Spain
Plaza Santa Ana

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    • Day 52

      Madrid

      August 30, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      Tag 1:
      Unser Zug Richtung Madrid ist um 8 Uhr gefahren. Zuerst lief auch alles super, doch dann hatte der 2. Zug Verspätung, wodurch unser Plan B ins Wasser gefallen ist. Endlich angekommen in Badajoz wurde uns gesagt dass die komplette 2. Klasse nach Madrid schon ausgebucht ist. Entweder wir schlafen eine Nacht in Badajoz obwohl das Hostel in Madrid schon gebucht ist und fahren am nächsten Tag weiter oder wir kaufen ein 1. Klasse Ticket für sage und schreibe 87€. Nach kurzer Überlegung haben wir uns für das teure Ticket entschieden, um unsere Zeit in Madrid nicht "zu verschwenden". Als wir in den Zug gestiegen sind wurden wir jedoch sehr enttäuscht von der 1. Klasse. Naja, jedenfalls haben wir es dann endlich nach Madrid geschafft. Unser Hostel ist sehr schön und hat gratis Kaffee und Churros Morgens.

      Tag 2:
      Heute sind wir für ein bisschen Sightseeing in die Stadt und haben ein paar Sehenswürdigkeiten angeschaut, unter anderem die Kathedrale von Madrid, die echt sehr schön war und den Palast. Nach dem Mittagessen sind wir noch in einen coolen Vintage Shop gegangen. Abends wollten wir noch schnell Wäsche waschen, was sich wegen zu wenig Waschmaschinen allerdings als eine sehr lange Aktion bis 0 Uhr rausgestellt hat.

      Tag 3:
      Zum Beginn des Tages haben wir bei einer Stadtführung mitgemacht, woch wir ein paar nette Leute kennengelernt und einiges über Madrid gelernt haben. Nach dem Mittagessen sind wir etwas durch die Stadt geschlendert, haben Reservierungen für unsere Züge gekauft und zu Abend gekocht. Das Highlight des Tages war aber auf jeden Fall eher die Nacht. Wir haben mit den Leuten aus unserem Hostelzimmer beim Pub crawl mitgemacht. Wir waren insgesamt in 3 Bars, wo wir jeweils einen free shot bekommen haben und sind nach der letzten noch Churros essen gegangen. Unser Guide bei der Stadtführung hat uns nämlich gesagt, dass man in Spanien nach dem feiern gehen eigentlich immer Churros essen geht und es deswegen auch der bekannteste Laden der Stadt 24 Stunden offen hat. Tatsächlich waren die Churros dort auch sehr lecker.

      Tag 4:
      Nachdem wir letzte Nacht erst um 5 Uhr im Bett waren, haben wir heute erstmal ordentlich ausgeschlafen. Leider wird das Wetter jetzt schlechter und es regnet. Logische Schlussfolgerung: Wir gehen shoppen. Danach haben wir uns noch einen extrem leckeren Falafelteller mit Hummus geteilt. Abends saßen wir dann mit den Leuten aus unserem Zimmer zusammen.

      Tag 5:
      Unser Tag hat mal wieder mit einem Tgtg Frühstück gestartet. Gestärkt sind wir dann zum Stadion. Nachdem es aber so stark geregnet hat, habaen wir uns dann in ein Café gesetzt.

      Tag 6:
      Heute war Abreisetag und wir mussten um 5 Uhr aufstehen. Nachdem heute in Madrid wieder Weltuntergang war, war der Weg zum Bahnhof mit Regenschützen für die Rucksäcke und Regenjacken für uns durch die Straßen, die sich in reißende Flüsse verwandelt hatten, ein wahres Abenteuer. Es ist ein Wunder, dass wir nicht weggeschwommen sind...
      Unser Fazit zu Madrid: Es ist eine Stadt, in der man sich sehr wohl fühlt. Wir haben hier das erste mal viele Leute kennengelernt und auch Sachen mit ihnen unternommen. Insgesamt eine 9,66/10.
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    • Day 3

