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    • TravelerSusan muss mal an die Luft...
      Day 4

      3. Tag in Madrid - Geschichte der Stadt

      September 18, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

      Mein 3. Tag in Madrid bricht an...und ich habe zum 2. Mal das Frühstück verpasst 😅. Naja aller guten Dinge sind drei...

      Das Hostelzimmer ist mittlerweile auch voll international geworden...mit Menschen aus Argentinien, USA, China und Russland. Aber irgendwie klappt die Verständigung trotzdem gut.

      Am Nachmittag beschließe ich an einer „Free Walking Tour“ durch Madrid teilzunehmen. Diese Touren finden in vielen Großstädten kostenlos auf Spendenbasis statt. Wir starten wieder am „Plaza Mayor“ und ich erfahre viel über die Geschichte Spaniens und Madrid auf sehr unterhaltsame Art. Vor der Gründung Spaniens gab es mehrere Königreiche, unter anderem Aragón und Kastilien. Madrid war nur ein Dorf und wurde wegen seiner politischen Unwichtigkeit zur Hauptstadt - hier gab es noch keine Intrigen oder Verbindungen 🧐. Es ist immer weiter gewachsen und es wurden immer neue Stadtmauern als Ring um die nun mit Stadtrecht ausgestattete neue Hauptstadt errichtet, um Steuern von den Händlern innerhalb der Mauern verlangen zu können ... mittelalterlicher Kapitalismus🤪.

      Es gab viele weitere tolle Geschichten zu hören, z.B. über das älteste Restaurant in Madrid, das „Botín“, (&das älteste aktive der Welt), indem der Maler Goya einst als Küchenhilfe arbeitete und Ernest Hemingway die Prohibition in den USA saufend umging 😅.

      Und über den Robin Hood Spaniens „Luis Candelas“, der reichen adligen Damen die Häuser ausräumte nach einem gemeinsamen Schäferstündchen, während deren Ehemänner auf Reisen waren (so das die betrogenen und gleichzeitig betrügenden Frauen nichts verraten konnten über den Raub) - ein lange gut laufendes Geschäftsmodell, das aber am Ende mit seiner Hinrichtung endete 😱!
      Ich erfuhr außerdem, dass Tapas ursprünglich erfunden wurden als kostenlose Beilage zu alkoholischen Getränken, um zu verhindern, dass Arbeiter auf nüchternen Magen trinken müssen und damit nicht mehr effizient arbeiten können 😉. Und das man in spanischen Klostern von unsichtbaren Nonnen (sie dürfen sich nicht zeigen) mit Klopfzeichen und über Drehtische zum Geldaustausch Plätzchen kaufen kann - echt verrückt! Die Tour war auf jeden Fall spannend!

      Überhaupt gibt es in Madrid allerhand Kurioses und Geschichtsträchtiges zu entdecken, weil die Spanier ihre Kultur und Traditionen lieben - vom klassischen Tangokleid, über “Don Quijote“ T-Shirts für die Kleinsten bis zu „tanzenden“ Warnmännchen in der Metro war alles dabei 😂.      Read more

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    • Raul FrancesconeSpanien 2022
      Day 60

      Tag 60 - plötzlich in Schottland?

