Got into Madrid late in the afternoon after a very comfortable (seat in solo row) and fast (speeds at times 250 km/h) train trip from Barcelona. One lesson learned: book your advance train tickets directly and not through aggregator apps. My seat and departure time changed and the app didn’t update. It wasn’t an issue as I just logged into Iryo (the train app) rather than Omio (the third party app) and everything was fine.
Atocha in Madrid was a classic European train station and it was easy to get from train to very crowded subway. People were accommodating of me and my two bags, so I quickly got to Sol station from Atocha for Hotel Liabeny.
What I didn’t realize was that Sol was basically Times Square. I had been in more of a neighborhood in Barcelona. This was hordes of tourists and I was staying at the packed full Marriott Marquis of Madrid. All good though; the accommodation wasn’t nearly as cool as my Barcelona room, but it was comfortable and adequate, if a bit noisy (near the elevator and with an AC fan issue).
It had been a long day of travel and so I found the nearest thing to a neighborhood restaurant close by: La Casa del Abuelo. Had shrimp with olive oil and garlic, tomato with olive oil and garlic, bread for the liquid, and a beer. All delicious given the potential for a tourist meal. After dinner I walked a bit in the immediate area and in Chueca, the adjacent gayborhood.
Sunday morning breakfast at Zenith, a 15 minute pleasant walk from the hotel. Vegan tapioca with tofu (tapioca is a flatbread). it was delicious. Generally it was much easier to find breakfast variety and early openers here in Madrid than in Barcelona.
This was museum day. I can only do the slow walking museum shuffle for so long so I tend to only devote one day to it. I had purchased an Art Walk pass which you could redeem at each location for an entry ticket for that day. In the AM went to the Prado. I appreciated the art but there are only so many paintings of dead nobility that you can take. At some point the various posey people dressed in finery becomes a blur. More to my taste was Sunday midday at the Reina Sofía, the modern art museum. This famously houses Picasso’s Guernica. There were many floors of more contemporary artists and more conceptual art, which I prefer. Dali and Miro being among my favorites. I also bought a next day ticket to the Royal Palace.
After a midday rest in my room I spent the afternoon walking around El Retiro, the park near the triangle of Madrid museums. There I watched a dance flash mob, which was totally engagjng. There was a lake, but I didn’t rent a boat in tribute to Kirk — we famously had bad boat rental karma. Much like many urban parks, this had a lot to offer. Some areas more wild, others curated and sculptured. It was a great way to spend an active afternoon.
I had dinner at Casa Macareno in the Malasaña neighborhood – packed and a line outside. Sirloin steak from Cava Rubia with roasted vegetables, potatoes and pepper sauce, glass of red wine. Excellent meal.
And then I had a late night with Felipe from Bogota who I met online. He was traveling across Europe mostly by bus, using some trains, and staying in hostels. The classic travel story. He’s an administrator of tourism for the government of Colombia, so he knows his way around travel.
Felipe and I had separate plans for Monday so we planned to meet for dinner before his late night bus to Lisbon. My breakfast destination Cafe Comercial was closed for filming, so I walked to a nearby alternative whose name is lost to history. Eggs Benedict and two coffees. I had fun bonding with the frustrated waiter dealing with two tables of demanding princesses.
My planned afternoon was my ticket for the Royal Palace but decided to ditch it to hang out with Felipe. Definitely a better decision. We went walking in parks, went shopping (he spent one hour looking for hair oil with me, the bald guy), and just hanging out and having a blast. After all, isn’t travel about more than buildings and paintings and destinations?
We made an online reservation at Taberna del Alabardero Madrid for us for dinner, which they confirmed via their website, but when we got there it was closed for August holidays. Walked around a bit to find someplace spontaneously and found Cafe de Oriente, on the grounds of the palace gardens. We shared drinks and a paella before his 11pm bus to Lisbon. The restaurant kerfuffle worked out well; great location, good food. Picked up his stored luggage in his somewhat rowdy party hostel (not my cup of tea), rode the metro with him and said goodbye for now.
Tuesday AM was breakfast at Bucólico Cafe: avocado toast, poached egg, jamón de Ibérico, café con leche. Madrid is a great breakfast city.
After breakfast I walked the nearby gayborhood of Chueca, window shopped, got my bags, and took the convenient metro to the airport to start my own long travel day to Reykjavik.
The Madrid airport was very organized, and a totally good experience. I checked both bags, including my carryon. Not my usual practice, especially having a connecting flight, but as the plane was packed and purchasing early boarding was not option, I decided to risk it. Boarding was definitely more relaxed without the rush for overhead space.
My ticket was on LOT Airlines to Warsaw then Reykjavik. Loved this airline. Fantastic old school service. I was welcomed with a moist towelette, had an actual print magazine to read, was given constant snacks and drinks. Everyone smiling and accommodating.
At the Warsaw airport I got a caja feliz (happy meal) from McDonald’s for the nieces and nephews of my Ecuadorian friend Jesús. This requires some explanation. He is Venezuelan, and his family generally has financial challenges. A meal in McDonald’s is fantastically expensive, and so it’s a custom to save happy meal boxes for young kids and fill them with gifts for birthdays and for Christmas. Jesus is visiting family there in December, and a happy meal box from Poland will be a treasured item.
After a two hour layover in Warsaw my flight arrived near midnight in Reykjavik. The airport is in Keflavík, a distance from the city, so I stayed alone at the airport hotel Aurora Star for the night.
Then I transferred to CenterHotel Plaza in Reykjavik for four nights. I shared the room in Reykjavik with my Cuenca friend James because hotel nights are fantastically expensive in Reykjavik. More on Reykjavik in the next post.
In all, I absolutely loved Spain. Felipe went to Seville after Portugal and it looked amazing too. Spain has a relaxed vibe that perfectly aligns with my relaxed Ecuadorian lifestyle.
I’ll be back.