      Tapas Tour

      September 19, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      Now... I love food... this we all know and.... I love wine... also something we all know, so, when someone offered me the opportunity of both for 3 hrs for a few Euros then obviously I jumped at it.
      Last night we enjoyed a very good local tour with a very experienced guide who showed us the city, it's people and its cultures through his eyes.
      At stop 1 we ate squid and garlic prawns with bread and white wine. At stop 2 we had bread and chorizo and iberian ham and manchego cheese with red wine and the 3rd stop we had Spanish Omelette with mushrooms and small green peppers with sangria.
      Finishing off with a stroll through the city.
      We both had a fabulous experience that we would both highly recommend even if it means I have to walk even more today to burn it off.
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    • Day 2

      Ola Madrid

      November 6 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

      Arrived in Madrid late afternoon by train to discover no remaining data. So much for google map directions to my ABB. Had to go old school and luckily I found a city map posted outside the train station.

      Staying close to Plaza de Sol and Plaza Mayor, basically the centre of the Centro. Great location for accessing main attractions but 🤩 so many people. More to come…
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    • Madrid!

      September 4, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

      Arrived in Madrid after a long day travelling. Slept very well last night. Currently staying in a fellow pilgrims apartment here. Spent today seeing the sites of Madrid. We start out walking Sept 07. Here are today’s pics.Read more

    • Day 78

      Arrivee à Madrid

      November 26, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

      Ce matin, on se lève assez tôt et on s'active pour tout ramasser dans le camper et partir pour Malaga. C'est aujourd'hui qu'on rend le camper et qu'on part pour Madrid. Donc on fait le plein et la vidange avant de rejoindre Monica pour lui remettre les clés. Nous n'avons eu aucun pépin avec le camper et on en est très heureux !! On fait nos adieux et on saute dans un taxi pour se rendre à l'aéroport non loin de là avec nos mille et un bagages! Tout se passe plutôt bien, pour une fois on est à l'heure avec une petite marge, on a même le temps de dîner! Alors vient le temps de prendre l'avion et de voir Màlaga du haut des airs.

      On arrive à Madrid moins d'une heure plus tard, vers 14h. On récupère nos bagages et on part pour notre appartement situé au centre de la ville. Ouf que tout ça est fatigant! Bon, arrivé au logement, on se rend compte qu'il nous manque une valise! Misère. On l'a égaré en allant prendre le taxi! Alors le stress monte, mais on se fait rappeler bien vite pour nous informer qu'ils l'ont retrouvé !!! Fiouuuuuuf!

      Ensuite, ça ne nous empêche pas d'aller explorer malgré tout ça! Nous sommes vraiment bien situés à notre logement, il y a des monuments et des choses à voir à égale distance de chaque côté! C'est top! Pour l'heure, on ne va pas trop loin, on veut surtout souper et découvrir les rues proches. La première chose qui frappe ici c'est que c'est noir de monde! Les rues sont bondées comme si un match venait de finir au stade et que les gens sortaient, pourtant non! C'est juste Madrid! Bon on est quand même samedi soir ça aide un peu aussi! On se promène donc comme ça et on grignote en chemin avant de revenir à l'appartement après la tombée de la nuit. On veut commencer à décaler l'heure de coucher graduellement pour que l'écart soit moins grand en revenant à Québec. :)

      Le lendemain, on repart se promener dans la ville, mais cette fois plus loin, pour voir des monuments. Notre première destination cependant, c'est le grand marché de El Rastro en plein air qui a lieu tous les dimanches. Il fait super beau, c'est parfait pour l'activité. On doit marcher dans les rues avant de s'y rendre et en tournant un coin de rue, boom nous y sommes. On trouvait que c'était bondé de monde et c'est encore vrai pour le marché! Ouf! Et c'est tellement grand! Ça détend certainement sur 500 mètres, il y a des stands des deux côtés de la rue, parfois même dans plusieurs rues en parallèle. On ne fait pas tout, seulement la rue centrale et c'est déjà beaucoup! On achète des t-shirts pour les enfants et une tuque spéciale de Spidey avec des oreilles qui bougent pour Sam! Plus loin on tombe sur un parc où plein de gens sont rassemblés et semblent faire du surplace, ce qui pique notre curiosité. Il s'avère qu'ils font des échanges se cartes de collection! Ils sont installés avec de grands cartables et des feuilles d'inventaire. Ça fait spécial, surtout qu'il y a des centaines de personnes qui font ça!

