SPAIN 2017

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I just came back from a week trip to Spain and wanted to recap it as I always do with all my travels. I toured southern Spain about ten years ago with my high school and I have fond memories of Madrid but it didn’t go down as one of my favorite places. I was excited to give it another shot since I am now older and have a much better appreciation for a foreign country especially since I was doing this trip independently and willingly.

There were a lot of things on my to do list prior to going on this trip and I am usually the crazy one who makes itineraries beforehand but this time, I actually wanted to wing it. I usually also have certain expectations for a trip. Sometimes I like to be an extreme tourist and see all the must see attractions. Other times, I want to experience the culture and food so I tend to visit museums and restaurants. This time, however I wanted to go with the flow and see what others recommended.

I’ve listed my personal must do things in Spain and must eat restaurants. These basically summarize everything I did during my trip since I was there for a short amount of time so these activities made up my highlights.

Must Eat Places:

• El madrono: To be completely honest, I was not the biggest fan of the food but most likely it was the dish I ordered. I had salmon with eggs and chips but I felt like everything was way too salty for my liking so I was pretty disappointed. You might wonder why this is on the list but I am putting this down for the wine and chocolate which was suggested by my local tour guide. Essentially the wine is poured into this little cup made of chocolate (think of a ice cream cone). Once you take the shot, you eat the cone so it’s like a sweet dessert and I thought the concept was unique and it was tasty. This is near the center of Madrid so I definitely think it’s worth visiting since you can just go to the bar and order this. Unfortunately, I was too excited and drank it before I was able to take a photo, but I’m sure you can imagine how it looks.




• Los Artesanos 1902/Chocolatería San Ginés: Both of these places are known for the churros and chocolate but according to TripAdvisor and yelp, Sin Gineas is more popular. I thought they were both delicious and worth visiting. Los Artesanos’s hot chocolate was thicker but San Gineas’s chocolate was creamier. I don’t think you would be disappointed in either but I think you should go to both places if you’re visiting Madrid because it’s an excuse to have churros and chocolate in two different places.


• Sobrino de Botin: This is the oldest restaurant in the world according to Guinness Records so I knew I had to make reservations and eat here. I also heard about this place during my free walking tour and had the chance to tour the restaurant before eating. The place is rather small and you can tell that there was a lot of history due to the interior structures and old wine cellar. It’s definitely not a modern restaurant but a very unique and once in a lifetime opportunity so if you would love to say you’ve eaten at the oldest restaurant in the world, come here! The food was absolutely delicious and the staff is very attentive. I think if you are going to indulge in something in Madrid, eating here would be the best choice!
• Jamon: Jamon in Spanish means ham and this isn’t a restaurant but a generic dish you must try. It’s hard to miss since they serve this everywhere but I thought the restaurants that I had it were delicious. This makes for a great appetizer and also random stores that only serve ham.
• El Tigre: This is a bar that was recommended by multiple people and I can definitely see why after going! They are known for their tapas and I didn’t have much expectations since I thought all tapas tasted somewhat similar. However, I’m not sure what it is but their food was absolutely delicious! We had tapas which included baguettes with ham and cheese, paella with chicken and croquettes. The environment is very much of a bar and there are no seats so be aware that you will be standing. This makes for an easy eat and go or socializing with friends at night. I didn’t bring my camera on this particular day, but if you google it, there are tons of delicious photos that pop up!

Must See Attractions/ Must Do Activities: 

• El Toledo: Toledo used be the capital of Madrid and it’s only an hour bus ride from Madrid but I highly recommend visiting if you have time because it’s a great day trip. I love taking day trips to cities outside of the main city I am usually staying at because it gives me a difference experience and perspective. The city is very old and filled with steep cobble stone streets, narrow alley ways and lots of sword shops. However, it’s a great way to spend the day because it’s very peaceful and there are a lot of panoramic views of the city. I took an express bus with a guided tour and it cost 24 Euro which I thought was a great deal.
• Prado Museo: There are many museums in Spain but I heard Prado Museo was the best one so that’s the only one I made a priority to visit. I went on Monday from 6-8 because it’s free and thought it was a good time to visit. Be prepared to see a long line when you arrive at the museum during the free hours, but don’t worry because it moved pretty quickly. If you are the type to explore every single room in a museum and really take time to give each piece the attention it deserves, then I would recommend going earlier because this museum is huge! I was getting overwhelmed only after an hour so just think about the type of person you are so you can plan accordingly.







• Walking tour: I always go on a free walking tour whenever I travel because as I mentioned in my previous travel posts, this is the best way to get to know a city. The tour guides are often locals and if not, they have been in the city for a good amount of time to be able to talk about the history and attentions. I went with Ogotours and you can just book the time and day online. The tour is completely free and you tip based on your satisfaction at the end.



• Santiago Bernabéu Stadium: Futbol or soccer (as we Americans call it) is huge in Europe so it only made sense to attend a Madrid game. If you’re not a huge soccer fan, I still think you should experience a sports game if it so happens that there’s a game during your visit. If not, you can also tour the stadium because it’s a cool experience. You get to go through the seats, the museum which showcases all of the accomplishments and history of Real Madrid and you also get to visit the locker rooms and press room which I thought was very exclusive.





• San Miguel Market: If you google things to do in Madrid, the San Miguel market will be across most lists. For foodies like myself, this is a great place to visit because there are many great foods to try. I would compare this to the Smorgasburg of New York. I also liked that there was a huge range of foods to choose from so I am sure you can find something that satisfies your cravings!
• Monasterio Del Corpus Christi: On my walking tour, I was informed that you can buy cookies from this church. The interesting part is the transaction process because you are not allowed to make any contact with the nuns. So how it works is that you press a buzzer and they let you in. You follow the directions when you enter and you will find a turning table. They place the cookies, turn it and you take what you want. Then you put the money and turn the table back so they can receive the payment. As you can see, there is no contact with the nuns so it was a sketchy but unique experience to say the least. I would highly recommend experiencing this since the church is right near the center of the city and it’s not something you do daily! I of course, didn’t take any photos during this experience but it will definitely go down in my memories

Overall, my trip was amazing and I had a lot of fun. I wish I was traveling from Spain to another country since it is so easy to travel within Europe. I love traveling because I always find another part of myself through exploring a foreign country. I am currently planning for my next trip so stay tuned for the reveal!