Spanish Vacation Part 1 - Madrid

Sunday, December 2nd, 2007

Filed Under Travel

No, I am not back home yet. We are still in Spain, but I wanted to start documenting our trip when it is all still fresh in my mind. We are not out and about sightseeing all the time, there is a lot of relaxation time built into the itinerary, and what is more relaxing than blogging, right? There is nothing but Spanish channels on TV.. also you didn’t think I could ignore my blog for long, did you?

We have been having the greatest time in Spain. I don’t think I can do any justice to the beauty and culture of this country in my humble words, also, there are so many travel sights dedicated to describing the sights of Spain . We are very relaxed travelers, our agenda is not to jam as many sights as we can into the few days we have. We do it more Spanish style - siesta and all. So, this is not meant to be a suggested itinerary in anyway, just a report of our trip. Also, the culinary part of our trip totally deserves its own post, so hang on, that will be coming soon. This post is all about Madrid, our first stop, the capital and the cultural epicenter of Spain.

The City

The weather was pretty cold in Madrid, but you wouldn’t guess that looking out the window at the blue sunny sky. Madrileños are night dwellers, most restaurants open only by 9pm and stay open till 2 am. Our daily routine was to start around 10-11 am, get back to the hotel by 5-6, take a nap till 9pm and get out at 10. That is the time you can see Madrid at its best. If you are planning a trip to Spain, it will really help to learn at least the common phrases and basic words in Spanish, since very few people speak or understand English. We didn’t do our homework, and that caused a lot of confusion, especially in restaurants without an English menu.

The Stay

For any trip planning, my biggest concern is the stay. For us, the wrong hotel choice can ruin the entire trip. I spend the most time researching on accommodations, reading different travel sites, recommendations etc. We have been relying on American hotel chains on all our previous European trips, just because we know what we can expect. The two downsides to this are, normally these are catered for business travelers and we end up staying in the business districts. And secondly, these are much more expensive than local hotels. This time, we took the plunge and after extensive research made reservations at Room Mate Mario - a small hotel in the heart of Madrid. Boy, did we get lucky?

Since, this is the part I mostly struggle with, hopefully this review will help someone trying to pick a hotel from the various choices available.

Pros:

Location - bang in the middle of the city,close to the Opera metro station. All tourist attractions and restaurants are at walkable distance.
Decor - Doesn’t look much from the outside, but as soon as you get in, the cool and funky decor catches your attention. Each room supposedly has a different decor, ours was done in a bright orange.
Cleanliness - Everything was way too clean, the most important aspect for me. The towels, linens, room, corridors everything, not a single complaint there.
Staff - Very friendly, and more importantly English speaking staff. Gave us some great recommendations for restaurants, and late checkout was not at all a problem.
Breakfast - Our price included free breakfast daily in the equally funky breakfast room. Breakfast is served from 7 till noon, works great for our schedule. The buffet spread was delicious with pastries, Spanish omelette, fresh fruits, bread, cheese, ham, cured meats, fresh juices and all kinds of coffee selections.

Cons

Room Size - The room was tiny, but most European hotels are. I wish there was a little more closet space, but the space was used very efficiently.
Shower - The shower door comes only half way through, and if you are not careful, can get water splashed everywhere!
Airport Access - You have to change three different metros from the airport to get here, not an option if you are lugging heavy suitcases like us. So we took a €30 cab ride , but I am sure this is the same with all the hotels downtown.

Overall, I highly recommend this hotel. I also recommend tripadvisor.com for hotel reviews and rate comparisons for any hotel.

The Sights

Puerta del Sol - Madrid’s Times Square, the center of all the activities. This is Spain’s ground zero, the kilometer marker here is the point from which the distance is measured to all Spanish cities. The square is crowded by day and night, definitely worth a stroll through.

Plaza Mayor - Cobbled stoned traffic free central plaza of Madrid, lined with restaurants and coffee shops. Used to be the home of bull fights and trials during Spanish inquisition.

Palacio Real (Royal Palace) - Spain’s national palace, with lavishly furnished rooms, a must see, get the audio guide to listen about each room’s decor and history. No photography allowed indoors.

Prado Museum - One of the greatest museums in the world, loaded with masterpieces by major artists like Goya, El Greco, Velaquez etc. Even if you are not an art lover, get the audio guide and wander around, listen to the descriptions of the paintings, you can’t help but appreciate the art. We spent a whole day here, and I don’t fancy myself as an art enthusiast. No pictures allowed here either, but that is us waiting in line for tickets.

These are the major sights we covered in Madrid. There are a few more minor sights, and countless pictures, it is going to be a while to sort through. But other than that the rest of the four days in Madrid was spent eating, drinking and a lot of roaming around. As I said before, the food really deserves its own post.

Right now we are in Barcelona, almost winding down the trip, two more days to go. It is so sad that the vacation is almost over, but at the same time I miss home too… especially the TV.

