As I write this, I am sitting in my hostel lobby on my last evening in Madrid! I had a wonderful time and I am going to use this post to reflect on everything I did and the people I met.
Tuesday, March 3
I arrived at my hostel at 3pm, exhausted from only 3.5 hours of sleep on the plane (I require like 10+) and dripping sweat from trekking my bags onto public transit and walking two miles. After a much needed shower and fresh clothes, I found myself in Puerta del Sol admiring El Oso y el Madrono (bear and strawberry tree statue represented in the crest of Madrid) and Km 0 (marks center of the city’s radial road system).
Returning to my hostel, I jumped into a free walking tour and learned a lot about the city. Most notably, the Arab/Islamic influence in the Iberian peninsula centuries before what would become the countries of Spain and Portugal. Following my tour I got a baked apple cinnamon empanada and a fried spinach ricotta empanada from the famous Mercado de San Miguel.
That evening I made a new friend from a university in Gdansk, Poland using the app TripBFF. I wasn’t expecting to be very social on my first day but I absolutely loved hanging with Marcelina and it was so interesting to hear about her life in Poland. Together we went for a long walk around the city and grabbed a drink at a pub, where I tried Tinto de Verano, a refreshing Spanish drink made of equal parts red wine and lemon soda.
This day I hit 24,000 steps and was so ready for a good night of sleep.
wednesday, march 4
On my second day in Madrid I went to see the Royal Alcazar, the Cathedral de la Almudeno (1 euro donation highly encouraged), and the Crypt in the Cathedral (free but donations encouraged). I don’t believe I had ever been to a Crypt before, and it was sort of an ominous experience.
Just across the street from the Crypt stands remains of a wall built in the 9th century during Islamic rule. Madrid as a Spanish city is quite new and offers a different architectural style than many other European cities, but seeing landmarks like this wall reminded me that people have been occupying this land for thousands of years.
After a nap I went to a yoga class I booked through my ClassPass subscription called Water Hatha Flow at Gaia Yoga & Soul. It was without a doubt the best yoga class I have ever taken. While challenging, it was incredibly spiritual and I felt so connected to the city and myself. Afterwards, I treated myself to a Tiramisu iced latte at Klare Speciality and a cute little fortune from a vending machine outside the shop that told me to not be afraid of making decisions.
I rushed back to my room to shower and get ready to take some solo photos at Matik Studios and end the night at a Flamenco Show. The experience was breathtaking, and the environment of Flamenco is so unique: often in caves that such have good acoustics that no microphones or speakers are required, just singing, instruments, tapping, and clapping.
Thursday, March 5
I reconnected with my friend from Poland for a coffee at Nubra, a speciality roaster that sources ethically from all over the world. I settled on an espresso brewed using a Costa Rican blend and it was amazing. I also visited the CUTEST shop next door called Postal Y Tinta, a stationary shop that offers handmade postcards, posters, and a dropbox for mail. I purchased several to frame and mailed one off 🙂
After that, Marcelina had to return to Poland for school and work so we said goodbye and parted ways. Next stop was the Real Botanical Gardens and El Retiro Park, where I met a girl I connected with at the Chicago airport for a peaceful walk and chat. We admired the beautiful roses, greenhouses, small art gallery, plentiful Iberian Magpies, and few vibrant Quaker Parrots with their bright green plumes.
Molly returned to her sister’s campus in Madrid and I visited Santa Y Pura Vegana for lunch, where I got the Thursday lunch special of traditional Spanish lentil stew and a glass of red wine made in Madrid. I HIGHLY recommend this, it was such a comforting meal.
And finally, I ended this long day at my hostel’s free sangria making night, where I met TWO fellow Wisconsinites, and the hostel leader presented his fake “Master of Sangria” Diploma from the University of Wisconsin signed by the King and Queen of Spain (the two front desk receptionists lol). After some chatting, he revealed that of course the Diploma was a joke and the hostel picked the University of Wisconsin randomly, assuming they might never meet someone from the state of WI. It was absolutely hilarious.
Lastly, I went on a pub crawl with a girl from Atlanta in my hostel dorm and we made friends with a guy from Puerto Rico and a girl living in Berlin. While I had a blast, I don’t know how many more times I will be utilizing hostel pub crawls on my trip because it left me very exhausted the following day.
Friday, March 6
And here we are at today, my final day in the lovely city of Madrid. The first thing I did was visit Chocolateria San Gines to get their famous Chocolate con Churros with an old friend from back home. It was so nice to catch up and also hear about her experience going to college here. Tired from my full week I took an afternoon siesta before hitting the city again and grabbing dinner at Mad Mad Vegan. I got their vegan calamari, a club sandwich, and a glass of vermouth and it all hit the spot. Satisfied and tired, I ended my day with a night stroll and some window shopping on Gran Via, Madrid’s main shopping street.
Saturday, March 7
Tomorrow morning I will grab breakfast at my hostel before departing by train to Barcelona for a 5 day visit with two college friends. Overall, Madrid was an excellent place to begin my adventures and I am so grateful for the friends I met!
Traditional Food/Drinks I Had
Patatas Bravas
Lentil Stew
Vegan Calamares a la Andaluza
Chocolate con Churros
Cervezas: Mahou, Estrella Galicia
Cocktails: Sangria, Tinto de Verano
Wine: Vino Tinto – Rioja
Morgan's Travel Blog 
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