Estanque grande del Retiro in Retiro Park.

Vibrant Madrid was the yang to the yin of Menorca.

We were greeted with confetti-lined streets full of soccer fans, and humorously hypothesized as to what all the fuss was about (turns out Real Madrid had won the Champions League the day before and the city had been partying all night). We caught the (second?) victory drive-by of the trophy later that day. Needless to say, this city was hopping.

The wine was cheap and delicious (3 Euro for a glass of Rioja), the people were celebrating, the museums were waiting for us, and the sun was shining.

Photo opp at Retiro Park

We both read The Queen’s Vow: a novel of Queen Isabella of Castile by CW Gortner for a little Spanish history prep before the trip. I loved the book and it was fun during the trip to think about where the Spanish royalty had been.

Madrid is a beautiful city; the stunning architecture reminded me a bit of Paris with a touch of Spanish flair.

coutryard

I thought the fountains were breathtaking.

Although we only had a couple of days, we trekked all over the city, hitting every district (sorry mom). I would say you could easily spend a week in Madrid and still not be bored (and even have time for a day trip to Toledo, which I’d still love to check out).

My Madrid Favorites:

1. Rooftop at the Circulo de Bellas Artes
The rooftop bar at this art and cultural center was worth the visit. A glass of cava with sweeping views of the city? Yes, please.

2. Desperate Literature is a charming little independent bookstore (with books in English!) with cute recommendations and interesting titles. I’m always looking to browse a good bookstore on my travels and this one was great!

3. All the markets – Mercado San Anton and Mercado de San Miguel were my favorites – we enjoyed a glass of wine and cava with some tapas at the rooftop of San Anton.

4. All the museums – While we made it to the Prado and the lesser known Thyssen, we didn’t make it to the Sofia Reina to see Guernica. So…that means I must return!

5. Chueca and Malasaña Districts
Ojala was a quirky cafe in Malasaña, complete with unisex bathrooms and a floor made of sand in the basement.

I loved walking through the less touristy areas of Chueca and Malasaña. Although they had a bit (a lot?) more graffiti than the rest of the city, the rawness was appealing.

6. Salamanca and Recoletos Districts
We stayed in this area and it was the complete opposite to Malasaña. Full of high-end designer stores, the streets were gorgeous to explore

7. Yoga at Yoga Center Madrid. This studio was right down the street from our hotel and I went to a class there one morning. They had a pretty good selection of class times and the studio was really nice. Plus,the teacher told me my practice was beautiful and I was welcome back any time. What’s not to love?

8. Breakfast on the last day at Harina

We stopped at this cafe on the Plaza de la Independencia in a rush to grab a bite before the Thyssen and our flight back. Sometimes you can do all the planning in the world, but you stumble upon a great find. The view of the Puerta de Alcala, the morning breeze, and the oatmeal bar with yogurt were just a perfect way to end the trip.

9. Experiencing this amazing city with my mom
Deb was such a trooper! I dragged her all over the city and she didn’t complain at all (all I had to do was feed her some wine every now and then). We logged a lot of walking time, but we had a great time.