The Real Madrid

One of my favorite shows that I used to watch in high school was Globe Trekker.  I always liked hearing that boingy noise at the beginning of every episode, and my favorite traveler was Megan McCormick.  That would be a pretty sweet job to have.  No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain would also be a cool job to have, but I digress.

The first stop of my 20-day Eurotrip was Madrid.  My friend X and I did a lot, but my top 5 places to visit were as follows:

1)  Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid)

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the palace, but the artwork and grandness were stunning.  It's unlike any place I've ever seen in the US, and there is a lot of culture and history behind the site.

2)  Toledo / Cathedral of Toledo

Toledo is a World Heritage City that is a 30 minute train ride away from Madrid.  It was the old capital of Spain before Madrid.  The quaint old city is built so closely together that you can walk the winding streets and visit most of the sites within a day.

My favorite site in Toledo was the Cathedral of Toledo.  Of all of the churches I visited in Spain and Paris, this Cathedral was at the top of that list, too.  Don't be deceived by the picture of the outside of the building.  Inside is huge!  The altar is ornate, and sometimes you just don't know where to look because there are so many things going on with all the decorations.  It is truly a site to see.


3)  Real Madrid C.F.'s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

I'm not a big futbol fan, which is probably akin to saying someone doesn't like puppies (How can you NOT like puppies?  They're so cute).  However, we visited Santiago Bernabéu, and I thought the self-guided tour was great.  Seeing the field, taking pictures with pictures of players, pretending to be sitting in club seats...it's pretty cool.

4)  Museo Reina Sophia

Aside from the Reina Sophia, there is the Prado Museum which is the largest and most famous art museum in Spain.  I chose to list the Reina Sophia here, though, because I enjoyed the collections and exhibits on display  more than the ones I saw at the Prado.  My opinion may differ next time I go.  People should try to visit both museums if possible.

 

5)  Retiro Park

This park sits to the east of the center of the city and it is huge.  There are not many flowers in this park, but the water areas are nice to look at.  We rested our feet for at least an hour in front of fountain because it was so peaceful.  There is also a glass house structure that has a slide inside of it.  We didn't try it out, but if I had not been wearing a dress, I might have.

Other Notable Sites

• Plaza Mayor
• Templo de Debod (Egyptian Ruins)
• Bull Fight
• Puerta del Sol - Street performances at night

X and I spent 5 days in Madrid, including the day trip to Toledo, which I think was long enough to do everything we wanted to do.  What struck me about the city was that the streets were so clean, the metro system is extremely well-kept (the nicest I've seen so far) and fast, and most of the dogs were off their leashes and were well-behaved.  Although many people visit Madrid, it doesn't feel overrun with tourists.  Madrid is very culturally rich, the people are pretty friendly, and it's a city I would recommend for others to visit if they ever find themselves in Europe.