangria, and topping it all off with a pizza to share between ourselves. While we had planned to meet Jennie and Christina out, they had instead decided to spend the night at home. So, Kim and I finished our pizza, paid the tab, and took the metro back to the apartment for the night.
November 1 ~ Museums & Galician Goodies
Kim and I got up early and -- as Jennie had decided to stay back with her sister again -- hopped on the metro once more! Today we decided to spend the morning walking through the Writers Neighborhood where many famous Spanish authors once lived. We planned to spend the morning in the Prado Museum, but after 45 minutes of a haltingly slow paced line we discovered that the museum was free to enter later that day! So, once more, plans were changed.
We decided instead to walk north to the National Library, but upon arrival we learned that the actual library space is closed to the public every day of the year except one. While we were a bit disappointed, the library did have a few exhibits which we wandered about for quite some time.
It soon came time for lunch so Kim and I returned to the Writers Neighborhood to hunt down a hot meal. We spent much too long trying to find the place to best fit our fancies, but we finally found ourselves in the corner of a traditional Galician restaurant! The food was incredible -- we ordered a large arroz de mariscos and our wine was even served out of the traditional cuncas. It was fun to share my previous year’s experiences with Kim through the memorable atmosphere inside the restaurant and the even more unforgettable dishes.
Kim and I returned to get into the Prado’s line early before they reopened. While it still took a long time to enter the museum itself, free tickets were worth the wait. Since the Prado’s collections, much like the Louvre, were extensive and laid out like a labyrinth we decided to hit-up the most famous pieces. I really enjoyed the Triumph of Death and the Garden of Earthly Delights due to the fact of how wacky, yet detailed they were.
Again, meeting up with Jennie and Christina didn’t go as planned, so Kim and I finished our night by walking up the famous Gran Via street with all of the designer shops and fancy restaurants before catching the metro back to the apartment.
November 2 ~ New Kicks
Even though none of us slept very well that night, we all once again got up early to greet our last couple hours in Madrid. Jennie and her sister had plans to meet up with their cousin around noon, so Kim and I decided to return to the area around Plaza Mayor. After not too long of walking around, we found ourselves back near the La Latina area with a plate of hot churros and chocolate warming our outdoor table. It happened to be quite cold outside, but our breakfast and subsequent cafés warmed us right up. We walked around a bit more and soon came upon a cute shop where they made custom Espadrilles -- famous shoes here in Spain. We each bought a pair and I subsequently chucked my old and trusty -- but frankly holey and falling apart -- pair of Converse in the trash can outside. Happy with our purchases, Kim and I headed back to the apartment to relax. Once Jennie and Christina returned from their coffee date we all gathered our bags and left the apartment after a quick goodbye and thanks to Christina. I think by the end of it we were all glad to be headed home after a long weekend.
While we weren’t all together for our weekend in Madrid, I think we all more or less had a great time! After a lot of experience traveling around Europe and the US, I have come to decide that I am not a big fan of being a tourist in large cities. However, I do have to say that while I didn’t really feel very “spanish” walking around Madrid, I did love the La Latina area and walking through the Palace. To me, now it seems as though the big buildings and museums have lost their individual charms and become indistinguishable between larger cities such as London or Paris. Overall, I enjoyed my time in Madrid and I was glad to check it off my list. However, I don’t think I would recommend it to anyone wanting to visit Spain on a limited number of vacation days.
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