Having really enjoyed my (mad) day trip to Venice, it’s no surprise that I had another planned another (extreme) day trip. This time the destination was Madrid, the capital of Spain.
I have been to Spain a few times over the last ten years for holidays, but this was my first visit to the Madrid.
It’s a two hour flight from Bristol and I arrived at lunchtime. It took a while to get through the EES and passport control, and then there was a bit of a hike to get to the Metro station, but I got there in the end. It was very easy to get a tourist travel ticket for all day unlimited travel for just €10.30.
I caught the metro to the centre of Madrid, I chose a route which meant changing twice, but that was part of the fun.
I arrived at Puerta del Sol which has the infamous El Oso y el Madroño, a bronze sculpture featuring a bear & a strawberry tree. It represents the heraldic arms of the city.
I then started walking around and exploring the city. I came across the Teatro Real and impressive theatre that hosts opera.
I then headed down some side roads towards Mercado de San Miguel to grab some lunch, well wine and tapas.
Wine was amazing value at €4 for a delicious glass of white wine and served in a real glass as well.
There was so much choice in the tapas, I had a number of dishes before heading out again to explore more of the city.
I saw the impressive Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena and then headed into the Plaza de la Armería and took some photographs of the Royal Palace.
I was able to get a last minute ticket to the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid) and headed in. An amazing place with so much to look at.
After visiting the palace, I headed off to get a coffee, I sat outside and watched the world go by.
Feeling peckish I headed back to Mercado de San Miguel for more tapas and another glass of wine.
Fearing a possible delay with security and passport control at Madrid Airport, I headed back to the airport.
Once there, after six minutes I was through security and passport control… who knew it could be so speedy.
I then had a bit of a wait for my plane, but it wasn’t long before I headed back to Bristol.