      On marche ensuite vers un petit resto et on aperçoit la Porte de Tolède en chemin. Après dîner, on descend une avenue bordée de la Basilique de Saint-François-le-Grand puis de la Cathédrale de la Almudena, laquelle nous allons visiter. C'est dans cette cathédrale qu'est conservée la dépouille de Saint-Isidore. On retrouve donc beaucoup d'histoire dans cette cathédrale, avec les visites du pape et de royauté.

      Ensuite nous nous sommes arrêtés à Plaza de Armeria. Sam s'y est fait photographier avec Capitaine America. Il en était bien content! Nous nous sommes arrêtés aussi à Plaza de Espana où il y avait un immense module de jeux où nos deux cocos ont pu en profiter pleinement. C'était très agréable! Une journée très remplie !!
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    • Day 39

      Madrid - a beautiful city

      November 10, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      Our plan for the day was to catch a Red Bus early on and go around both of the routes on offer. One route concentrates more on the old part of Madrid while the other goes a bit further afield.

      Now that we are of a certain age it is remarkable how much you can save when buying tickets. Our one day pass was 10 Euro each, a veritable bargain. We lined up and bought our tickets and waited for a bus. Unfortunately the place is full of tourists at the moment so it took us a while to get on a bus. The audio was not so good on the first route and it was quite cold up the top, although it didn’t really rain. However, the second one was much better and we gained a better understanding of the places and buildings we went past. In fact, it was so interesting that when we had finished we went and walked nearly half of the second route, just so we could get better photos and have a better look.

      We had not realised just how beautiful Madrid is. Lonely Planet can give you an idea I suppose, but it isn’t until you walk the streets and see the workmanship, the design, the beauty of everyday buildings, that you gain a true appreciation of the city. We particularly enjoyed walking through the Real Jardin Botanico. It is such a beautiful, peaceful place and absolutely full of plants of all kinds. We even found a good old Australian eucalypt there.

      Sunset beat us in the end, however, so we headed back to our hotel, looking all the while for a suitable place to have dinner. Back at the hotel we still had not found anything that really took our fancy so we walked a little bit past it, down off the main road, and there we found a nice looking place with an interesting menu.

      An hour later we were back, refreshed and ready for dinner. We walked straight in to the last table for two inside (it was starting to drizzle) and within minutes had placed our order. The food was fresh and hot and the service excellent. We weren’t too adventurous, trying just a couple of tapas and then a paella.

      The hotel has a lounge area next to the restaurant and there is a bar there as well. However, they don’t do evening meals and if you want something from the bar you have to ring reception. I understand that most people just want to be out and about, so there is not much use manning the bar for perhaps a couple of people. That gave us a nice quiet place to drink our wine, read, check and send emails and update this blog.
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    • Day 1

      Primero Día

      August 14, 2015 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      Arrived around 7 AM in Madrid - it only took me 3 espressos and a venti coffee to push through the jet lag. My hostel is in the Centro neighborhood which is full of hilly, windy streets that resemble those in the new town of Prague, Czech Republic. The streets are extremely clean and lined with cobbled brick. Stores, restaurants, and even sex shops for the adventurous are spread throughout the neighborhood. Train stations are abundant with one right outside my hostel llamada Tirso De Morina.

      After getting situated I made my way over to Salamanca, an affluent, yuppy neighborhood north east of Centro. The area is home to many palacios, all of which boast architecture that anyone can appreciate. There is also a beautiful park llamada Retiro just south. Many people stroll through the park which is flawlessly maintained. Although its smaller than NYC's Central Park and Chicago's Lincoln Park, it is absolutely beautiful. The only thing that the other 2 have on Retiro is the skyline that is the backdrop to every selfie taken at them.

      We ate lunch at a place called Cappuccino - as Jeff pointed out - a clever name for a coffee/breakfast joint :/. We both had french omelettes that were infused with gouda and topped with arugula and tomatos - mmmMMmm. It turned out to be an eventful meal. After paying la cuenta, Jeff immediately realized he didnt have his phone. After thinking about how we could have lost a phone during our hour long coffee break, I sas fairly certain a spanish kid got the best of him. We were sitting at a table closest to the Puerta de Alcalá, hands reach from the many people walking by. At one point, a kid walked up, put an advertisement on part of the table and said "Podrías comprar una...". We immediately responded with "No Gracias" and continued talking. It just so happened that this advertisement was put over the exact spot where jeff put his phone. A 20 euro meal turned into a 820 euro investment.

