Madrid Day 1

Hello! I made it safely to Madrid on Tuesday and arrived quite early, around 8 am. Getting to the hostel wasn’t too difficult and the conversation with my Uber driver helped to ease me back into speaking Spanish. I could not sleep on the flight, but I decided to take on the day and wait to get any real sleep until the end of the day. Not many people at the hostel were awake yet, so I went to breakfast for some coffee at the hostel rooftop. They serve traditional spanish tortillas along with breakfast comforts like toast, jams, yogurt, and some fruit.

From there, I wandered through the surrounding neighborhood, stopping first at the San Miguel Mercado, which was filled with vendors selling a mix of traditional Spanish cuisine and eye-catching food items, including tacos with boats for shells, a mozzarella bar, and countless aperol spritzes and beer counters. Though it was only 10:30, many people were already enjoying beers. I decided on trying a few empanadas and some fresh juice.

I took the juice with me for company as I strolled down the narrow roads, stopping into bookstores and little boutiques. And below is my first attempted selfie here in Madrid at Plaza Mayor.

Once I returned to the hostel I made some quick friends from Texas, California and Slovakia, with whom I walked to one of the big parks in the city. After a long walk, we came across a café where we filled up on spritzes and pizza.

Thereafter, we hopped onto some row boats in a small pond inside the park. The weather was incredible, around 75 degrees and breezy.

My hostel roommates and I were lucky to find tickets for a flamenco show that night, situated in an intimate theater of sorts. The music was incredible and the dancers blew me away with their rhythm and showmanship.

(My hostel friends mentioned earlier after the flamenco show)

I then met up with a friend who lives in the city, which was such a comfort. We ate delicious tapas and drank tinto de verano. So far Madrid feels very welcoming and safe. I am really enjoying the walkability and the genuine kindness of the locals. Though I am somewhat sleep deprived, I’m trying to soak in all of the city’s beauty. It was difficult to make time to write this post, I’ve been busy walking and eating and drinking on repeat, but I hope to post again about my last few days in Madrid soon!