Four sunny days in Madrid

It's been years since I have travelled on my own and I really felt like getting away for a while. As we had the Royal Wedding last year I didn't feel like I would be missing out too much on the Queen's Jubilee celebrations so I took myself to hot and sunny Madrid for the extended weekend.

After a very early and rushed start on Friday morning I landed in time for a siesta (totally justifiable mid-afternoon nap!) and late lunch. I headed straight to the Mercado de San Miguel. Upon entering foodie heaven, I knew I was going to like Madrid! There are over a dozen stalls in the covered market where you can buy delights to take home, or eat at the tables there. I had a beer, charcuterie in a roll, and some stuffed olives and peppers and wondered if I could move to the apartments opposite.

To get my bearings, but really because I had no time to read the guide book and work out what I wanted to see yet, I jumped on the top deck of the city bus tour for a couple of hours. It was glorious in the hot sun being chauffeured around town. I saw all the city's key buildings (including the football stadium!) which I then wandered past again over the next couple of days and we went up and down all the main thoroughfares.

Plaza Major

Good sign!

In the now early evening, I sat in a square and had a couple of beers and a plate of olives overlooking the Teatro Opera, people watched and decided what I wanted to see while I was in town.

On Saturday morning I walked around one of the barrios called Malasana. It has some great little artisanal shops and a cool vibe. My second mission for the weekend was to finish a heavy novel (I am still reading!) for TMW's book club. So as lunch time came around, I plonked myself down at sunny table at Cafe Mahon in Plaza Dos de Mayo for beers and a sandwich and a couple of hours of reading. After a chapter or ten it seemed reasonable to stretch my legs again, and it didn't take me long to accidentally stumble upon one of the shopping streets in Madrid, Calle Fuencarral. Later that evening I went to a flamenco performance at Casa Patas which was pretty good. Dinner was tinto blanco and manchego cheese there and at a nearby wine bar, and chocolate and churros for dessert!

Flamenco

After such as successful previous day, I thought more of the same would be a good idea for Sunday. I had breakfast at Mercado de San Miguel on the way to check out barrio La Latina. On Sundays the biggest flea market you've ever seen, El Rastro is held there. I strolled through the streets lined with markets and sellers with every other Madrileno and tourist in town. It has everything you could possibly want from antiques to electrics, underwear to saucepans, and plants to flamenco ensembles. From here I walked to Delic, a cafe bar in Plaza de la Paja and beat the rush to nab a prized table in the outdoor terrace where I settled in for the rest of the afternoon. I had a tomato and mozzarella salad for lunch with a couple of glasses of rose, a slice of carrot cake with coffee and a couple of glasses of summer wine called tinto de verano while people watching and making some significant headway in my book. I tore myself away for a nap (mission #3 was to rest) and to avoid getting sunburnt but I could have spent all night there! For dinner I had tapas (ham & cheese and salt cod croquettes and aubergine in honey) and wine at El Pez Gordo in Malasana.

Fresh fruit and juice for breakfast 

Mannequins overlooking the square

El Rastro

Cassettes for 1€

70s plastic picnic basket

Plaza de la Paja

Lunch at Delic

One photo of me in Madrid!

Monday started with an excellent breakfast experience at La Mallorquina, an old school cafe off the main square of Sol. The locals pop in a for pastry and a cafe con leche at the bar before going on their merry way for the day. It's a buzzy place that put a smile on my face. Then it was straight to Museo del Prado for three hours of viewing some spectacular masterpieces - and that was just the highlights. The museum walls are hung with Spanish, Italian, French, Flemish (I could keep going) masters. The audio guide and hit list they provide are great and made sure I saw a cross section of the absolute best.

The Spanish eat their pastries with a knife and fork!

Museo del Prado

Back into the sunshine I walked past the Caixa Forum vertical garden to a local bakery that sells homemade savouries and sweets to take to El Retiro for a picnic. El Retiro has to be one of the biggest city parks in Europe. After relaxing under a tree with my book and a squirrel who wanted some of my tasty lunch, I walked the length of it. It's a mix of Hyde Park (green spaces), Regent's Park (rose garden) and Jardin du Luxemborg (lake) rolled into one and very nice. No wonder the locals are proud of it.
For my last night in town I went to a relaxed wine bar and then on to a heaving tapas place. The food was good so it was a nice meal to end on.

The vertical garden

Cuesto de Moyano

Rose garden in El Retiro

El Retiro

El Retiro

Watching the Madrilenos go by

I can see why the guide book says it doesn't have the euro-cool of Barcelona. It's much more laid back but just as enjoyable. My hotel was in an excellent location so I could walk anywhere I wanted to. It's an easy city to navigate, or maybe I am getting better at not getting lost. Totally worth the visit and I am so pleased I went. A great weekend!