Hola!
It was finally half term break, and yet Emily and I were crawling awake on Monday morning with the sun barely trickling down light. Splashing into last minute showers and stuffing away some last minute packing, we headed out at 8 am to make it in good time to Heathrow. A quick automated check-in and we were off to find our gate.
Some misinterpretations led us in search of the wrong gate; however, this fruitless quest resulted in us seeing a stream of Virgin Airlines flight attendants holding signs that suspiciously reminded me of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers…followed by the players for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers! The irony of me, a Miami fan, seeing the other Florida team…in London…was not entirely lost on me. There was apparently a Chicago versus Tampa Bay American Football game at Wembley Stadium. Astonishment aside, we figured out where our real gate was and managed to have time for a quick snack before boarding even began.
The flight to Madrid was quick and smooth, though the service was rather inattentive. I was completely impressed by the phenomenal landing and was thankful that Madrid’s airport was clear, bright, and open. We headed to the metro and found our way to the hostel with little issue and some Spanish banter with one another.
Common area of Cat's.
Cat’s Hostel is in an 17th Century palace under historical protection. They’re currently doing further restorations because it shows its ages, but the central area was stunningly beautiful, like a scene out of Aladdin. Our room was brightly lit and clean with toilets, shows, and decent sized lockers all right inside. As I sat on my bunk, resting from traveling before the hostel’s nightly pub-crawl, I thought, and still think, that we made a good choice. I was excited to relax, explore, and live the Spanish way!
Good ol' Atico 5
We headed downstairs after having a reading/nap break and got a recommendation from the girl at reception for a place to eat by Plaza Santa Ana. Delicious sangria – a promise to uphold to my head of department – and two types of tortilla (tortilla con camerones y tortilla Espanola) with bread happily filled us up. Our culinary adventure – we had no idea what we had ordered – resulted in some of the best food I had had and it was very Spanish!
We changed and headed down to the hostel bar and ended up meeting a large group of people from around the world to chat and play drinking games with. They came from places as diverse as Vancouver, Austrailia, California, Brighton, Brazil, and Switzerland. Each had a unique personality from the party girls to the nerdy aussie to the chatty Brazilian. This meet, greet, and hang out lasted until the pub-crawl (which most of us went on) left the bar at 1 am!
Madrid nightlife starts late and, as far as we could tell, doesn’t stop. We headed to two funky bars – Sol y Sombra and Bia – and to one club. Both bars were busy and got busier as the night went on. We all danced to a mix of English and Spanish clubbing music. The club itself, however, was a miss as it was completely empty; however, we made the most of it before all crawling back to the hostel for bed at a ridiculous 4:30 in the morning. The craziest part of it all? We were by no means the last people to come into our room as we found it far more populated when we woke up the next morning.
Somehow – there are miracles – Emily and I were up at 8:45 and breakfasting by 9:15. I was oddly rested despite having slept little and rather poorly. I inhaled my coffee and we headed out to find one of the world’s most famous art museums: El Prado. Several hours slipped by as we were transfixed by the myriad of Spanish and beyond pre-1800 painters. The mix of religious art, mythical story depictions, and the curator’s choice to organize the museum to show the progression and changes of style kept the museum interesting and fresh. While my personal tastes lean towards landscapes, marine, and impressionist painting, I found that El Prado kept me entertained by the information on the styles and how they changed and developed. (For anyone unsure about whether or not to go: it is free for uni students under 26)
El Prado
Dying for coffee, Emily and I headed to the little piece of gold we had spotted on our walk: Dunkin’s! Sitting down with our coffee and noms, we laughed at ourselves and regained our stamina before walking all the way back to go to the Jardin Botanico (Botanical Gardens). The bright sunshine and crisp fall air made the day turn stunningly beautiful. Flowers radiated bold reds and golds while the leaves of other plants glittered green and fell, crunchy and brown, to the pathway.
It was hard to contain our excitement (haha)
We wound through the hedge lined pathways before taking time to journal and read in the warm sun on a bright, white bench by a grand fountain. Choosing to slow down and relax after the bustle of London does a body good. I could feel myself reviving and receiving the nourishment that only a day out in nature can give. Which really only proves my hippiness, I suppose…
After a shower and siesta – the Spanish have it figured out! – we headed downstairs for a tapas tour. Unfortunately it was cancelled because there were not enough people. Shrugging it off, we chatted with the guide, Elly, a bit and ensured her we would be around to attend on Thursday. Instead, Emily and I wandered down the road in search of the famous Plaza Mayor. It’s large enclosing buildings and goya-painted mural were impressively grand. It was easy to tell that plazas are a focal point for Spanish life, made more obvious by the giant tent that would bring a ham festival (feel free to laugh here, I did) to the city.
Our feet followed the twisting cobblestone streets to la Puerta del Sol. I instantly observed that it was busier and edgier, giving the area a more electric, alive feel. Grabbing some pizza from a 24 hour hole in the wall, we sat by the fountain to take in our fill of people watching while we munched to the sounds of mariachi music. There was something infectious about the waking up of the city as the sun began her decent over the roof tops. The drowsy afternoon faded as the night began to wind itself up again.