      November 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

      Wieder mal ausgeschlafen bin ich heute knapp vor Mittagszeit aufgestanden und hatte gemütlich gefrühstückt. Um 13:30 Uhr war dann bereits mein Onkel da und nachdem er sich eingerichtet hat, gingen wir raus. Das Wetter war der Hammer, im T-Shirt kamen wir ins Schwitzen. Mit dem Metro fuhren wir bis zum Bahnhof Atocha und von dort aus liefen wir ein gutes Stück ins Zentrum. Bereits im Zentrum ist mir aufgefallen, dass ziemlich viele Celtic Fans da waren, denn am Abend spielte Real das letzte Champions League Gruppenspiel gegen die Schotten. Als wir zur Plaza Mayor liefen erschreckte ich mich. Noch nie habe ich so viele Personen dort gesehen und es waren alles Celtic Fans, die friedlich ihr Bier tranken und für gute Stimmung sorgten, auch der Polizeieinsatz dort war riesig. Direkt an der Plaza Mayor gingen wir in eine Bar und assen beide ein Bocadillo, mein Onkel mit Calamares und ich mit Lomo, es war herrlich. Als nächstes gingen wir zum Mercado San Miguel, wo wir eigentlich noch ein Dessert essen wollten, doch wir fanden nichts auf was wir Lust hatten. Wir liefen noch weiter durchs Zentrum und mein Onkel kaufte sich ein Parfüm und ein neues Portemonnaie. Eigentlich wollten wir das heutige Fussballspiel anschauen gehen, doch leider hatten wir wieder keine Tickets gefunden. Ein Besuch beim Stadion durfte aber trotzdem nicht fehlen. So begaben wir uns mit dem Metro zum Santiago Bernabeu. Anders als sonst, war der Metro nicht mit weiss gekleideten Menschen, sondern mit grün gekleideten Menschen voll und auch vor dem Stadion hatte es gefühlt mehr Celtic Fans als Real Fans. Auch der Mannschaftsbus wurde praktisch von Celtic Fans und nicht Real Fans begrüsst. Ich hatte kein gutes Gefühl für das Spiel und war zu diesem Zeitpunkt ziemlich froh, dass ich keine Tickets hatte. So machten wir uns auf den Weg Richtung nach Hause. Bevor wir aber nach Hause gingen, besuchten wir unsere Tante und gingen noch zum Supermarkt einkaufen. Zuhause schauten wir im Fernsehen das Real Spiel an und als ich das Spiel sah, war ich wieder enttäuscht das ich keine Tickets fand. Real Spiele einen wunderschönen Fussball und die Stimmung hörte sich auch gut an, schlussendlich hatten sie sogar 5:1 gewonnen. Nach dem Spiel sind wir in unserem Viertel nochmals Essen gegangen und dann bereits wieder nach Hause, da wir schon wieder ziemlich müde waren, weil wir knapp 20'000 Schritte zurücklegten.Read more

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    • TravelerEuro Quest
      11
      Day 17

      Day Seventeen: The "busy" Madrid Day

      April 1 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

      Today was our only full day in Madrid, so we planned to wake up early and see as much as possible. But as we have already learned a few times, drinking and staying up late has its repercussions. We woke up at about 11:00... so there went half our day. Luckily, we were not as hungover, just tired. So we stopped for food and coffee, I got a grilled chicken burger, which was as good as you can tell. Then we decided to go off to El Retiro Park. And I have never seen a bigger park in a city before... we honestly spend the whole afternoon here, and we still missed some stuff in it. Turns out there is a whole soccer field we never saw. I dont even feel bad for missing anything because of how beautiful it was. It was so nice to just walk around, and it was on the first full days of the sun. And holy, it was nice. I even bought sunscreen for my neck because it was worried! We even ran into one of the people from last night there, we walked around for a bit with them, but they were so hungover they just kind of left. And later, when I posted on instagram from the park, someone from porto responded that they were their too, on the same day! But we even found a little green hill to just lay down to enjoy the sun. There was a massive monument that was 30 meters tall by a huge pool. I wish I was cool enough to have a monument that large! There was even another pool that had koi fish, turtles, and black swans as well as a large greenhouse right beside this. We were sitting by the water, and I was just playing around, and a Koi fish even tried to eat my finger on top of a turtle just swimming up right in front of to stare through my soul. It was the perfect place to be hungover. We were leaving and saw that there was a rose garden we somehow missed, so we turned around and walked about 10 minutes to see it. No roses though ahaha, guess they haven't bloomed yet. Afterward, we e-scootered back to the hostel, stopped for a small meal, and just chilled. I was tired so I just stayed and went to bed. Ethan found some friends from last night so decided to go out again. I am sure he had a good night!Read more

