[TRAVEL] Madrid, Spain
Madrid was fantastic. From the hustle and bustle of downtown to the delicious food, to the beautifully constructed and well-preserved monuments/buildings, to the welcoming and friendly nature of everybody we met, Spain is somewhere I would love to return to. I wish I had more time to drive around the country, and also stop by Barcelona and Seville. Next time!
Our accommodation this trip was at the Westin Palace Hotel, which is located in the Plaza De Las Cortes nearby the Fuente de Neptuno and Prado Museum. It was also named a UNESCO World Heritage site—hopefully you already have an idea of how grand and incredible the hotel looks! Also the nightly rate was on the pricier site, our room had a balcony view of the city, and there were multiple bars and restaurants located inside of the hotel featuring Spanish, Japanese, and Asian Fusion cuisine. La Rotonda, where we went for Sunday Brunch, was inside of a cathedral-like interior, with glass murals and pillars outlining the dining room.
Couple reasons why I loved visiting Madrid and would 100% consider returning closer to the Spring/Summer: (1) The Cost of Living/Travel was significantly lower than I expected. Food was extremely affordable, as our most expensive meal was under 150 Euros for 2 people, and our most affordable meal was 15 Euros a person (wine and drinks included)! Public and Private transportation were both affordable, with Ubers ranging from 2.5 Euros to 7 Euros for a trip anywhere around the city. (2) Eating Culture was perfect for a vacationing Angela – Spaniards end their work day around 2 PM, start eating lunch at 3 PM, and then celebrate siesta until dinner at 8-9 PM. What this means for me, is that I have the opportunity to try different foods from 2 PM onward, and eat to my heart’s content until late night, while also having cafes to fuel me whenever I felt tired! (3) Its interesting culture and people. I’ll say more about this below:
Spanish society and culture has changed a lot since 1975, with three big forces driving the change. The first, regionalism – as part of the settlement that transformed dictatorship into democracy, demands for regional autonomy were assuaged with a new federal constitution to mark a ‘New Spain’. This Constitution has led to regional identity in the country, an example being that people in the Basque Country and Catalonia wouldn’t describe themselves as Spanish. The second is a demand for personal freedom. In a political sense, this was won during the re-establishment of democracy, which led to the Catholic Church losing a lot of its influence and power in modern Spain. Today, only a small minority (less than 25%) of Spainards attend Mass regularly. While I was in Spain, the lines for Church were almost entirely made up of senior citizens. For women, this demand for personal freedom has meant the ability to pursue non-traditional careers, or lives of consumerism rather than being domestic slaves to their husbands like their mothers. As a result, the birth rate has slumped to less than 1.5 children today, one of the lowest rates in the world. Finally, the third influence shaping modern Spain is the influential force of its neighboring countries and globalization. When WW2 ended and Spain was left out of the Marshall Plan / was under Fascist rule, it was a while until Spain joined the EU and received the money to build the modern transport and communication structures its European peers already had. In 2008, however, the economic crisis caused a crash in the construction sector and its government bonds had been downgraded to ‘junk’ status. Ultimately, this caused Spainards to move away due to a lack of jobs.
Another interesting thing I learned about Spain in my research was the generation gap, that continues to shape modern Spanish culture today. People past retirement age in Spain today remember the hardships of Spain after the Civil War, and the humiliation of living in Spain cut off from the rest of Europe. On the contrary, younger generations of Spanish citizens only know the democracy and freedom they take for granted, accepting values of consumerism and moving overseas in search of better education and career opportunities. Almost 500k people left Spain between 2009-2015 due to a high rate of unemployment. This has had bleeding effects on the Spanish family structure, as a combination of more women working, a reduced birth rate, and younger generations valuing individualism and western values have resulted in a considerable amount of family breakdown. Instead of taking care of family, old people are increasingly consigned to retirement homes rather than looked after by their busy family members.
Other aspects of Spanish culture that have been preserved are bull fighting, flamenco dancing, and Spanish painting and arts.
Food/Drink:
1. La Rotonda by the Westin Palace Hotel
3. Takos Al Pastor
4. StreetXO
5. DiverXO
6. Alabaster
7. Soy Kitchen (Chinese and Spanish Fusion Dim Sum)
9. Faborito Café
10. ACID Café
11. Chocolateria San Gines
Shopping:
1. Salamanca
2. El Corte Ingles – Madrid’s largest department store
Sightseeing/Experiences:
1. El Rastro: A flea market held only on Sundays
2. Mercado de San Miguel
3. Mercado de San Fernando
4. Plaza Mayor
5. Palacio Real de Madrid
6. Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena
7. Museo del Prado
8. Parque de El Retiro
9. Plaza de España
10. Templo de Debod
11. Real Jardin Botanico
Madrid boasts world-class art collections, Michelin-starred restaurants, and historic cafes and bars around each Plaza. The best part, is that the entirety of downtown is extremely walkable—it took us about 20-30 minutes to walk from one end (Prado Museum) to the other (Pallacio Real de Madrid).
“Madrid is a city that never sleeps, thanks to its buzzing bars, terrific tapas, and eclectic nightlife—from exclusive clubs to corner-café flamenco.”
Tips for those on a Budget in Madrid:
Take Ubers > Taxis! Taxis have a higher base rate, and tended to be around double the price of Ubers for the same distance while I was using them. The only downside, taxis are much more efficient than Ubers since there aren’t too many Uber drivers downtown.
Go to the Marketplaces for food rather than a sit-down restaurant — order many different tapas for a taste of many different types of food!
Typically, set menus in Spanish restaurants are the best value for your money, and are more affordable than ordering a la carte.
Bring your College ID to the Museums or check if they have weekend free entry — most museums in Madrid are free for students, while others (like the Prado) have free entry after 6 PM on Sundays.