Mariachi band in Puerta del Sol - They were actually pretty good!
We chose to pass this night inside the hostel and headed to the bar/lounge. Hours passed quickly as hand after hand of asshole (president) and gin rummy were played with our fellow travelers. It was an evening of amusement, insults, and conversation. Sadly we said goodbye to the two Vancouver girls and the pair of Californian gents who were to leave the next morning for home. The night continued to pass amidst laughter and chatter with the one Brazilian, the Swiss guy, and a less drunk Aussie. We met a new Korean girl as well as the cards continued to be played. The hostel was social and so conducive to just forming these easy sort of friendships that made the time pass pleasantly. My love of hostels over hotels continues to grow as I think of the people we met at Cat’s.
As the partiers went out – either on the pub-crawl or to their own choices – Emily and I made our escape to crash at the early hour of 1 am – ay Espana! I don’t know if I could truly keep their schedule…Getting used to my bunk, and being truly tired, however, gave me a better night’s sleep and a natural waking up at half past eight. Clearly, my body is setting itself to future-teacher time and I was losing the old ability to sleep forever.
After breakfast we joined the free walking tour, led by Elly! Three incredible hours later left us content but starving! Elly was knowledgeable, funny, and clearly loved her newly adopted home, Madrid. She was crazy, Mexican, and tons of fun. The second she discovered yo hablo espanol, she chatted away and made me use it – later on telling reception and the bartender that I couldn’t speak English to them either! It was great fun and practice, though. Our Swiss and Brazilian friends were also on the tour, and through it we also met a Dutch girl, Quebec gent, a New Yorker girl who was living in Paris, a girl from Zambia and her three uni companions also from Brazil. As we walked we talked, swapping tales, making jokes, and snapping photographs as we went.
On our tour we were led to:
A plaza with an old jail turned into a city hall building.
La Catedral
High alter in La Catedral
A group of us in front of Palacio Real, the royal palace.
Changing of the guard outside of el Palacio Real.
Palace gardens with the palace
The Egyptian Temple, a "gift" from Egypt to Spain.
Don Quixote y Sancho Panza on the Cervantes Monument in La Plaza de Espana
At the end, Elly heard our tummies grumble and directed us all to 100 Manchidos, a cheap mini-sandwich shop where everything’s 1 euro on Wednesday! We all rushed over to Plaza Santa Ana to place our orders and chow down pre-siesta. I had an interesting beer with lemonade, Caesar chicken sandwich and fries with Spanish sauces. Our Dutch friend, Emily, and I headed back together to take a break before the city restarted for the evening.
The rest, naturally, consisted of Emily snoring and me with my nose in a book. I did nap after finishing Pride and Prejudice, again, an also took a few moments to check email and reply to texts. It's amazing how simple it is to keep up with things even while traveling about. Despite this rather domestic interlude, fresh and cool fall air called out to our souls and we went out to hit the shops, girls that we are. We took to the streets and back-tracked our way to a few shopping streets where we accordingly people watched and popped in and out of the shops. We headed back as well to the monument honouring Cervantes (Don Quixote) and to our delight found the artisans market still open. The wander through the stalls was as pleasant as such things always are. This led, of course, to further absurd photographs with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, which I've clearly, out of a desire to embarrass myself apparently, put below.
I'm trying not to fall off the monument, so I was holding on...
Yet again we found our stomachs grumbling at our ignorance, so we were both happy to discover that it was late enough for the tapas places to be busy! Gran Via had a delicious sounding and affordable tapas place that allowed us ample people watching on this New York City style street in addition to the chance to fall even more in love with Spanish food. Seriously, it's to die for! The patatas bravas were just spicy enough to bite pleasantly but not burn; the tortillas con camerones were crisp and well seasoned; the estrelladas were simple and delightful, and the flan! It was so sweet but light, spongy, and fluffy enough to be a charming end.
Tortillas con camerones y patatas bravas
We finished just as the air turned colder and began our walk home to the hostel to relax and hang out before giving the pub crawl another try. We were hoping to find the places busier and more up to dancing than Monday. Thankfully the group that gathered for the crawl involved the people we had been getting to know over the days and seemed to be a lively bunch.
The crawl started out at a quirky bar with strong drinks called Irreal, followed by the jam packed and super fun club-type bar, Bia, which I loved just as much as Monday, then we topped it off with hours at this British/Irish style bar that had tons of room for sitting, standing, or dancing. While there were several iffy characters there, we mostly stayed together and had a lot of fun with the great music selection. It was a long, rainy walk home but our beds, especially at 5:30 in the morning (and we left earliest of the group!), were a welcome sight.
