Visiting Madrid in 2 days

If someone asked me what I most liked and like about Erasmus, I would most definitely say that it is getting to know people from other countries; talking about their customs, their different ways of life and breaking all of the untrue stereotypes which we have in our heads. Also, the best thing about this is that with these friends you live such an intense experience that when it ends, you will know that you have friends in different countries who will be there when you go there; that everything will always be the same as if no time has passed. So, a German friend and a French friend are doing a tour around some Spanish cities (Barcelona, Vitoria, Bilbao) and they have stopped for 2 days in Madrid.

Madrid is not the city where I live all the time but I go there very often, and I can do a general tour around some of the main parts of the city; Madrid is gigantic and it is impossible to see it all in two days, let alone a week.

Madrid is a city where you can find anything that comes to mind: water parks, concerts, events and things to see every day; the negative thing is that there are usually lots of people in the central area and it can be claustrophobic, as well as in the public transport. In summer, due to the heat, but exactly due to this sometimes it is more that 40 degrees Clesius.

Living in Madrid is expensive but if you come as a tourist and you know where to go, you can live quite cheaply. There are parties absolutely every day, and even though there are other cities that I prefer, I have to say that Madrid is very pretty.

Where to stay

I have never seen a hotel in Spain and to be honest I was really pleasantly surprised when I went with them to the one that they had reserved. It was called Mola! Hostel and it was in Calle Atocha, very close to the centre. The rooms were clean, they have bathrooms and sinks next to the bed. The living room is very big with a self-serve buffet for breakfast, video consoles and a really great atmosphere, they also offered trips and activities from the hotel. Those that had slept there said that they would recommended it.

What to see on the first day

My friends came from Barcelona by bus and they arrived at 7am, so we saw each other at 10 so that they could relax for a bit. They wanted to go for breakfast at my favourite doughnut place, Delish Vegan Doughnuts, which is very close to Grav Via, but it was closed for the holidays. So we went to another vegan cafe that was nearby (which are very easy to find in Madrid) which was called Chilling Cafe and we loved it. We ordered two types of sandwiches with ham and vegan escalopes, as well as several kinds of pancakes, some salads and other sweet treats with ice-cream and jam. They also had a lunch menu.

After having breakfast and catching up a little, we went to see the Plaza de Sol, where we explained to them a bit about the buildings that were there, such as the famous bakery that was in one of the corners. Then we walked to Plaza Mayor, which was a very typical style of many Spanish cities such as Cordoba or Valladolid, then kept walking to La Latina. As it was Sunday the Rastro was taking place, which for those who don't know is an enormous market with clothes and hand-made/second-hand objects.

When we had spent a bit of time in the Rastro, we went to the left to get to the neighbourhoods of Embajadores and Lavapies to show them the difference that exists between different areas in Madrid. As it was already lunch time, we went to Carrefour Express to have a little picnic and relax in the park that is in Calle Embajadores. It isn't the best one in the world but there are grassy areas where you can sit down and it is quite big.

After eating and playing cards we went to the St Mary Royal of the Almudena Crypt and Cathedral; the cathedral is free to enter but you have to pay a euro or a donation to enter the crypt, which goes towards maintaining it. Then we went to the Royal Palace of Madrid which was just next door and they loved it. There was a man there playing the violin, a bit of wind and it was beautiful. We crossed the bridge to visit this other part and the Casa de Campo area.

On the way, we also stopped at the San Miguel Market, one of the most famous markets where you can see lots of examples of Spanish gastronomy and their culinary evolution. We also stopped at a churro shop so that we could try churros and fritters, especially the ones that were covered in chocolate.

When you go to a place or monument, it is a good idea to choose a route so that you can see other things on the way there; so on the way we walked past Villa square, Cibeles, the Puerta de Alcalá and the Culture Centre.

Finally, we went to the Debod Temple, which is one of the best places to see the sunset. There are usually a lot of people so it is best to go with a bit of time and find a good place to sit down. We were there for a couple of hours sat down and chatting on the grass, until it was time to go.

Day 2

The second day I met with them at lunch, since the day before they had practically not slept and they wanted to relax and do some sport in the morning; I made the most of that too to do some work.

We ate in another one of my star vegan places in Madrid, which is avegetarian and vegan Shi Shang Asian buffet, 1 minute away from Gran Via. All of the savoury food that they have is vegan and the desserts are half vegan and half vegetarian. The price without a drink starts from 9.90 euros and there are: spring rolls, seitan in various sauces, tofu in sweet and sour sauce, a salad bar, noodles and chow-mein, several types of rice, vegetables, vegan prawns... and for dessert there are flans, biscuits, popsicles, fruits and rice pudding; an amazing place open from 12.30 till 4.30pm.

We were eating until it closed because we wanted to try everything, then after we went around the Retiro Park. There, the entrace was under rennovation so we saw the boat area and we sat down on the grass to chat and joke around; time flew by.

Then I had to go, but I told them to go and see the sunset at the top of the Corte Ingles on Gran Via, which is the floor for Gourmet Experience; it is one of the most famous terraces. A tour of all the terraces in Madrid is very interesting, if you have more days and time there.

They told me that they had loved the city, its diversity, history and the variety of things that there are to do there. If you come for more days, look for some kind of concert or event so that you can experience the atmosphere, which is the best thing about Madrid in my opinion.