      We ended the night with drinks at the Festival de Paloma with new friends from Canada and England. The Festival was spread throughout an entire neighborhood. Restaurants were selling beers "para llevar" or to go. Streets were packed. Everywhere. A new song on every street and another couple doing the tango. There was even a concert. By the time we made it through the crowded streets to check it out, I was already pretty lit. My whiskey and coke orders shouldn't have been accompanied with "Mas fuerte que el pasado, por favor". I definitely feel this way now as im writing this one day later.
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    • Day 38

      Off to Madrid

      November 9, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

      As per dinner last night, we were the only guests for breakfast. There was enough food there for a dozen people so we had to do our best to make it worthwhile for Theresa.

      Jorge picked us up just before 9.30 am and we headed off to the railway station at Segovia. He told us quite a bit about his family, all musicians, and also the company. As I mentioned earlier we were the last of the walkers for 2018! His car showed that it was 2.5 degrees outside and we ran into quite a bit of fog on the way. Nevertheless it was an uneventful trip to the station and we arrived in plenty of time to catch the 10.12 train to Madrid.

      Such an early start meant that we were very early to our hotel, Hotel Cortezo, just a few minutes away from Plaza Mayor, or the centre of old Madrid, at around 11.30 am. Our taxi driver spoke virtually no English (fair enough) so it was a fairly quiet trip.

      Arriving at the hotel we fronted the desk, hoping that at least we could leave our luggage there until a room became available, but luck was with us as usual, and there was a room ready. Off we went, up the lift, went to our room, and found it was a twin room. Oh well, better that than having to worry about finding another one, or leaving our luggage there.

      Being so early meant that we had virtually three days in Madrid, a real bonus. Being so close to Plaza Mayor we headed there, but it seemed that half of Madrid had the same idea. As we got closer we could hear singing, and I don’t mean rock and roll. It turned out that we arrived on the day of the patronage festival of San Isidro, the patron saint of Madrid. The Plaza was packed and the Archbishop was in the middle of saying Mass. There was no room so we headed back towards our hotel area. Puerta Del Sol seemed a pretty good place to go, so we walked there, not far, and had a look around. The place was infested with shoe shops, and as Robyn has wanted to buy a new set of boots we started looking. Two shops later she found a lovely pair, in her size, so this was a great relief to me. Not only were they made in Spain, but we found them quickly and that meant that there was no more shoe shopping to be done!

      We stopped for a coffee in Puerta Del Sol and then went back to Plaza Mayor where things seemed to have quietened down. Actually they had all made their way to the Cathedral, so we followed. We found the bells ringing (or is that clanging) seriously as the procession made its way towards the entrance to the Cathedral. We settled ourselves into a position near the entrance and watched as the procession made its way, led by the local brass band to the big ramp into the Cathedral. It was an amazing experience being surrounded by thousands of locals, many of whom were obviously quite religious, as they performed their annual ritual.

      When it was over we went for a long walk to get the feel of the place, and picked up information about the Madrid Red Bus tours. We will definitely do this tour tomorrow, being recent converts to this activity.

      During the afternoon we had been looking at restaurants in the local area, focusing on tapas. Pete said a few days ago that one of his regrets is that he never had time in Madrid, the tapas capital of the world. Well, we are trying to make up for that, and we found a nice place about a hundred metres down the road. It was an experience, although a bit touristy, but we enjoyed it immensely.
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    • Day 24

      Way Hostel Madrid

      July 17, 2016 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      We thought our location Barcelona was good, but the location of our hostel in Madrid has been even better! We're right in the centre of Madrid and everything is within walking distance! On our first full day we explored the West side of Madrid's centre which was beautiful! That night we had an ice cream in a pretty lit up park looking over the Palacio Real. Yesterday we explored the East side of the city and found the biggest and best park we've seen since we started our trip! It was glorious with lakes and fountains and little gardens. We spent the afternoon there having lunch and drinks. Today is our last day in Madrid and we're just chilling in and around the hostel before we catch our first overnight train tonight to Lisbon at 9:50pm! Portugal here we come!Read more

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