    • Raul FrancesconeSpanien 2022
      Day 55

      Tag 55 - weiterer Besuch ist da

      October 28, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      Nachdem wir heute Morgen wieder alle gemeinsam frühstückten, verbrachten wir einen sehr ruhigen und gemütlichen Tag in unserem Quartier in Madrid. Dabei erledigten wir noch ein paar Kleinigkeiten, die nicht wichtig sind, doch auch noch gemacht werden mussten. Gegen 18:00 Uhr gingen mein Vater und ich zum Flughafen nach Madrid, nicht weil er zurück in die Schweiz flog, sondern weil wir dort mein Gotti und Götti abholten. Bevor sie aber landeten, holten wir am Flughafen noch das Mietauto ab, welches wir dann morgen brauchen werden. Da wir auf dem Weg zum Flughafen überraschenderweise keinen Stau hatten, waren wir wieder mal zu früh am Flughafen und auch beim Autovermieter ging es sehr rasch zu und her, so verbrachten wir noch ein wenig Zeit am Flughafen zu zweit bis dann mein Gotti und Götti landeten. Mit dem Mietauto fuhren wir dann zuerst zurück nach Hause und liessen mein Gotti und Götti vor der Wohnung raus, mein Vater und ich machten uns auf die Suche nach einem Parkplatz. Die Strassen hier sind alle nur Einbahnstrassen und voll mit parkierten Autos, es ist also ziemlich schwierig ein Parkplatz zu finden. Nachdem wir ein paar Runden ums Quartier fuhren, hatten wir aber Glück und sahen gerade wie jemand einen Parkplatz, ziemlich in der Nähe unserer Wohnung, verliess. In der Zeit als wir am Flughafen waren, bereitete meine Mutter ein kleines Apero zu und nachdem wir dieses verspeist hatten, erkundigten wir Madrid im Dunkeln. Mit dem Taxi fuhren wir ins Zentrum und als wir dort ankamen, fragte ich mich, von wo alle diese Personen kommen. Denn durch den Tag durch, hatte es nicht all zu viele Personen im Zentrum, doch vorhin war es voll, ich muss auch sagen, dass ich das Zentrum von Madrid in den Abendstunden noch nie erlebte. Gemeinsam liefen wir durch die Strassen, bis wir beim Mercado de San Miguel angelangten, einen alten Markt der auch als Sehenswürdigkeit von Madrid gilt, mit verschiedenen Essständen. So gab es dort als Abendessen, von der Zeit her wieder richtig spanisch, ein wenig spanische Tapas von den verschiedenen Ständen und einen leckeren Weisswein.Read more

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    • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023

      Arriving in Madrid

      August 25, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

      I arrived at OK hostel in Madrid at 3pm after being awake for 26 hours and two delayed flights. I think I have now become one of “those people” who cannot sleep on planes. I was exhausted and hungry, so I went in search for quick food, and I found it, McDonald’s. I know I will have lots of opportunities for authentic Spanish food so I don’t feel any guilt (ok obviously I have a smidge of guilt or I wouldn’t have mentioned it!)
      I then went back to the hostel for a nap.

      I woke up around 8:30pm so decided to join the community dinner. Met a very nice couple from Quebec and they persuaded me to go on an organized bar crawl with the hostel. There were about 25 of us and it started at 11:15pm. We went to three different bars and got free tequila shots at each. They were dance clubs, and it was a stark reminder that I am no longer in my 20s. I embraced the atmosphere at first, moving around the club, needing to brush against everyone just to move closer to the bar to get our free shot. It wasn’t until 2:00am that we got into our third club (which is open until 6am of which my guide informed me enthusiastically). Just after 3:00am, it was time for me to call it quits and leave my new friends to close out the bar. I had a good time, but the crowds and the noise was just way too much by that time. I was back and in bed around 4am. You would think I would sleep through the day, but I was wide awake at 6am, so have decided to try and stay up for the day as 6-7am will be my normal waking hours on the Camino.

      When I was on the plane, I thought about Jörg quite a bit. The most consistent thought is that he should be here with me. I know most would say he is here in spirit with me, but it is absolutely not the same. We had a tradition of holding hands whenever we took off and landed, so I made a fist and held his hand.

