Madrid, Spain
3 great days in Madrid…
I’ve long wanted to visit the capital of Spain, and finally had the chance to spend a long weekend there with my daughter. We love our mother/daughter getaways and this one was much needed. I’d just spent several weeks settling into a new home in the South of France, wonderful but not without it’s stresses, and after her usual candle burning at both ends, she was on her way to a week long work trip visiting wine producers in Spain and Portugal. I had the chance to take my first long train trip in Europe, 5-6 hours in each direction, and really enjoyed the scenery along the way. We agreed to make it a very chill and not at all over-packed visit, taking in the culture, ambiance and scenery, a bit of shopping, tour-less museum visits and lot’s of good food and drink. I was eager to visit the Prado and the Sophia Reina, and loved them both. Seeing the Guernica in person brought tears to my eyes, a reaction I hadn’t expected, and a reminder of how powerful great art can be! Here are some recommendations and highlights for an introductory weekend in Madrid…
Day 1:
Arrrival at Hotel Urban - I highly recommend this hotel for it’s location, ambience, breakfast and especially the rooftop terrace. If you are a Hilton Honors member you can book through their platform and it’s also part of the SLH program. We were a bit concerned that its location would be too touristy, but we didn’t find that to be the case at all and enjoyed that we could easily walk to all the museums, markets and scenic spots from the hotel. The decor of the hotel is unique, with an emphasis on Southeast Asian Art. And the rooftop terrace is a peaceful oasis! We spent a few hours there each afternoon, relaxing after exploring and before dinner.
Exploring the Centro, Plaça del Sol, Plaça Mejor and the Palacio de Real- Winding through the center of town with our destination the Palacio de Real (Royal Palace), was a great way to begin to get a feel for the culture, colors and vibrancy of the city. We stumbled on a beautiful holocaust memorial, and had a coffee in the first of several visits to Hola Coffee, before arriving at the palace. We opted not to go inside, but being a gorgeous early summer day, decided to explore the gardens instead. Great for a stroll, the beautiful rose garden and a nice outdoor restaurant to lunch while admiring the palace. Then more city exploration on our way back to the hotel and a great hang on the terrace.
Dinner at Fismuler - restaurant with a fun menu based on seasonal local produce, fun wine list with many classic and natural local wines, and outstanding service. Book ahead and a must visit.
Day 2:
Breakfast at Hotel Urban - outstanding and very plentiful!
Parque de el Retiro and Shopping -The Parque de el Retiro is the centerpiece of the city, and we walked through it several times. It’s essential to spend some time here to feel the local vibe of life in the city. On the weekend there are boaters in the lake, musiciens playing and kids doing their thing. I especially liked the guy who uses crystal goblets as his instrument, fascinating! The parque was our route to shopping in the Salamanca neighborhood. Lots of boutiques and excellent for browsing. I was tempted to buy an absolutely stunning and very expensive mouton lamb coat and luckily I resisted the urge.
Lunch at Casa Dani in Mercado de la Paz - Famous for their tortilla, pair it with the tomato and tuna salad for an iconic and delicious lunch.
Coffee at Hola Coffee- this time we couldn’t resist buying a few of their t-shirts as well!
The Prado - impossible to visit Madrid without the Prado, and we spent a couple of hours there. We were especially enchanted by the Hieronymus Bosch paintings, The Garden of Earthly Delights and his others, as well as the Goya’s including the Naked Maja.
Apero at La Venencia - one of the classic Sherry bars. Standing at the bar, I was reintroduced to sherry and discovered I really like it. We were able to taste several varieties along with simple nibbles, and I’d say this is another must do. We liked it so much we went back the next night!
Dinner at Cisne Azul - a restaurant dedicated to all types of preparations of mushrooms…yes, please! Delightful, delicious and again fantastic service!
Day 3:
La Reina Sofia - With limited time on our final day in Madrid, we decided to spend an hour or two at the Sophia Reina at the start of our day. What a beautiful museum and what incredible works of art. We were very selective and my main goal was to see the Guernica. A truly magnificent piece, incredibly moving and sadly too relevant to our world today. Just thinking about it after the visit brought more tears to my eyes. A few Dali’s and then off to our next stop.
Ilop - We stumbled upon this one, a beautiful, small shop featuring only Spanish artisans. We bought a lovely candle that smelled of fresh mint from the Costa Brava. Look it up, well worth a visit for some authentic souvenirs.
Another coffee at another Hola!
El Rastro Street Market - Fun, funky and very large street market with all sorts of clothing, crafts, housewares and flea market type items. A very fun way to spend part of a Sunday, even on a very hot one, and we’d recommend allowing a couple of hours to browse if you enjoy street markets.
Late lunch at Casa Camaron - After the Sofia Reina and El Rastro, we were famished and over-heated. Finding the Casa Camaron was a god send, and here we have to start with the service. A super-relaxed cafe with terrace seating, when I mentioned my various allergies, our server brought the chef from the kitchen. He spoke with us in english and proposed a customized offering that could not have been more delicious. Both my shellfish and gluten eating daughter and I, were quite impressed and satisfied with the quality and yumminess of the meal ! Be sure to stop by before or after your visit to El Rastro or make it a special stop of it’s own.
Froyo at Kala - It’s delicious, refreshing, unique flavors…need I say more !
Pool time - This time a nap was in order. And though the pool was not yet open when we were there, we enjoyed sitting poolside on the rooftop. Would be especially welcome in the summer months.
La Venencia - After our large lunch at Casa Camaron, we were not really looking for another meal. So we opted to return to La Venencia, which on a Sunday evening was less crowded and gave us the chance to converse with the owner. He and several brothers took over the business some 40 years ago, and it was fun having him stop and chat with us for moments at a time. We explored their 3 varieties of sherry while snacking on almonds, olives, dried tuna and manchego. After several glasses, I forgot which was my favorite, but look forward to going back and rediscovering them all again! A sweet finish to our weekend in Madrid.
