España: Madrid

Sitting one day in class, bored as usual, and I inadvertently found cheap tickets to Madrid. When I say cheap I mean 4 euros-each-way-cheap. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and since there was only 4 tickets left I planned out my trip during class with two other friends of mine.

Excitedly I missed that RyanAir (a flight company infamously known for ripping unsuspecting customers off) that there was a 10euro fee on top of the 8 euros we were already paying. However, a 20euro flight isn't that bad either. A month later, my 20 euro trip to Madrid became reality.

This was my first expedition outside of Alicante, Spain. I was really excited to finally be in Spanish City and see everything that there is to see. Madrid is known for its culture, shops, and great places to eat.

We (Me, Steph and Meagan) had a pretty eventful trip to Madrid. It was not exactly how we planned it but it was better than I could have ever imagined. I'm lucky to have been travelling with two veteran European travelers. There are little tips/tricks that you should keep aware of when flying via RyanAir or staying in hostal or even saving money when travelling in Europe. Being with the two Europeans made me feel safe and them being my two closest girl friends here in Spain made me feel comfortable and relaxed.

Some of the great things that we saw in Madrid were:

Plaza de Mayor

Fuente de Cibeles

Parque Retiro

Puerta del Sol

Plaza Callao

Museo del Prado (we couldn't go inside because of the long lines)

Paseo del Prado

It was a blast wandering through the city. We all had self-designated roles. I was the one with the ridiculous amount of research done from the best places to visit to the places where you can get free tapas and cheap restaurants.

Free tapas, in case you don't know, originated with a law in Spain that said an establishment couldn't sell alcohol without serving food because the Spaniards were developing health issues. So now, even though many places don't do this anymore, the "Free Tapas" bars will serve you a plate of food with every drink. Its usually a small plate (unless your in Granada).

In Madrid we ended up trying a few small dishes. One was paella, the other Spanish bread with Jamon Serrano on top and the third was a potato dish. All were amazing, and of course, the Jamon Serrano was the best of all in my opinion. I love Jamon Serrano and cannot get enough of it!

The great thing about Madrid is around every corner is another beautiful building with great architecture. Take a look!