      During dinner, I was telling my new friends (Max and Laura) all about Jörg. He is obviously integrated into most of my memories and conversations. I love talking about him and sharing his stories. Max is a kite surfer and did some surfing in Tofino. At one point Max asked me where is my husband. I decided to tell them he had passed. This will be a daily decision I need to make and I am not entirely sure I know how I am going to handle it. On one hand, I don’t need to tell everyone, especially if they are just a passing acquaintance. Later in the evening I was talking to a couple from Austria and I mentioned Jörg was from Germany. They asked where do we live, and I just said we live in Canada. There was no need to go into more, especially in the middle of a club. I know there will become a time I will start saying “my late husband” when telling the stories but I am not ready for that yet. Not sure I will ever be ready, but not my worry for today.

      After typing this out, I am now ready for a nap … so much for staying up.

      TTYL (Talk to you later)      Read more

    • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023
      111

      A Day in Madrid

      August 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 30 °C

      Survived another day in Madrid. I had breakfast at 8am and afterwards I was ready to crash again. Slept until 11:00am. Some of you may know this but there is another route to Santiago de Compestela that starts in Madrid. I posted online in my Facebook Camiga group asking if I should get a stamp from Madrid even though I was starting in SJPDP. The answer was a resounding yes and one person even replied that they live in Madrid and looked up the hours of the church that gives the stamp and it was open from 10-1 so off I went. I got my stamp.

      I will admit that going in the Santiago Church here in Madrid had an impact on me. God and I are not on good terms right now and I told him that. In spite of my feelings, when I sat in the church alone I still felt an overpowering feeling of love.

      I then did a walk about. Hit all the tourist spots like Plaza Mayor, Puerta del sol (the middle of Madrid and Spain), Parque de el Retiro and Decathlon. Ok, Decathlon isn’t a tourist destination, but I was on the hunt for a few items. One was some hiking sticks. I decided at the last minute to not take my hiking poles with me as I was taking my backpack as carry on and there were mixed reviews as to whether the airport security would allow it. I didn’t want the hassle. I decided I would buy them here. I know they sell them in SJPDP, but thought I would try to get them sooner. The Decathlon store was very small and they only had a couple types and I didn’t like them.

      I was also on the hunt for some socks for my sandals. GASP! I am becoming one of “those people”, socks with sandals. It is painful just typing these words. I am so dead set against this, but when you need it, fashion goes out the window. I wore my sandals out during my 4 hours of clubbing last night and then after about 5km today I could feel blisters starting to form. I tried to put bandages on the spots to prevent them but my sandals are so tight fitting that they would rip off when I put my sandal on. I then thought that perhaps if I put bandages on the spot and then put socks over them, that may help keep them in place. So I bought some short running socks that were subtle and matched my sandals. Problem solved, but I will need to try and evade the fashion police.

      After the walk, I came back for another nap, then down for dinner again at the hostel. I have now had my first traditional Spanish dish, Paella so the guilt of yesterday’s McDonalds is now absolved. TTYL      Read more

    • Julie RosenthalCamino Frances 2023

      Another Day in Madrid

      August 27, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

      I stayed in bed all night, the first step to conquering my jet lag. I went to bed at about 11pm and stayed in bed until 7am. Staying in bed is different than sleeping though. I woke up quite a bit through the night but forced myself to stay in bed and try to get back to sleep. Baby steps.

      I had two things on my agenda to do today; the world famous Sunday El Rastro Open Air Market and a walking tour of Madrid.

      The market is literally 10 metres from my hostel so just had to fall out of bed for that one. It opened at 9am so I was a bit early so popped into a local bakery and had a ham and cheese quiche sort of thing and some pig’s ears . The Spanish call them Palmeras / Palmiers, but as soon as I saw them, I knew I had to have a Schweinsoerchen for Jörg.

