First taste of Madrid, Spain

Oct 6

I got my first little preview of Madrid one afternoon shortly after I had arrived in Talamanca (where I am living for two weeks, with a Workaway family. More on that another time.) We went into Madrid, less than an hour's drive away, so that Inma could go to a job interview. While she had her interview I walked around town with Raul and Daniela. We were hopping between book stores on what seemed an impossible mission to find a very specific book. As we walked, we passed many sights.

Later in the afternoon, just as it was getting dark, we went to Retiro Park. I only briefly saw it in the light, but it was lovely. I knew I'd come back soon for a proper wander around. We sat by the lake and drank sangria until it was time to go home and have dinner.

Oct 8 - 9

After this little preview of Madrid, I knew I needed to come back and spend more time in Spain's capital. So I took a 'weekend break' from my workaway family and stayed over night in the city.

I started off (as I do in most cities) with a free walking tour. My guide was fantastic! Very interactive and animated. She told us all about the history, culture, architecture and the food that make Madrid so famous.

I found her story about the history of tapas particularly interesting. Apparently many years ago the poor folk who worked on the fields used to come into the city for lunch. But they only had very little money, so they often chose to spend their money on booze instead. This resulted in a slump in work ethic in the afternoons...because they were all drunk. A law was brought in that drinks must be served with a small portion of food (tapas) to prevent this. Back in the day, the tapas used to be free with any drink. Apparently this is still common in Granada - I know where I'm heading soon, then..!

She also told an interesting story about why ham is so ridiculously popular in Spain. During the Spanish Inquisition they tried to get rid of the Jewish people in Madrid - they told them they could only stay if they converted to Catholicism. Some left, some converted. But they wanted to make sure that the converted Jews had truly converted. One of the ways they checked was by seeing if people were eating pig - a clear sign that one has given up Judaism. So people began buying a LOT of ham, just so they could prove their devotion to the Catholic religion. And now I guess they're just addicted! ...And so am I! My god, this ham is incredible!

As well as these interesting stories, we saw some of the sights! The Cathedral is somewhat unique. The construction began in the 16th century but was only finished in 1993, so it's a real mesh of architectural styles from throughout time.

All around the city, the architecture is varied due to the different people that have reined over Spain - including Romans, Moors and Austrians.

Super cute street signs showing how the street used to look many years ago

After the tour I went with a few people into the Malsaña neighbourhood to have lunch. We sat outside in a big open plaza, enjoying a ridiculously slow lunch. How very Spanish of us!

We roamed around that area, admiring how diverse it was. Gran Via (the big main street) felt a lot like New York, with its busy multi lane roads and theatres all over the place. Then some of the smaller streets with quirky shops reminded me of London's Shoreditch. And then there are the beautiful typically-Spanish colourful little pedestrian streets. So diverse.

Eventually we ended up in Retiro Park, a lovely spot to keep meandering. We found the glass palace (though we couldn't go in, as they're preparing for an exhibition later in the month) as well as various gardens and fountains.

Try to ignore the distorted people...!

Then we had a bit more sangria. Because why not?! This is Spain after all.

Sebastian, a friend I made way back in Argentina last year, offered to let me crash for the night. But not before an epic pub crawl. With a few of my new friends from the walking tour (and many more that I met along the way) we hopped between bars and clubs, dancing pretty much until the sun came up!

This meant that I wasted the next morning catching up on sleep. Sadly, I missed the Sunday market that I so desperately wanted to check out! But alas...there were plenty of other markets to keep me entertained. San Miguel was up first. Sunday afternoon at San Miguel market was ridiculously busy. Crowds had flocked there to sample the many delicious meals and treats on offer. I had empañadas, frozen yoghurt and some chocolate!

I had a quick look inside the cathedral. It's a little different from your standard cathedral...lots of bright colours, pop art style.

The next market I found was Mercado de la Cebada. 

Downstairs was mostly closed, but looked to be the fresh food section. Upstairs was an incredible craft market. I browsed sunglasses and clothes and jewellery for most of the afternoon then continued wandering around the La Latina area, impressed by the quirky shops and the Sunday vibes at the plazas.

I met up with Kevin and Ben, who I'd met the night before, to check out the sunset at Templo de Debod. It was a temple built in Egypt in the second century. However in 1960 the construction of a dam meant that the temple was in danger of being destroyed. UNESCO decided it must be saved and the Egyptians chose to donate it to Spain to show their gratitude for Spain's help in saving some other temple previously. Cool history...but also a STUNNING sunset! Perfect way to end a perfect weekend in Madrid.

Valencia, Spain

Oct 2 - 5

Every time I go to a new city in Spain I immediately think "Oh, I love this place. I wanna live here one day!" So... I now want to live in Valenica!nI think it's the combination of the beautiful buildings, the quiet streetd, the big long beach, the friendly people and the delicious food that has me so inspired. (It's only missing the mountains!) It's just got an awesome chilled out vibe that I love too.