Comments

31 Responses to “Spanish Vacation Part 1 - Madrid”

musy on December 2nd, 2007 7:02 pm

Hey Sig, looks like you are having lots of fun Those are some lovely pictures! Have fun in Barcelona. See you soon, girl
Cynthia on December 2nd, 2007 7:27 pm

I love the hotel. The interior looks so chic! Enjoy the last couple of days.
Lakshmi on December 2nd, 2007 7:42 pm

Lovely Pics Sig. Have fun !
Siri on December 2nd, 2007 8:51 pm

The pics are too gud Sig! and thanks for the virtual tour of Spain!

Enjoi ur rest of the trip. Have a safe journey!

~ Siri
Pravs on December 2nd, 2007 8:56 pm

Looks like a nice place for holidaying. Nice pics.
Srivalli on December 2nd, 2007 9:51 pm

Lovely pictures Sig..enjoy!
Nags on December 2nd, 2007 11:09 pm

This is so lovely sig and that’s a beautiful review of the hotel you are staying in.. feeling so J about ur lovely vacation!
Raaga on December 3rd, 2007 12:06 am

You’re having loads of fun… good good
Rachna on December 3rd, 2007 12:34 am

wow glad to now you aer having so much fun…. get back safe and sound
arundati on December 3rd, 2007 1:08 am

babe!! have a ball of a time and be in full awareness that a very jealous woman is leaving a comment right now!! looks fabulous!! cheers!!
Miri on December 3rd, 2007 1:11 am

Great to see you - enjoy your last days in Spain and then come back and tell us all the rest! Nice pics and some lovely sights!
Kaykat on December 3rd, 2007 1:18 am

Ooo … now I’m mired in nostalgia! Love that Plaza Mayor.

If the Mercado de Artesania is happening already (starts sometime in december), it is definitely worth checking out!

I can’t wait to hear more about your gastronomic adventures!
arundati on December 3rd, 2007 1:37 am

i want you to have a ball knowing that there is a very jealous woman on this side of the computer!! looks fantastic!!
Padmaja on December 3rd, 2007 4:22 am

Hey Sig!!
Love those fantastic pictures and looks like YOU and SIV are having an amazing time!!
indosungod on December 3rd, 2007 4:52 am

Sig, thanks for the mid trip pictures looks lovely and you look happy if you had not mentioned would have thought the weather was pretty warm. the size of the rooms in most European countries is kind of a shock after the vastness of the American Hotel rooms.
Mishmash! on December 3rd, 2007 7:35 am

Royal Palace looks so splendid!!

hmm…hotel and cleanliness makes a lot of difference and from the pictures, it all look just fine and perfect So enjoy the rest of the days too

Shn
Happy Cook on December 3rd, 2007 8:47 am

Looks like you are having such a good time.
Well thanks for thinking about us who are at home. As you are documenting your trip, we can enjoy it with you.
Laavanya on December 3rd, 2007 8:53 am

Thanks for sharing your Spain trip with us.. It was so nice reading it.
richa on December 3rd, 2007 10:02 am

ola! Ms. blogger from Spain
wow! that museum looks grand !!
enjoy……..
Manasi on December 3rd, 2007 11:20 am

U guys are having a FAB time!!! look fwd. to more pix and travel tales!!!!
ENJOYYYYYYYY!!!!
shilpa on December 3rd, 2007 4:08 pm

Wow…everything looks so great Sig. I am sure you guys are having loads of fun. The hotel room looks so good. Waiting for more pictures
TBC on December 3rd, 2007 6:21 pm

hmmm….so how many suitcases did ya finally take?
Ramya on December 3rd, 2007 9:59 pm

Hey, nice to hear from you! Have a blast!! looking fwd to hear more from you….
CW on December 4th, 2007 1:25 am

I’m so using this for reference when we plan our vacation to Spain.
Rajitha on December 4th, 2007 6:22 am

the rooms look good..i would have been a wee bit wary of local hotels too…and love the late breakfast and siesta..we are relaxed travellers too…and u and siv look adorable in that snap..continue having fun sig!!
sandeepa on December 4th, 2007 12:36 pm

Still having fun and missing TV….too much

The room looks pretty good. Looks very art deco, kind of like the room we had in a local hotel in Amsterdam. But compared to the US the hotel rooms in Europe are smller aren’t they ?

What did you eat ? Where is the food and your ravishing reviews
Sunita on December 4th, 2007 5:23 pm

Just stumbled upon your website, wonderful creation ; more importantly great dedication…now i am going to be a frequent stroller. Thanks for the wonderful pics !
Sun
rachel on December 5th, 2007 12:05 am

lovely space going on here!

nice pics..lovely interior to the rooms1 I ws expecting pics of food too!
Shantanu on December 5th, 2007 6:02 am

Thanks for sharing all the details (hotel, etc.); I am sure that will be of use some day to me. I am looking forward to the food-related posts from this trip!
Susan from Food Blogga on December 6th, 2007 11:33 am

Oh, it’s just splendid, Sig! Enjoy!
sig on December 6th, 2007 2:16 pm

Thanks everyone for your lovely comments…I missed you all, glad to be back home finally Food post is coming up soon, but thats going to take a long while.