Madrid, Spain -day 3

We woke up very late today. Our bedroom has this screen that you pull down from the outside to protect the window. It acts like a cave barrier making the inhabitants think it’s night time for way longer than necessary.

When we woke up we booked a hotel and train to Malaga. We needed to go back to the beach!

We made an epic feast of Mr Noodle, frozen spring rolls and left over salad. We still had peanut butter and crackers to eat, so we scarfed that down too.

Leslie did her own thing today, and Shay and I decided to explore the other direction today. I wanted to see Palais Real so we headed in that general direction. It was overcast today, so the temperature was quite comfortable. It started to drizzle again so we popped onto an umbrella covered patio. It just so happened to be another Cervezeria, and it was Sunday so all of the tapas and beer were a euro. We indulged a little and waited out the rain, reading. It didn’t last long.

We headed through a cheap little tourist market where Shay bought replacement sunglasses for his which had broken. We could see the palace through the trees, and headed over.

Plaza de Espana

It was big.

The Royal Palace

Palacio Royal (Royal Palace)

We walked through the Alice in Wonderland trimmed hedges (Sabatini Gardens), and took pictures through the gates. You could pay 10 euros for a tour, inside and out, but we were too tired to invest any time in it. We just walked around the premises. There was a big church beside it as well.

Almudena Cathedral

Then we headed back towards our place, looking for a market to grab some fruit. We knew there was one towards the gluten free bakery, which we went back to for tomorrow’s breakfast. We also noticed a Turkish restaurant across the street and figured that would be good for dinner. We walked into a shop just as the rain began again. This time each drop, splashed on our bodies like tiny water balloons. We were lucky to have some cover. We waited for it to stop…7 minutes or so, then continued to the bakery and grocery store.

Many things are closed on Sundays here. We were hopeful to catch a movie too but all of the theatres around us weren’t showing anything with English or subtitles. We went back to our apartment and met up with Leslie. She was debating a Mc Donald’s run on account of the disappointment experienced missing it yesterday. She ran out to get it, just as the clouds opened up again expelling golf ball size drops of rain.

The door phone rang, and I ran down to let a very wet Leslie in with her soggy Mc Donald’s bag. "Totally worth it", she exclaimed.

We went out to grab our Turkish dinner, I think the place was called Boroso or Mundo Kebab? Something like that. It was good. We had rice, salad, falafel, chicken skewers and a few other traditional items that I don’t know the names of. Very tasty.

Waiting for the grub

We didn’t stay up late as we had to catch a 9:30 train in the morning.

Madrid, Spain -day 2

After sleeping in, we walked around town for a bit.

Look at me, I'm in Madrid

Bank of Spain

Ayuntamiento de Madrid

Casa de America

Plaza Independencia

Got a coffee…went to the park

Parque de Retiro

Parque de Retiro

..walked around..walked back into town…sat and had some lunch on a patio….then walked to the gluten free bakery. A very laid back day.

Gluten Free bakery

Got me some cough syrup

Inside Celicioso

Yummy carrot cupcakes and peanut butter cookies....nom nom nom

Outside Desigual, a Spanish clothing store.

I finally picked up some cough syrup at the farmacia, so I would stop coughing through the night. We shopped for a bit on Gran Via at Desigual, Pull & Bear and a few other shops we don't have back home. We got some more groceries to make dinner with at the dingy Asian grocery and returned home. 

After a tasty meal of Mr Noodle, salad, and meats for dinner, we napped so we could go to the bar… Nightlife starts late in Madrid, 1-2 am is the earliest people get out. I put us on guest list at Coco Madrid. If we showed up by 1am, we would get in for free, and Shay would cost 10 euros. It also included a drink for everyone.

It started to drizzle as we got there, but it was welcome after the heat of the day. We got into the club no problem. We had to know the code name, which was Jaime Mendez. The free drinks were liquor and pop. I stupidly ordered a gin and soda, and they give you a can of soda, and a glass filled with liquor. It was so strong, I gave it to Shay. We were pumped to experience Madrid nightlife. The bar was pretty much empty as we got there. The was a line up outside, that we didn't have to wait in. Inside, it was a little smokey. The purple lights surrounded the bar, herding everyone into the narrow centre dance floor. There were tables, and hooka/bottle service around the perimeter. By 3 am, it was pretty full.

"This music is balls"

The bar played this Spanish reggae beat...all night. It was supposed to be music of the last three decades. It was not. Every song sounded the same, and was very hard to dance to. People around us didn't seem to mind. Shay went to get a drink, and they played one Rhianna mix. Leslie and I could finally dance, but it ended all too soon. It was not very fun. The music allll sounded the same. People smoke inside and the girls washroom was disgusting.

They are very open about sexuality at bars here, which was refreshing. No one cares if dudes make out or grind up on each other. Too bad they don't play better music!

We left in search of munchies. It was after three, and we were famished. We passed two Mc Donald's, a KFC and a Burger King...all closed!  We walked to find Dreams café, which was touted online as being an all night event…it was not open… The only thing open was Pa Pizza..so we got some and begrudgingly walked home and went to bed. Madrid nightlife, you were disappointing.