Espana – Castles and Champagne

Are you getting annoyed by how I start every blog post apologizing for not writing often enough? ME TOO! BUT I’M GOING TO KEEP DOING IT. I really am sorry for not writing more often. (Ahem, Catholic guilt.) The perfectionist in me doesn’t allow me to type whatever, drop a few photos and hit “Publish!” in a quick manner. (I want to fix and update everything which isn’t necessary!!) This is supposed to be a way for me to document my travels so I can look back and remember all the glorious details that fade with time…but I’m definitely over thinking it! Surprised? For this post I’m not going to think so much and I’m just going to write. Ta daaaaaaa!

Anyways, let’s pick up where we left off. Shall we? We were talking about Madrid in my last post. The next day, the rain finally quit, so I spent the entire day walking around. Here are a few photos to prove it:

A woodworking shop called “Geppetto,” just like the movie Pinocchio! So adorable.

“Geppetto” the store was so cute and creative!

A beautiful Catholic church in Madrid

Visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace of Madrid

As I told you before, I visited the Royal Palace of Madrid. What a wonderful place! I’m so happy I could go at my own pace. I really hate when they shove you along. Some of us like to listen to the audio guides’ every word AND take notes about the home decor and interior design on our iPhones. I’m a total nerd – I realize that. haha. Next I went to the 9th floor of a building for an amazing view of Madrid. The last hour of sunlight gave the city a warm and wonderful glow. I love how the photos of the Schweppes building and Primark building turned out.

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Next I walked to Plaza del Sol to watch the sunset. HOLY COW DID I LUCK OUT. The sunset was incredible! My phone doesn’t do justice to the true colors. The pink and tangerine color of the sky was unbelievable! Almost a highlighter color. I also met a few friends – Mickey and Minnie – in the plaza which was a real surprise. 🙂

I had to take a picture of KFC because I’ve seen them ALL over Europe. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen more of these than McDonalds. I’m not being dramatic. Europeans love it! I have to laugh because when I was little, this is where I picked for my birthday meal with my family. Don’t worry…it gets worse. I also told my mom I wanted KFC and her homemade apple crisp for my wedding. YIKES haha And in case you are wondering, this was probably around the same time as my mullet haircut and no front teeth. Really cute.

I really do love how old European cities have big open squares where people congregate. In Madrid, they’re called “Plazas.” You’ll find lots of shops, restaurants and things happening in and around the square! The only bad thing is that there are a bazillion tourists, but I liked to start at the Plazas and then make my way through quieter streets “off the beaten path” as they say. 🙂 I recognize that I’m also a tourist but I get very overwhelmed in large crowds. I like to walk and take pictures on my own time.

Even though I had a short spell of homesickness and I was a bit shocked with the 40-degree temperature difference coming from Portugal, I really did enjoy my visit in Madrid! I recommend it to anyone who wants to get a feel for authentic Spain. You will love the food, the music, the buildings and the sangria just like I did. I mean, I REALLY loved the food and the sangria. So much flavor! I already told my mom that we should try to attempt making some Spanish food once I’m back home. The Spaniards love ham and I do, too!! I could maybe be a vegetarian if ham wasn’t considered meat.

People have asked me if it’s like Mexican food and I would say that it is not. The only crossover between the Mexican cuisine and Spanish cuisine that I saw were in drinks – with sangria, margaritas and mojitos. Everything else was different!

I would love to go back to Madrid someday, and visit the smaller cities around it or southern Spain like Granada, for an even more authentic tour of Spain.

I had a wonderful weekend in Madrid. I admit the 40-degree temperature difference from Portugal was a bit of a shock! The forecast said Madrid would be in the 70s and it ended up being in the 40s with rain and wind. So needless to say, I didn’t pack the right clothing. However, like a true European twenty-something, I went to Primark and bought myself two cable knit sweaters, a pink puffy jacket and an orange scarf – all for 40 euros. What a deal!! This store was CHAOTIC to say the least. It had several floors and people were everywhere. If I wasn’t on a mission to find warm clothes I would have been very overwhelmed with so many people. 🙂 While I’m in Europe, I want to find another one that’s less wild. The deals were unbelievable!

Primark

Anyways, once I had warmer clothes on Day 2 I felt much more comfortable exploring the city and braving rain. Also, I had a couple sunny afternoons in Madrid too which made a world of a difference! I’m not one to make a big deal about it raining outside, but when you’re walking for 6+ hours in it…it can become a bit cumbersome. Besides, does anyone like wearing glasses in the rain!? 🙂

Okay, now that I’ve addressed the negative/realistic parts of the weekend, let’s talk about the fun stuff! (I am an optimist by nature but I wanted you to know that my weekend wasn’t perfect! Traveling Europe has its hiccups no matter how positive of a person you are). I loved how cheap the alcohol was in Madrid. I could order a glass of sangria or a glass of red wine for 3 euros absolutely everywhere! In the United States, when I order a glass of wine, its at least $8 if I’ve missed happy hour. So if you can imagine, I had a glass of wine with every lunch and dinner. WHY NOT. I also appreciated how my high school Spanish came back to me. I couldn’t speak complete sentences by any means but certain vocab words would pop into my head or I’d be listening to the person ahead of me line and I was able to understand bits and pieces of their conversation!!

When I first arrived in Madrid I dropped off my duffle bag at the hostel and I walked around town for a few hours before I could officially check in (and take a hefty nap!) at 2 p.m. I found this awesome used book sale that had 20 vendors. Most of the books were in French but it was really cool to see what authors transcend continents. No matter where you’re from or what language you speak, we all can relate to one another by the books or the music that we read.

“Cinderella” in French!

I found this market which was absolutely incredible. I spent a good hour in there with my glass of sangria just walking around. You could go up to any counter and buy fancy meats, cheeses, olives, sandwiches, fish and so on. I love this open food hall concept. I hope it becomes more popular in the United States!

I loved how the buildings in Madrid had warm color tones. I also loved the balconies were decked out with laundry drying, flags of Spain and overgrown plants.

Though it may have been chilly outside, the interiors of the restaurants and cafes were something to see. I loved the home decor. Many restaurants clearly made an effort with their home decor and that’s something that I greatly appreciate! I mean work with what you’ve got, and if you’ve got exposed brick and chandeliers well then you’re set up for success!

There are giant plazas – or big open squares – throughout the city. This is where you’ll find both locals and tourists shopping, dining, dancing and living life. I liked roaming around all of the plazas. Here are a few photos from Plaza Mayor just before the sun went down.

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Okay, that’s all for now! I have so many more photos to share with you – and no, I didn’t forget about the Royal Palace of Madrid!! – but I need to go to bed. I’m getting up at 5:30 am to catch a train to Munich, Germany! I’m so excited to meet up with friends of mine Jacki and Kelli. TTFN!