Madrid, Spain

April 2017.

This is the second time I’m in Spain. The first time was Barcelona, by the beach but this time it’s more central. It’s Madrid, the heart of Spain. And my trip was a cultural tour of old and new Spanish extravaganza!

The long weekend of 4 days was a perfect short n sweet break. Away from the cold dull winter days in England, the Spanish sun welcomed us in its full warmth.

We stayed in an underground basement flat serviced by an Airbnb in the Central Madrid, just 2minutes away from The Palacio Royale. The flat had signs of an old building with its big heavy doors, metal locks and gates, winding stairs and most interesting of all, a huge tunnel impression on one of the walls in our room. Our host confirmed it was indeed an underground tunnel back in the old days. Now, it has been refurbished with modern amenities.

Our b&b was just around the palace. On our first day, we walked around the Palace and to the plazas and sols. The city of Madrid is full of open square-shaped plazas lined up with many cafes and restaurants, murals. People were busy walking, singing on their own, having beers and strolling around in the warm sun in the Palacio Real and Plaza Mayor.

We dressed up in Spanish folk costumes, had churros & chocolate in one of the cafes in the plaza, made our way through the busy squares and soothed ourselves with Spanish Margarita. My first night’s dinner was a traditional paella but I couldn’t gulp it down my throat. My friend loved it, so I’m not sure if it was the food or it was just me but the disgusting taste of that particular plate of paella has instilled a fear of paella in me.

The second day was a more elaborate walking tour. We started our day with the Palace Real which is famous for its imposing structure and ornamental rooms and gardens. Walking away from the Palace Real, we made our way to the Temple of Debod. This turned out to be one of my most favourite places in Madrir. This is a temple to the Egyptian goddess Isis. The story goes when Spain assisted Egypt in an event of flood in the river Nile, the Egyptian government gave this temple to Spain as an expression of gratitude. This place is beautiful with its unique architecture and serene garden around it. Walking further around, we got to the Plaza de Cibeles and then Plaza Mayor. Apparently, during the Spanish inquisition, many accused heretics met their death in the Plaza Mayor. A few minutes’ walk from the Plaza Mayor takes you to Madrid’s most popular shopping destination for local foods and delicacies. It is also a popular area for nightlife as well. Speaking of nightlife, the Gran Via is the Broadway of Madrid and is known as ‘the street that never sleeps’. Located right in the centre of the city is Puerta de Sol or Gate of the Sun. It is a crossroad and in the centre stands a statue of a bear and a strawberry tree. This statue is famous in Madrid. I still have no idea why that statue is so symbolic but it was funny and I did take a touristy picture in front of that. I remember the first day we were there, loads of people were lining up on both sides of the roads waiting for something big to happen. We waited there for an hour or so, nothing happened till then and we gave up in the end. So the wait still remains a mystery. Also, worth mentioning is a Hagen Daz shop right at the corner of this crossroad. If you are walking around the streets of the city of Madrid for the whole day in high heat and sun, a Virgin mojito from Hagen Daz is your best cool-down option. My friend loved it so much, we ended up going there for that same drink continuously for the next three days. 

Back from a busy city tour all day long, we had our Flamenco night planned on that same evening. We got back, freshened up, changed to smart dressing and started for the Flamenco dinner. It was awesome. The energy is just amazing! We sat there awestruck at the performance that flowed through the entire evening. The wine and the food was equally delicious. It was a proper posh nosh up. I was under the spell of Flamenco dancing for few days after that evening and even till now to some extent. The energy, the strength and the team work is just superb!

Next morning, we went to the Retiro Park locally known as the Parque del Buen Retiro or El Retiro. It began as a monastery in the 1500s but was later expanded to a park. It is a 350 acres spread of garden, nice shady trees, statues and monuments of Spanish kings, band stands and a large artificial pond where you can hire a kayak or a canoe. We did boating in that pond, enjoyed an impromptu performance by a band of musicians playing trumpets and drums and strolled around the garden in a lazy pace. We sat outside a café enjoying the birds and the green and had a Spanish tortilla before heading back to our b&b.

Now this day was important. It was not only my birthday but also that same evening was our ticket to the Bull Fighting arena. I was super excited. Bull fighting as I understood is a sensitive debatable topic even in Madrid. But personally, I was amazed. The vigour, the confidence and the charm with which the matador stands in front of the angry bull in an open arena with no one around and plays with the bull is just mind blowing. Kudos to all those people who stood their ground where I can only imagine myself being scared. The dying of the bull was not a pretty sight but the matadors just stole the show with their skill and charm. I don’t know how eager I will be to watch another of this show but it was definitely a worthwhile watch and I wouldn’t have missed my chance.

The last day of our trip was an easy stroll and a repeat visit to our favourite spots in the city. We walked up to the Temple of Debod. I really wanted to see a sunrise there but couldn’t really make it. I would highly recommend it though. We went to the Chocolateria San Gines – the most popular churros shop and treated ourselves with some last moment churros and chocolates. We went to the top of the Bar Mirador from where the whole city unfolded itself. It was a nice spot up in the roof with artificial gardens and deck chairs. There are many pretty rooftop terraces in Madrid which gives nice view of the city skyline. However, the sun was high and as much as we love the Sun, we were a bit fried towards the end of our trip. We settled down under the shade of the trees in the garden of Palace Real and spent some lazy lovely time chatting with each other. Our bus to the airport was due in the evening and as the clock turned 4, our trip time was up.

I loved Madrid because it gave me some unique experiences. Bull fights, Flamenco show, Spanish margarita and the Spanish sun – it is easily one of my most treasured trips!