Marvelous Madrid

Let me tell you about Madrid. I really like it and was fortunate enough to enjoy both my birthday and Turkey Day in the capital city. My visits to Lisbon Portugal and Madrid confirm that I’m more of a city mouse than a country mouse. The capital of Spain is ripe with things to do and memories to make. From museums and concert venues to parks, palaces and great food, Madrid is the heart and soul of Spain. It’s even in the center of the country. I decided to combine both of my 36hr trips into a 4-day itinerary.  Enjoy!

Day 1

We arrived by train into the city and, after grabbing coffee and croissant with a friend,  made our way to our hotel by foot. Along the way we saw a vertical garden and hopped into a bar for a glass of vermouth, which was delicious! We were the only customers, so we struck up a conversation with the bar tender who was South American and had spent some time in the U.S. including Montana. We tried to talk in Spanish but he, realizing we weren’t fluent, decided to chat in English, so that was that. But we discovered that he was an opera singer. Let me tell you! When he broke out and hit a note everything came to an abrupt stop and I couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t lying and I could even see his uvula vibrating in the back of his throat his mouth was so wide open. “Quick!,” I said, “go outside and start singing opera! I bet you’ll get a heap of customers in here.” Truth be told, he and a fellow opera singer, along with a pianist, had been working on an opera showcase for the bar and he showed us the flier advertising their first show, which would take place weeks after our trip. I was bummed but quickly realized we had received a sampler and now I can say I witnessed an opera singer belting it out from behind the bar. 

We checked in to our hotel and continued walking in search of an Ethiopian restaurant. My two favorite types of food are Korean and Ethiopian, so whenever we visit a city, if I hear they have an Ethiopian restaurant, I try to go. The food was delicious and filling and we enjoyed Tej, the traditional Ethiopian honey wine.

Day 2

Our first full day in the city was pleasant and fresh. I got to wear a jacket and scarf, something I had been missing since SoSpa doesn’t get too chilly in November. In fact, I happened to match Spain’s flag in my ensemble of marigold yellow scarf and passion red jacket. We walked SO.MUCH. I didn’t realize how much I’ve been missing out on walking but I loved the fact that Madrid is a pedestrian friendly city and we covered a lot of areas on foot. We saw an item from the Harry Potter traveling exhibit, the sorting hat, on display near one of the large flags in the city. We also hit up Plaza del Sol where the famous statue of the “Bear and the strawberry tree” can be found. After grabbing a churro and chocolate at a little churro shop, we wandered back to Plaza del Sol where Chris, bless his heart, waited for me in Sephora, where I got my first look at Fenty Beauty!  While Madrid is a diverse city, Spain is still in Europe and thus, the lady, as friendly as she was, didn’t match me properly. So, I ended up with a shade much darker than my tone. But here's the silver lining…most makeup lines don’t even reach my skin tone and I’m often looking like a clown or part of Casper's afterlife squad because the artist uses a shade called “dark” which is really “pale”.

 When I tell you we walked everywhere, I’m not lying. We bounced around to the Palace where the queen invited us over for birthday tea because we share the same birthday, the natural grocer, where I found my favorite deodorant (Dr. Organics Tea Tree and Aloe Vera), the Madrid History Museum, we grabbed lunch at a Cuban restaurant and wolfed down fresh pressed juice at a local juice bar. We had a couple’s massage at The Lab Room, which, considering their reputation for racking in celebrity clientele, was very affordable and felt great. Afterwards we grabbed dinner at O’Caldino a Galician themed restaurant with really good food and a special digestive drink (orujo) that is primarily made in that region. 

Day 3

We had to change rooms.  While our hotel is in a prime location for exploring the heart of Madrid, it’s in a prime location for night action.  We had no idea we were flanked by clubs (discos as they call them in Europe). So at 3am, we wake up to the sound of a man singing at the top of his lungs like a wanna-be opera singer.  The receptionist found us a room in a more remote area of the hotel.  The room was much smaller but I’d trade size for silence if it means a good night of rest.  

