Today I left Madrid, flying to Belgium. Monday I’ll travel back to Germany, after first filling up on mussels and visiting family.
Some random thoughts on my stay in Madrid:
- Highlight was definitely Sobrino de Botîn, the oldest restaurant in the world still open, since 1725. Not only for the food, but also the history you can smell there..
- Madrid’s Metro is spectacular: clear, easy signs and relatively cheap. Take a 5 day ticket for 17 EUR (I think it was), and just go around!
- I was surprised at the weather, I expected I wouldn’t cope with the warmth. Yes, it was warm with temperatures always above 35˚C, but it was dry! Low humidity made all the difference, I figured I could actually live there a whole year! (OK, the hotel had airco..)
- Cool district: Malasaña. I went only to the Tupperware club there, on a Thursday. I definitely have to go back once for a weekend!
- Cafetarias, tapas bars, streets, shops.. It’s all full, from morning till evening, 7 days a week. It’s amazing! It’s full of life!
- Everywhere you see people cleaning up the streets, a whole day long. Parks and green spots are getting maintained. I rarely saw so much energy put in keeping a city clean (endless job). Then again, maybe I haven’t traveled around enough!
- I’m a fan of Joan Miró now.
Bad things? Mmm.. not really. Smelly streets sometimes, but that’s normal with a city that barely finds rest. Maybe the food is not really good for me, I mean for my diet!
Maybe one bad thing about Spain is the lack of second language. If only more folks would understand and speak a bit more English, we’ll come a long way. I will try to get my Spanish better!
Well, 8 days in Madrid (and Toledo half a day), was actually long enough. I’ll go back for a weekend to get a bit more attuned to the nightlife and the alternative/rock scene there. Maybe next year while visiting Barcelona and Valencia, who knows..