      I then ventured into the market at 9am where quite a few were still setting up. I wandered and thought, oh yeah, this is big, but only a little bigger than the Duncan Farmers Market, but then I wandered a little further and saw that there were branches off on each block. I read on Wiki there are hundreds of vendors. It had all the typical flea market stuff like clothes, bags, art, jewellery etc. There were quite a few vendors that had tables of clothes that were just in a heap for 1-5 Euros. I would have loved to dig through the piles but I was too scared I would find something (and add weight to my already heavy backpack).

      As I was wandering the market, I started to not feel so good, like I wanted to throw up. I headed back to the hostel and slept for 45 mins before getting up for the walking tour starting at 11am. I felt better, was it the pig’s ear?

      The walking tour was good, not great, but good. There was more standing than walking for the 3 hours. We went to some of the same places I already wandered to yesterday but I did hear about some of the history. One place I didn’t get to yesterday was the palace and cathedral and they were quite nice. There was a lookout in between looking over part of the city. I just realized today how much more I like nature over architecture. I do like both of them, but I felt a type of excitement bubble inside me as soon as I saw a hint of green at the distant lookout. The view itself wasn’t any more spectacular than I have seen in other parts of the world, but the joy inside was clear. I assume that is why I am so drawn to hiking and living in BC.

      After the tour I decided I would just go back to the hostel, do some laundry and spend some me time, reading, stretching, rubbing my feet with cream etc. At 4:30pm I finished my laundry and started to pack away the clothes when ... zzzzzzzzzzzz. I woke up at 7:30pm with clothes all around me.

      I really wanted to go back to sleep but I needed to finish packing up my backpack tonight as I will be getting up early in the morning to leave. Well, really not early, 8am, but to people in Madrid, that is early. They have their afternoon siesta so they stay up into the early morning. I just want to minimize the disturbance in the morning.

      Ok, well, it is 10:00pm now and I am going to try and get back to sleep, I have a 3 hour train ride tomorrow to Pamplona. Two days until take off! TTYL      Read more

    • Europe 2019
      Day 3

      Lunch in Madrid

      September 19, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      As with all cities lunch is best found off the beaten track. Retrogusto in Plaza del Biombo is our stop for today. Sitting in the courtyard under the shade of a tree eating beautifully prepared and reasonably priced food. Lunch plus a glass of wine is about €9Read more

    • TravelerEurope 2022
      Day 22

      First day in Madrid

      June 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

      It was a pretty disorienting day - Lucas and I took an overnight bus from 12:30-6:30 into Madrid from Oviedo and I was completely unable to sleep, so I was super tired and out of it when we arrived. Dad arrived at around 10 and we promptly took a nap for a few hours as we were both exhausted. Once we were up we started to explore the city, which was fun but also a bit difficult because it was super hot with very intense sun. The palace was a highlight as I had never been to a real palace before with a real, active royal family still inhabiting it. It was huge and very impressive, and it also had some beautiful gardens. Madrid seems to be a very business oriented city - I’ve seen many more suits than anywhere else - and has a very upscale vibe. It is way more expensive than anywhere else I’ve been on this trip. Food so far has been ok but definitely not worth the prices and service has been very bad at the restaurants we’ve been to.Read more

    • TravelerSpain & Portugal 2023
      Day 2

      Plaza Mayor 2

      September 13, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

      》Our Airbnb

      "Feel like a King, experience the thrill to sleep in an historical, magical & modern place with best views to Plaza Mayor. With 400 years of history - host of some of famous people as Calderon De La Barca or Marizaoalos - you could visit Madrid , dream about Spain's Old Empire, Legends or simply indulge yourself at this magical place: enjoying the best views of Plaza Mayor, learning about our culture in our home cinema & balconies or simply enjoying with a glass of wine! "Life is a Dream"!

      With four balconies to the Plaza Mayor and the best view to Plaza Mayor and the Panadería Building, this luxury apartment is at the heart of the Plaza Mayor. With a direct access to the home from the square and a modern elevator you could visit the heart of Spanish historical part and most beautiful parts of Madrid easily.

      From this apartment you can live Madrid fully, living the life of the square from each of the rooms, waking up watching the sun raising over the best view of the Plaza Mayor and the Edificio Panadería."      Read more

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