Madrid: More Than My Dreams

For the first time in weeks I was actually busy. My parents had just left, I was in the middle of classes, and I had assignments due. It was the perfect time to take a holiday to Spain. Okay, so maybe the timing wasn’t perfect, but I managed to get everything done in time to leave. I left behind a rainy Vienna crowded with Eurosong tourists, and retreated to sunny Madrid.

I had written down a few highlights that I wanted to see in Madrid, but I was still unsure of what the city would be like. Would it be really hot? Would people be in the streets until three a.m.? Would it be grand and imperial or laid back? Turns out, whatever my expectations were, they were wrong. I could have never expected to love Madrid as much as I did.

I lucked out with the location of my hostel. It was right in the middle of the Barrio de las Letras. I couldn’t have been more centrally located. Pretty much anywhere I wanted to go in the city I could walk. And if I felt like it was a little too far, there was a metro stop only two blocks away. I bought ten metro tickets when I arrived, but ended up not even using them all. That’s how walkable the city was. And everywhere I walked was full of charming discoveries. Beautiful balconied buildings, cute little shops, and painted street signs lined every street. Not to mention the grand, imperial architecture throughout the city. 

Plaza Mayor

The Palace

One of the amazing places just a few minutes’ walk away from where I was staying was the Parque de El Retiro, a massive park. It took me three days to see all of it. Even so, I’m pretty sure there are still spots I didn’t see. It’s like if you took six or seven big gardens and then just built them all right next to each other. One area has fancy trees that are pruned into shapes like a Dr. Seuss book. Another is all trees and bushes with a bunch of feral cats running around. There is a big, artificial pond full of paddleboats with a giant statue. The whole park is littered with statues and fountains around every turn.

 Alfonso XII monument

The most famous attraction in the park is the Palacio de Cristal, or Crystal Palace. It was built as a green house, but is now just a really cool glass building for art exhibits. While I was there, they had a giant tent made of Turkish textiles. It added a lot of color to the space. 

On my last day, I finally found the most interesting statue in the park. It is called the Fuente del Ángel Caído, or Fountain of the Fallen Angel. In addition to being a dramatic statue, it also happens to stand at exactly 666 meters above sea level. Spooky. 

But I didn’t spend my whole trip to Madrid in the park, although I was there often. Sunday morning was El Rastro flea market. I love flea markets, so I got up early to go see what was for sale. This was a first class flea market. They had all kinds of clothing and trinkets, spanning many blocks. Lots of booths were selling stuff at a great discount. Plus there were a few artesian type booths with higher quality, special items. Not many antiques were for sale, but there was also a distinct lack of junk. It was a clean, friendly market.

 I bought a hat!

In stark contrast with the friendly, cheap El Rastro market, was Madrid’s biggest shopping street, Gran Via. Full of towering buildings, it reminded me a lot of Fifth Avenue in New York. Just like Fifth Avenue, my shopping here was all of the window variety. Strolling along, I felt like a million bucks surrounded by the fancy buildings. 

But there were other shopping areas to wander to as well. Like the hipster Malasaña barrio right nearby. This is where I ended up after randomly deciding to turn left A wide variety of cute, fun stores took me all the way up to the Tribunal metro station. If you like to shop, Madrid has you covered from every angle. 

While all of that outdoor meandering was quite enjoyable, one indoor attraction managed to pull me away from the sunshine: the Prado Museum. It has an utterly massive collection of art. After six hours in the museum, I had to give up on seeing everything and go eat.  It was an art marathon.

Entrance for students was free, so I decided to buy an audio guide. It helped me make sense of everything, and was definitely a good investment. I learned so much. There were many masterpieces of Spanish and international art inside. So many that it felt like every room had some kind of world-renowned painting. One of the masterpieces that I recognized was The Garden of EarthlyDelights by Hieronymus Bosch. It is amazing to see in real life.

 They also had a huge collection of the work of Franciscode Goya. He is Spain’s most famous painter, and his work covers a huge range. He created many portraits of the royal family, as well as designs for tapestries. But he also had a “black period” near the end of his life, where he painted ever-darker scenes of witchcraft and war. The collection was fascinating to see and hear about.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day at the Prado Museum. I can see why it is one of the jewels of Madrid.

And of course I have to mention the food. I had absolutely no idea what Spanish food would be like. Turns out, it is delicious. Every single meal I had seemed like a simple dish. Like Jamón, Spain’s version of prosciutto ham. Or tortilla, an egg and potato dish. But they were elevated from something simple to something amazing.  And everything comes in smallish portions, like tapas and Bocadillo sandwiches. That way I could eat often and well. The best way to eat, in my opinion. I will save you from a long list of the mouthwatering delights. For having no expectations, Spanish food blew me away.

I now get why so many people go to Madrid on holiday. Who can resist the sunshine in the parks, the fabulous shopping streets that wind through the city, the great food, and the world-class art? I thought four days in Madrid would be long enough to see the city. I was wrong. There was so much left to see and do. I guess I will just have to count down the days until I can return.