I love Madrid Spain - April 2015

Madrid I love you!

Last Saturday marked the arrival of my friend Amy from Cumberland Beach Ontario all the way to Madrid Spain.  Not only was I excited to have a friend here to visit but I was stoked to be headed to Madrid for a weekend!  We were meeting Amy at 630 am on Saturday morning so Ross and I decided it would be best to stay on Friday night to make sure we could actually be at the airport that early (we were still late).

Friday night was great.  We adventured downtown to find Indian food (obviously) and were not only greeted with the restaurant I had searched out online but an entire street filled with the sweet sweet scent of heaven!  We had found ALL the Indian foods!  I don’t know if I have made myself clear in past writing about my love affair with all things Indian so I will clear up any confusion by saying my life is only complete when I am able to eat ALL THE CURRY.  No matter where we go I am always on the hunt for an Indian restaurant.  Valladolid is seriously lacking in international food options and so travel is necessary not only for the adventure but the food.  We enjoyed a feast of curries, rice, samosas and Gulab jamun.

*Drooling* Gulab jamun....

After stuffing ourselves embarrassingly full (sorry not sorry) we ventured into the night to see what the fine people of Madrid were up to.  We wanted to grab beers but were way to full from dinner to drink anything so instead we just wandered the streets enjoying the nightlife.  And can I just say I love Madrid at night!  During the day it is a fantastic city as well but something about the energy in the night air just puts a permanent smile on my face.  There are people everywhere drinking, singing, staring in awe at the buildings surrounding Plaza Mayor, people dressed up in costumes posing for photos, street performers playing violin and accordions etc.  It is so busy you don’t really have to be doing anything but sitting watching all the people walking by and you are fully entertained.  Im sure we stayed out later then we should have since we needed to be up at 530 but it was difficult tearing ourselves away.

 The streets near Plaza Espana

 Tree lady

For a second I thought I was in Mexico ;)

We tried to grab a hotel that was on the subway line between downtown and the airport.  Turns out we just do not know the city that well and even though on a map it appears the hotel we chose was in a good location, the subway line we were next to did not go directly to the airport.  We had to transfer 3 times and it took close to an hour to get there.  Not a big deal but not what we were expecting at 6 am.  Once we arrived at the airport I heard a familiar whistle and there stood Amy Keith whom I have not seen in 4 years!  It was a very exciting moment.

First things first we took her to the hotel to get cleaned up and have a nap since she had just taken an 18 hour journey to get here.  The flight itself from Toronto Canada is around 8 hours but with transfers, layovers and a 6 hour time change, that number significantly increases sometimes.  So after catching up briefly we all took a couple hours to rest before heading to the center to give Amy a taste of Spain!

We got off the subway at Plaza Espana which is always full of people milling about, taking photos and a ton of buskers.  There are people in costume, magicians, break dancers and musicians.  It is always great entertainment and I think a perfect start to a Spanish adventure!  We wandered the streets looking in fun shops, ate pizza (so Spanish I know) and made out way to Plaza Mayor for a pitcher of Sangria in the sunshine.  Its funny because I feel like Sangria, delicious as it is, is definitely more of a touristy Spanish drink.  People that actually live here seem to drink more beer, wine and in the summer Tinto de Verano, which is similar in flavour to Sangria without the fruit floating in it. However when you are a tourist in Spain Sangria is a must! 

Perfect place for Tapas y cervezas 

We spent the day wandering the winding streets of Madrid exploring cathedrals, markets, the palace and of course all the interesting stores.  We ate a bunch of Tapas (Madrid actually has quiet a bit of Vegetarian tapas for Ross and I!) and drank many, many glasses of beer and wine.  We wanted Amy to have a typical Spanish experience and to us that involves many tiny foods and drinks!  It was relaxing and fun to be able to show someone around and teach her all the things we have learned since we arrived here a year ago.

 We have seen this guy every time we have been to Madrid

 The palace

This building just blows my mind.  It is gorgeous!

The next day we went to grab breakfast downtown before heading to Renfe to grab our train back to Valladolid.  It was nice to be able to have an actual breakfast with eggs, toast, tomato and mushrooms (I obviously skipped the bacon) and a Starbucks!  Typical breakfast at most cafes in Spain is just juice, tea/coffee and a croissant/pastry/toast.  Of course you can find paces that serve fried eggs sometimes but they usually come with French fries which just seems weird to me. 

We ended up taking the long train to get back to Valladolid because this way Amy could see a bit more of the Spanish countryside.  It is a relaxing trip and I love just being on the train staring out the windows and enjoying the views.  Our train was fairly empty so we grabbed a four person section and just talked and took too many photos that of course end up looking like nothing.  Moving vehicle photos never look like what you are actually looking at.

I love Madrid.  If I had the option I would absolutely move there.  It is a big city with tons of things to do, great food options, lots of cool stores and most stuff stays open in the afternoon and on Sunday!  There are Starbucks and it just has a more North American feel while still having all the charm of Spain.  Many people speak English, which of course makes my life easier, but my Spanish has improved enough that I can do most things in Spanish now anyway (as long as its not too complicated).  Madrid is a gorgeous and exciting city that I think everyone should visit if they get a chance to come to Spain!  

Happiness in Madrid