I spent this past weekend exploring Madrid with a few friends! I had an amazing time. Madrid is so different than Barcelona and definitely not what I expected, but it was a good different. To me, Madrid seemed like an area for a much older demographic, while Barcelona seems to be for a much younger scene. Don't get me wrong, there are students who study in Madrid and absolutely love it. I've heard great things about the nightlife, I just could never imagine living there. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Barcelona was by far the best place for me to study!
We left for Madrid on the train early Friday morning so we could have the entire day to explore. Once in Madrid we we're absolutely starving, so we headed to a local restaurant called la Gloria de Montera. With all sorts of tapas, this restaurant is a fusion of local and international flavors. It's a very popular eatery for both locals and tourists because it offers good food for a cheap price. After lunch, we set out to explore Madrid. We walked up and down Gran Via (the main street in Madrid) looking for anything that would spark our interest. We walked around, popping in and out of clothing stores, but sooner or later we were absolutely exhausted. We had no energy to go out, so we grabbed a quick dinner and then called it a night. |
| Amanda and I at San Ginés |
Saturday we decided would be our extremely touristy day. In the morning we took a three hour bus/walking tour around the city. Exploring every nook and cranny the city had to offer. I was able to take a ton of great pictures of the beautiful city. After the tour, my friends and I set out to find some churros con chocolate. My mom and sister visited Madrid last summer and found this great place called Chocolatería San Ginés. They told me I had to go there if I ever visited Madrid and who am I to disappoint them? We found the restaurant packed away in the back of an alley. Open 24 hours, this place didn't disappoint. The churros were freshly cooked to perfection. The "hot chocolate" wasn't exactly the type of hot chocolate you drink, rather the type to dip your churros in. Though you can drink the chocolate, San Ginés' version of hot chocolate was thick and creamy and possibly some of the yummiest chocolate I've ever tasted! If you are ever in Madrid you must visit this place!
After our mid-day snack, we had two more places to cross of our list. First, I had to stop by the Pedro Garcia shoe store. A Spanish shoe designer, Pedro Garcia is based in Madrid. His shoes are beautiful and I had to take a peak. After I fell in love with possibly every shoe in the store, we headed to the Museo Nacional del Prado. This massive museum is host to pieces by some of the greatest like Fra Anegelico, Velázquez, El Greco, Rubens, Rafael, and Bosch. After walking around the museum for a few hours we headed home to relax until we headed out that night. Our night started off at a bar called El Tigre. We got sangria and tapas here then after headed out to the club Kapital. This club has 7 floors each with a different theme and genre of music!
After we checked out of the hotel on Sunday, we headed over to the very popular El Rastro Market. Held every sunday, this flea market offers everything! From all sorts of clothing and accessories, to paintings and drawings, to even old, rare, and collectible books. Another must see if you're ever in Madrid on a Sunday. This was the perfect way to end a great weekend.
Now, I'm off to make a Valentine's Day dinner with my roommates. Cheers to being single!
Ciao!
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