When I arrived I was feeling a bit flat, so I went for a run in the Turia Gardens - a park which borders the city centre and used to be a river. When the river dried out, the locals were given an opportunity to vote on what should be done with it, and they decided on a park. They then paid 4% extra tax for the next two years to pay for its construction. Hopefully the locals would agree that it was worth it. 

The park has something for everyone: bike paths, outdoor gyms, playgrounds, ponds and lakes, memorials, plus a zoo and the Arts & Science centre (I didn't get that far on my run - but more on that later)

I met a Brit (called Lucy!) in my hostel and we went out for pintxos and sangria. Then we popped up to the hostel rooftop terrace bar for a chilled out night, playing cards and chatting to Germans.

I had a lovely long sleep before a walking tour in the morning. The highlight of the walking tour for me was the silk exchange building. The rich Christian folk had the poor non-Christian folk build it for them. The clever non-Christian builders sneakily created some rather inappropriate gargoyles, including a woman masterbating and a man pooping onto the building. Apparently it is considered a "sign of weakness" to remove anything from a religious building, so they will forever remain there!

I also really liked the central market. Not only is it full of delicious fresh foods, but it is also a lovely building. 

While there, we got free samples of the local ham (Delicious! I'm obsessed!) and I tried some Horchata - a Valencian drink that tasted more or less of sweet milk. Not a fan...

We also saw heaps of stunning buildings around the city. 

One standout was Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas. Just cos it's pretty and unique!

Valencia is just so beautiful. And clean. And not toooo touristy or crowded. I love it.

After lunch, I climbed the 207 narrow steps up to the top of the Miguelete Tower, a part of the Cathedral. The view was lovely but to see it you had to climb up onto a step and peer over the edge, through cross-wires. Not exactly a place where you can sit and admire the view for a lengthy time. That said, you can see ALL of Valencia, so it was worth the €2!

Upon further exploring I came across many beautiful plazas, as well as the bull ring and train station.

Lucy and I found more pintxos for dinner and again spent our evening on the hostel's rooftop terrace.

I started off the next day with a walk through the Turia Gardens, heading towards the Arts and Science Centre. But before I got that far, I found a rather interesting playground. It was a huge human figure lying down, with various steps going up and slides going down, plus ropes and climbing nets at various spots across the body. It reminded me of Gulliver's Travels! (And what do you know...further research proved that this was exactly the intention - it's even called Parque Gulliver)

I don't even know how to begin explaining the Arts and Science Centre.. It was like something from the future! And yet it was built in the 90s. All the buildings were white and shiny and curvy and just so pretty! 

I didn't go inside any of the buildings, I just admired them from the outside and found a nice spot to eat my lunch nearby.

A slightly longer and far less scenic walk eventually led me to the beach. A huge beach covered in nice soft sand, perfect for a lazy afternoon. Given that it would probably be my last beach day for a very long time, I even went for a swim! And the water was perfect - refreshing, but not icy cold.

Yet again, I had pintxos for dinner. Yum!

After a quick stop at the market for some fresh fruit, most of my final morning in Valencia was spent at the Silk Exchange. As well as it's aforementioned hillarious gargoyles, it is a stunning building which was once used as a marketplace.

Barcelona... I just can't get enough!

Sept 25 - Oct 2

For the third time this summer, I found myself in Barcelona. I've fallen in love with Spain, and I just can't get enough!

When I arrived in Barcelona I was not very well. By pure coincidence, neither was Alex. We both had a nasty cough and cold so we spent the first few days in bed recovering. The only exception to this was on the first night. There was a festival on, La Merce, that was finishing up that day - so if I wanted to catch any of it, I would have to drag myself out of bed. We walked just around the corner from Alex's place to Placa San Juame, where we watched the light show: an animated projection onto Barcelona's City Hall. It was incredibly well put-together, making the building seem as if it were alive at times.

Once both of us were more or less better we got out a bit more. But on the whole...it was mostly a fairly lazy week. A perfect break from the fast-paced backpacking I had been maintaining the last few weeks. Sometimes I'd go with Alex to do his promoting work, either on the beach during the day or on the streets at night. And sometimes I'd roam around the city while he worked. We also went out most nights on the pub crawl that he promotes.

I saw a few sights I'd missed in the first two visits.

One standout was Casa Batllo, a Gaudi masterpiece. I'd seen the house from the outside on my last visit but didn't have a chance to go in. Gaudi was truly one of a kind. Every work I've seen has blown my mind, and Casa Batllo was no exception. Many features of the house were inspired by nature, including turtle shell wallpaper and ceilings that look like waves. Mosaics covered walls and stain glass brightened the rooms. Simply stunning.

But there's always more to do in Barcelona... I still haven't been to Olympic Park or climbed Montserrat. I haven't watched the sunset from the war bunkers or the sunrise from the beach! The more time I spend in this city, the more I love it. I'm sure it won't be long til I see you again, Barcelona ❤