I'm about to break the rule my elementary teacher taught me. She said I had "I-itis" and that I needed to find other ways to start my sentences...
Madrid, My First Impression
I first arrived in Madrid in the fall of 1986. I didn't know what to expect. I had never been to Europe. I had only seen a few photos. I had a working knowledge of the language, was not even close to being fluent, but was eager to learn and adapt to life in a new place; this beautiful city that was so welcoming. I was immediately at ease. It felt like home.
There is so much I want to share about Madrid, too much for one blog post. So, this is the introduction to a series of posts. Each one will be a deep dive into some aspect of the city.
Overview of Madrid
Madrid is quite a unique city. It boasts a rich history, with beautiful architecture from various periods and diverse styles dating back to the early 1500s; if you don't count the remnants of the wall that protected three sides of the ninth-century moorish city Mayrit. There are public squares, churches, palaces, municipal buildings, grand hotels, and monuments of various architectural styles dating back centuries. There is even an Egyptian temple perched on a hilltop; gifted to Spain by Egypt in the early 1970s. And one of the most recent additions to the city is the newly renovated Santiago Bernabeu stadium where you can take a tour or see Real Madrid play.
Museums to Relish
The city also has quite a few museums like the national Prado museum with one of the most important collections in the world, the Reina Sofía which houses the Picasso masterpiece, Guernica, and the quaint Sorolla museum that focuses on the beautiful works of one of Spain's most treasured artists; and many others like the recently opened Royal Collections museum.
Beautiful Green Spaces to Enjoy
There are green spaces throughout the city where you can relax, ride a bike, go for a walk, or enjoy a beverage at a terrace bar. Retiro park, is a beautiful park. It has fountains, statues, monuments, landmark buildings that are now used as art exhibit spaces, and a lagoon where you can row boats. Then there is Madrid Rio, a green space along the Manzanares river running south and west of the city with both modern and historic bridges. Along one stretch of Madrid Rio you will find the old slaughterhouse that was converted into restaurant and exhibit space. There's also the beautiful Sabatini gardens located behind the royal palace. There are too many parks, squares, and gardens to list them all here. So, we'll save them for a future post. It is important to note, though, that over the past several decades the city of Madrid has been converting roads in the center of the city to pedestrian areas with shopping and restaurants. Some examples include calle Fuencarral, calle del Arenal and the Plaza de España as well as the area by the Royal Palace which was totally redone a couple of years ago. The renovation of the magnificent Puerta del Sol was just completed in mid-2023. It is wonderful to be able to enjoy this city on foot.
Delicious Spanish Food - From Traditional to Gourmet
OMG the food! I will really dig into this topic because I love to cook and there are so many places to sample delicious Spanish dishes, tapas, wine and cocktails. There are restaurants that have been continuously operating for hundreds of years, like Botín which opened in 1725 and Lhardy since 1832, both of which continue pleasing diners to this day.
And there are trendy new restaurants too. Notably, Spanish chef Dabiz Muñoz was voted the number one chef in the world in 2023 and his restaurant DiverXO is in Madrid. You can make a reservation to dine there on the restaurant's website.
Madrileños
The people are some of the kindest, most genuine people in the world. They will go out of their way to help you if you need assistance. They take pride in welcoming people but can also tend to keep to themselves. And the streets, cafes, bars and restaurants are always animated with locals and tourists enjoying life. Truly enjoying life. I think this is why I always feel so energized when I visit Madrid.
To wrap up (I thought this was just going to be a few short lines), Madrid has so much to offer, enough to keep you coming back for more. So, whether you are visiting for the first time or the seventh, you will be in for a treat. And, I haven't even mentioned the day trips you can do from Madrid...
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