Madrid is famous for its multitude of world class art galleries and museums. However, given the small amount of time we had they were not a priority for us and thus, we ended up not visiting a single one.
So this is not a ‘Must Do List’ for Madrid, this is simply what we did!
In no particular order:
Contents
Walked around and enjoyed the architecture
Chocolate and Churros at San Gines
Picking a good spot for sunset
Watching a thunder storm next to the Templo de Debod
Walked around and enjoyed the architecture
It seemed that everywhere we went in Madrid there were impressive buildings. These ranged from office blocks and shops, to churches and palaces. They were found in the different plazas that are dotted throughout the city but also in normal streets and the various parks. Madrid was just such a nice place to go for a wander.
Eating
Nothing original here! But from paella and sangria at a restaurant near our accommodation, to lunch at the palace (cafe), we had some pretty good meals. Food also links to the next couple of posts…
Picnic at Parque de El Retiro
One of the many nice parks in Madrid, this one featured in quite a few of those ‘Must See’ blogs I mentioned earlier, and you can see why. First of all it’s pretty huge, so despite the throngs of people that were there, it was easy to find a quiet shaded spot for a sit and a snack. It was also quite varied it terms of what was there; in amongst the trees you also had a boating lake and some nice buildings and statues. Certainly a nice place to spend a lazy couple of hours on a nice afternoon.
Chocolate and Churros at San Gines
Another common touristy activity, but still very enjoyable, was getting the famous snack at San Gines. This chocolateria has been running since 1894 and it serves ‘Chocolate and Churros’ 24 hours a day! It was definitely worth a stop – you might just have to wait for a table during peak times.
Visiting the Palace
Another very touristy thing to do was to visit the Royal Palace. This was exactly as you would expect; lots of decadent rooms with impressive decorations. I’m not sure how you would get an English-speaking guide if you’d want to learn more. It wasn’t an option as we tried to get a ticket online and then at the actual desk, but there were tours in English happening during our visit. Maybe you had to organise with an outside agency?
I enjoyed the first half but to be honest, it all got quite repetitive, despite the different styles of the rooms. I was happy to finish once we got to the end. The cafe near the exit, however, was pretty nice. It was also very reasonably priced compared to many places in Madrid. The food was simple but good and reminded me a bit of a school cafeteria as for a set price you got a salad or cooked vegetables starter, a couple of options for the main, a dessert consisting of a little cake, fruit or a little yoghurt, plus a small drink (beer was available – maybe to differentiate it from a school cafeteria?).
Picking a good spot for sunset
So we were torn between watching the sunset from the gallery between the Cathedral and Palace or heading up to the hill where the Templo de Debod is situated. We got to the former spot as the sun was already descending but it was very crowded so we thought we still had time to hurry up to the hill to catch it.
We were wrong.
Due to a couple of roads being shut for building work and our under-estimation of how long it would take we hurried up the hill only to have missed it! But despite that annoyance it was still a really nice place to be and would definitely have been a better spot. There were still lots of people but there was a larger area to spread out into. And despite missing the actual sunset it was still a really nice place to relax, listen to the musicians playing and enjoy the evening.
Watching a thunder storm next to the Templo de Debod
Okay, so this is very specific to our trip but is definitely worth a mention as I found it really cool. After watching the sunset a storm started moving towards the city. Not only was it interesting to see the very edge of the storm against an otherwise clear sky, but there was lightning up to the edge as well. The setting of the ancient Egyptian temple, which was dismantled and then rebuilt in its current location in the early 70s, made the experience even more atmospheric.
Visiting an art gallery
So I didn’t lie earlier in the article – we didn’t visit a single art gallery. But we did try to…
I’m just including this in case anyone wants to visit Madrid. The Museo Nacional del Prado is arguably the most famous gallery in the city and we learnt that during the final two hours of the day, which during the summer is 6 – 8pm, it is free to enter. So we thought we should go and have a look round and turned up at around 6 to find a sign saying that there were no tickets left.
So whilst it would have been free to enter, you still need to book a ticket in advance to ensure your entry. I don’t know if this was due to COVID restrictions or if it was just a normal regulation due to its popularity but if you are planning on visiting I would certainly try booking ahead.
Brit and Czech Abroad 