Mad about Madrid

This weekend, Katie and I decided to go and visit our friend Sabrina, who is teaching in Madrid. As the capital of Spain, Madrid was everything we expected- buzzing with culture and street life. Madrid seems to be very modern, but still holds all the traditions of the city. It was a bank holiday, and was sooo busy- we were even grid locked at certain times! Although we didn't have time to visit any, Madrid is home to some of the most popular museums in Spain; however, we managed to see a lot of the city by simply wandering around. Although it is a huge City, all the main places to go to in the centre are actually very close and within walking distance. We visited the Plaza Mayor, which is full of charm, and although it was heaving, it made us feel very Christmassy with lots of pretty lights and a huge Christmas Market. At what seemed like the heart of the historic centre, we went to Plaza de la Puerta del Sol and also ambled along the grand avenue, Gran Vía, full of huge shops which kept us occupied for the majority of the trip! We also stumbled across Plaza Independencia, home to important buildings and monuments. As well as sight seeing and shopping, we went to the Retiro Park, a huge open green space with a pretty lake, where we hired a little rowing boat and enjoyed the morning sun! It amazed me how there is such a beautiful tranquil place in the centre of Madrid, so close to the lively and hectic city streets. After eating out all weekend, we (Katie) decided to cook a meal for the three of us on Saturday night, which was delicious and Sabrina had a flat party afterwards, which was good fun! All in all a great weekend; got to see and explore the Capital, get into the Christmas spirit, and certainly shopped till we dropped!