Thursday was, in addition to being our last full day in Madrid, a crazy, long, adventure of a day. Full of unexpected things, I look back at it and just find myself laughing at everything that was accomplished. Following a nice sleep, shower, and breakfast, Emily and I headed out to an uncommon tourist attraction: the Spanish Armada's Museo Naval (Naval Museum). As a navy brat, I have always really had a fascination with navies and the sea that has really grown in recent years. Anyone who knows me can probably join me in a blaming, at least partially, Jane Austen's Persuasion; however, I digress...*ahem*
Surprisingly big and beautifully laid out, the museum took you from time period to time period throughout Spanish naval history. There were grand paintings of various subjects from Colombus discovering the Americas to an interesting view of the Battle of Trafalgar. Countless models from small table sized models to grand multi-feet in length models showed off the great war ships from fleets around the world and throughout time, including some modern, steel vessels. In addition there were countless globes and instruments, models of rooms, and collections of various booty, uniforms, and weaponry. Their impressive collection captivated me and I only wish it were close enough to visit again!
Unsurprisingly, Emily and I left the museum in search of lunch and our pockets, wishing to continue the cheap day encouraged us back to 100 Manditos to try some new sandwiches. We split following lunch and I went off to continue my love affair with art. Choosing the more eclectic gallery and the one said to have the better collection of impressionists and due to its collection of more modern art as well, a chance to see some Picasso and Dali, I headed off in search of the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. While critics, according to our guidebook, find its eccentricy a drawback, it was in its variety that I found the strongest appeal. I was over seeing realist Renaissance painting after realist Renaissance painting; I was ready to find my eye drawn from period to period.
I was not disappointed. In addition to the traditional Italian works and a hearty collection of Spanish artists I was greeted by a large collection of Dutch art. A huge fan of marine artwork, I have always enjoyed the sheer amount of seascapes and naval battles painted by the Dutch. Critics of the museum be damned, I was thrilled to pieces by the set of Dutch rooms! There was pre-, during, and post-impressionist artwork that let me both enjoy a few Monets and see where he came from and where he went to. I was thrilled by the chance to see some of Degas' dancers in person and their room of North American art allowed my eyes to absorb some lovely landscapes. I zoomed through the modern art on the ground floor, stopping in search of a couple fabulous Dali and Picasso pieces while not letting the my-cat-could-paint-it-better pieces detract from my enjoyment of the two floors above.
Despite my enjoyment, the museum did what all museums seem to do to me, left me quite exhausted. It was, fortunately, seriously siesta time and my body craved that good ol' Spanish afternoon nap. Emily and I met up downstairs and gathered friends older and a new couple from Germany for the Tapas Tour! Elly and us were thrilled that it was going to go on! Tons of tapas and sangrias for 12 euro? Oh yes! We tried tons of dishes that were exotic, new, and delicious. Each sangria was new and unique as each restaurant in Spain follows their own recipe. We had some strange and interesting conversations, especially as the quiet group warmed up to one another, but it was, all in all, a wonderful time.
We ended up, as tends to be a trend, in the hostel's bar to have a drink and chill out. Emily and I began this event fully intending to have a night in, head to bed early, and be up and ready in good time for our plane the next day. Well...the bar got busier, our friends grew more encouraging, our flight wasn't that early (we didn't need to leave until 11), and a combination of Elly's pleading and the plying of the tour organizer in Spanish pulled me and then Emily into agreeing to the pub-crawl. It was, of course, Thursday, and Thursday meant Kapital night! (The stamp for which has finally come off my wrist.)
Us and our Canadian friend.
After a warm up dance and drink at Sol y Sombra, which was more hopping than Monday and ended up being a blast to dance about in, we headed out to Kapital. This famous club is the largest in Madrid. It's 7 floors of dancing and bars each had their own theme and feel. We saw Miss Spain, a dancing show, hung out on a balcony, and danced to the familiar clubbing tunes. Being out in the big group we had gotten to know, whether it was from day one or just Wednesday or even just the German uni companion of the Brazillians and Zambian who I had met earlier that night, made our last hurrah in Madrid a great time.
Most of the group outside of Kapital!
The next morning made the decision seem a bit sillier - though the decision I refer to is neither the drinking nor the club but the lack of water before bed - but my packing went quickly and without a hitch despite my brain's own personal mariachi band. Having given ourselves time to sleep and pack we left early and got ourselves some delicious Dunkin's for breakfast before catching the metro to the airport. We were checked in thanks to our hostel, so we grabbed some lunch and relaxed before boarding - which involved a faisco of a queue - our plane.
Arriving safely in London and hopping the tube back to our flat, Emily and I had a day full of errands, work, and re-packing ahead of us. These things we accomplished, God only knows how, before we had to head out for Victoria Coach Station. Our attempt to walk there failed utterly; however, we hopped the tube in defeat and made it with plenty of time to, in my case, skype before boarding the bus.
My journey to Spain was over; my Spanish was well used; my party was out; and there I sat, ready and willing to journey on to the homeland.
Stay tuned for the Edinburgh blog post soon!
Hope you enjoyed,
Much love xoxo
Fallon
Ciao xx
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