Madrid, Spain

So this time, the destination was “Spain.” No, not just a city in Spain, but “Spain.” We drove to Chicago, flew from Chicago to Madrid, Madrid to Santiago, and took a week long road trip from Santiago de Compostela to Castellon.
We arrived in Madrid around 9AM local time, which was about 3AM Michigan time. We were a little tired, but ready to start the adventure. Our first stop was, of course, coffee and Spanish hot chocolate at La Lonja del Mar. My first cortado was divine, and my Tiny Grown Up was thrilled by what appears to be a hot cup of chocolate pudding with our first ever churros. We also shared a goat cheese salad. Everything was delicious, and even being right in the midst of the tourist district, the prices were very reasonable by American standards. We sat on the patio and watched the magpies and parrots in the Plaza de Oriente.

Our next stop was across the plaza. So we bothered the birds a little as we made our way to the palace. Many rooms were preserved with the period furniture, art, and sculpture. Other rooms were made into a museum hosting reliquaries, intricate tapestries, and religious art. My favorite was the armory. It featured weapons and armor preserved from many generations of kings. The horses had their own, very elaborate, armor, which was displayed on statues throughout the room. Photos weren’t allowed inside, but we did manage to snap a few when it was acceptable.

Next stop was the Parroquia de Santa Maria. Beautiful place, but we didn’t snap too many pictures inside. It always seems strange to take photos while people are actively engaged in worship.

Of course we needed more coffee and hot chocolate to continue on our journey.

We ended the first day with a shopping and dinner at a large market. We avoided most of the tourist shops, and spent our money on local foods and experiences instead. I did come home with a clay bull of course.

We woke up early to avoid the lines at the Museo Nacional del Prado. Again, no photos allowed inside, but I enjoyed not having my camera in front of me for the whole trip. The food inside the museum was a touch pricey, but actually very good. We managed to catch an exhibition of Goya’s sketches while we were there. It was all pretty amazing. I think it would take a couple of days to make it all the way through everything, so I won’t bother listing everything we saw. If you’re interested, details of the collection can be found here.

Immediately behind the Prado was a wonderful park and I cannot wait to visit again in summer. Even in amidst the bare trees of fall, Real Jardin Botanico had some beautiful blooms, citrus trees, begonias, and camellias. There was a rock garden, a wishing path, and some lovely indoor greenhouses filled with water plants, hanging plants, and cacti.

And… more hot chocolate.

We spent our last night adventuring in Malasaña. We went shopping at PopLand and Chopper Monster. And I was somehow inspired to purchase had made one of a kind heels from ioli.

Although I’m mostly a vegetarian, I’m not typically inclined toward vegan foods, and definitely not avocados as anything more than a garnish, but I was genuinely impressed with Avocado Love. The seating was a little cramped where they sat us, but the lighting more than made up for it.