Bucket List - Madrid

Travel guides famously outline cities so well that at the end you don't know what you should actually do. If you've also read Lonely Planet, like I myself have, then every place sounds like the most breathtaking place in the world. I have actually read a travel guide about Madrid, but my favourite place was only partly included. So, here is my weekend bucket list. Please do them in this or a similar order!

Saturday

When you arrive at the airport (or depart), don't despair. The airport is big and unfortunately quite old-fashioned, which means that the pathways are long. More recently you have to buy a ticket for the Metro in Madrid, which you can reload again and again. The airport has an extra charge and especially for certain journeys it can mean that there are unnecessary "journeys" on the card (obviously you can also try to simply sneak through).

From the hostel I travel into the centre through the Puerta de Sol and sometimes I go across to the Royal Palace and Gran Via, or to Plaza Callao; thereby you've already covered half of the tourist spots. Just off of Gran Via is one of the best streets in Madrid - Calle Fuencarral. Here you can do lots of shopping and also end up in the coolest quarter. The same where, Llaollao, the spanish frozen yoghurt chain, is a must. I have never eaten such good frozen yoghurt anywhere else.

After shopping in the evening and further along Fuencarral's neighbouring street, one of the three El Tigre is concealed. There the tapas is served with the drinks. I best part are the glasses of Sangría, which doesn't contain too much alcohol, and it really affordable. And the amount of tapas is enough to compensate for dinner. You have to be punctual as from 9 the shops are full. The best evening was when a waiter carried three layers of trays and he looked cool as well. He was also considerate that I am vegetarian and the people on the table next to us wanted to give us their tapas a one point because they couldn't eat any more.

The club of choice is up to you. I recommend however to look up on Facebook before to see whether there is a guest list. Joy Eslava (Sol/Charts), Shoko (Latino/Reggaeton) and Independence (Indie and Oldies) provides you with the best. You have to be there pretty early but I think they are some of the clubs with the best music.

When I'm tired, mainly between 3 and 5 (yes, for Spaniards that's early), I go and eat Churros in the Chocolatería San Ginés, where I order Chocolate and Churros. The chocolate is essential.

Sunday

On Sundays, after a couple of hours sleep I love to go to Rastro. The flee market is in La Latina and I always find something there that I can bring back home with me. The term 'flee market' isn't the best because all of the stands are quite commercialised.

From Rastro I pick up a little snack and freshly squeezed juice in a street with the Tirso de Molina bus stop and then I go to Retiro Park which, for me, is one of the best parks in the world. So much happens here because it is one of the few big parks in Madrid. One of the best spots is on the grass, directly opposite the lake. You can watch the carp and lay in the sun.

Lacking in sleep, it's back to the airport. Not forgetting, either to by a ticket (which can't be refunded) or wait until no one's watching!