Today we wandered around the city some more. This time we enjoyed lunch the ham museum (museo jamon) a little restaurant with pork legs hanging from the ceiling. If you order a beer there, you get free tapas. So we had a delicious jamón Ibérico croissant, some beer and chorizo before making our way back to Sephora so I could request an exchange on my make up. 

Note to Sephora lovers.  Sephora in Spain doesn’t accept opened products like they do in the U.S. so if you purchase a product and it doesn’t work out for you, oh well. Fortunately the store manager made an exception because I was not about to purchase an entire new bottle of makeup. Sure I could have sold my previous bottle of foundation but nah. 

Chris and I went to Chocolateria San Gines, famous churro spot in Madrid.  While still on a sugar high, we walked across town over to El Prado museum, one of the world’s most famous museums with hours of artwork. You enjoy free entry if you go after 6pm, which we did.  Afterwards we enjoyed Georgian cuisine, which brought us back down memory lane when we traveled to the country of Georgia and gained some weight on hearty, cheesy bread dishes and stews (cue the drool). 

Day 4

On our last day of this “4-day itinerary” we popped in a shoe store to check out Spain’s famous espadrilles shoes, sold at Alpargatus. Afterwards, we walked toward el Museo de Reina Sofia where a few pieces by Pablo Picasso and Dali are on display. One such piece, Guernica, can be found in this museum. It’s guarded by two museum attendants and you're not allowed to take photos of it, but it was a sight to behold. Afterwards we tried our hands at some chestnuts, which were roasted on a somewhat open fire (grilled) before walking over to the beautiful Retiro park where you can get fooled into purchasing a small bottle of water for 3 Euro (the shame). 

One of our major highlights on this trip was visiting the San Miguel Market where a variety of food and beverage stalls are set up to sample. Chris kept going from place to place, observing and purchasing dishes and then bringing them to me. It was like hunting and gathering where he did all the hunting and I gathered all the food in my stomach!  Across the street, there’s a treat.  El Txoko (pronounced cho-co) is a speciality wine shop that sells bottles of blue wine and blue cava (Spain’s version of champaign). We purchased a bottle, which we saved for the New Year.

Extras 

Where to stay

Eurostars Casa de la Lirica

Where to eat

• O’Caldino

• Cafe near embassy

• San Miguel Market

• Georgian Restaurant Khachapuri (pronounced catcha-pouri)

• Ethiopian restaurant (Nuria)

• Jamón Museum

• Chocolateria San Gines

What to do

• Walk everywhere!

• Prado Museum (free after 6pm)

• Museo Reina Sofia

• Eat chestnuts at a food stand (in the cooler months)

• Retiro Park

• Palace and park

• Plaza del sol

• Puerta del Alcalá in Plaza del Independencia

Trip Highlights

• The Lab Room for a couple's massage

• Exploring Retiro Park

• All the rooms and artwork on display in the Prado

• Seeing Guernica at Museo Reina Sofia

• Eating chestnuts roasted on an open fire

• Drinking blue wine at El Txoko (pronounced cho-co)

• Almost getting mugged in the city. Here’s a story! When traveling in big cities with thick crowds of people, always be mindful of your surroundings and if you feel a strange bump against your back, know that it’s strange for a reason. We were walking past Plaza del Sol towards Prado museum for the 6pm free public entry when I felt a weird sensation on my back. I wore a small book bag purse and when I turned my head I noticed a lady very close to me. That’s when I reached around and grabbed my bag. It was open. I KNOW I didn’t leave my bag wide open. The chick tried to pick my pocket. Fortunately, and let this be a lesson, I had a black scarf sitting on top of all my valuables. She would have had to rummage around for my wallet and tablet and whatever else I stowed away in there. SO. 1. Always keep your wallet at the very bottom of your purse or book bag. It’s a pain to dig up but even more of a pain to have to file a missing item report and replace your valuables. 2. Keep a scarf on top of your bag so that if anyone is clever enough to open your bag and try to steal from you, they’ll have to do some digging and work for it, giving you time to feel what’s going on if your bag is on your person.