Our weekend in Madrid was a cultural experience that I will never forget. Madrid was what I would call, authentically Spain. Sometimes we forget that Barcelona is a city in Catalonia which has a strong sense of Nationalism. This has a strong influence on the culture of Barcelona and commonly we find ourselves feeling like we aren't truely in Spain because Catalonia (a region of Spain)has a different language, culture, traditions, and a different history than the rest of Spain.
Madrid revealed what Spain has to offer and what this amazing country was built on, all the way back to the early 1400's! This city was full of rich history, great nightlife and deep-rooted Spanish culture starting with the architecture.
The museums are world famous as well. We didn't get a chance to wonder over to the Museo Nacional del Prado, instead we toured the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía which held art treasures from Picasso, Dali and many more. The picture above is a photo with the Don Quixote statue, Don is a famous fictional character in the novel The Ingenious Gentlemen Don Quixote of La Mancha which is the second most famous novel in the world following the Bible.
During the day we wondered down the secret alley ways of this incredible city. The fashion was different than Barcelona in the sense that people are more conservatively dressed. The shopping was phenomenal because little Spanish boutiques and American brand stores (that we have missed so much) lined the main roads. Based off observation, Madrid has a much older demographic than Barcelona. The capital of Spain did not let us down with cuisine either. We wondered over to the "Mercado de San Miguel" market where within a glass and cherry-wood building there was fancy stands that offer tapas, calzones, wines, cheeses, seafood, etc. We all agreed this market offered the best food we have eaten so far since being in Europe! Along with a rich taste in cuisine, we visited Las Ventas which is the home of the bull fighting in Spain, this arena seats 25,000 people and is still one of the few places in Spain where you can see an authentic bull fight.
The people in Madrid were so incredibly nice and I was surprised to see such a busy and bright city based on the state of Spain's economy, and Madrid being at the center of that crisis. Madrid is also the center of the political corruption in Spain, we saw few protests but for the most part it was a peaceful weekend with Carnaval parades taking the streets.
One of the nightclubs we hit was Kapital, it was unreal. Seven stories tall! Each floor had a different vibe, one floor was blasting hip-hop music and the next was be house music. It was SO much fun and such a fulfilling experience. It was one of our favorite nights because it was such a pleasant surprise that the club was filled with locals instead of abroad students.
Madrid is an absolutely amazing city, I loved every second of the weekend.
Until next time...
X,
A
Madrid revealed what Spain has to offer and what this amazing country was built on, all the way back to the early 1400's! This city was full of rich history, great nightlife and deep-rooted Spanish culture starting with the architecture.
The museums are world famous as well. We didn't get a chance to wonder over to the Museo Nacional del Prado, instead we toured the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía which held art treasures from Picasso, Dali and many more. The picture above is a photo with the Don Quixote statue, Don is a famous fictional character in the novel The Ingenious Gentlemen Don Quixote of La Mancha which is the second most famous novel in the world following the Bible.
During the day we wondered down the secret alley ways of this incredible city. The fashion was different than Barcelona in the sense that people are more conservatively dressed. The shopping was phenomenal because little Spanish boutiques and American brand stores (that we have missed so much) lined the main roads. Based off observation, Madrid has a much older demographic than Barcelona. The capital of Spain did not let us down with cuisine either. We wondered over to the "Mercado de San Miguel" market where within a glass and cherry-wood building there was fancy stands that offer tapas, calzones, wines, cheeses, seafood, etc. We all agreed this market offered the best food we have eaten so far since being in Europe! Along with a rich taste in cuisine, we visited Las Ventas which is the home of the bull fighting in Spain, this arena seats 25,000 people and is still one of the few places in Spain where you can see an authentic bull fight.
The people in Madrid were so incredibly nice and I was surprised to see such a busy and bright city based on the state of Spain's economy, and Madrid being at the center of that crisis. Madrid is also the center of the political corruption in Spain, we saw few protests but for the most part it was a peaceful weekend with Carnaval parades taking the streets.
One of the nightclubs we hit was Kapital, it was unreal. Seven stories tall! Each floor had a different vibe, one floor was blasting hip-hop music and the next was be house music. It was SO much fun and such a fulfilling experience. It was one of our favorite nights because it was such a pleasant surprise that the club was filled with locals instead of abroad students.
Madrid is an absolutely amazing city, I loved every second of the weekend.
Until next time...
X,
A
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