My trip to Madrid was the first time I had ever used RyanAir, a cheap airline in europe. I had no idea what to expect, and I wasn't a seasoned traveler. Before I went through security, I had to get my passport checked and my boarding pass stamped at the front desk because I am not an EU citizen. Because the flight is so cheap, they try to get you to pay extra any way they can. You have to print out your boarding pass beforehand or you have to pay 40 euros to get a boarding pass at the airport. They also have a very strict size and weight limit on baggage.
You are allowed one carry-on bag that must be smaller than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm and weigh less than 10kg (22 pounds) or you have to pay 35 euros to for them to check your bag. I only went for the weekend so I just took my school backpack and didn't have any problems. The flight early in the morning and only took 45 minutes from take off to landing.MADRID
We got to the Madrid-Barajas airport mid morning and took the subway system to our hostel. It costs 1 euro to go anywhere in Madrid on the subway and 1 euro extra to get out of the airport. We made a couple transfers and got off at the Sol station and walked to our hostel.
We stayed at Hostel San Miguel, right off of the Sol metro station. There were at least two different hostels in the same building as ours. Six of us that stayed together in a cramped six-bed room with 3 sets of bunk beds and a private bathroom. Compared to the hostel I stayed at in Barcelona, this was amazing. The room we stayed in was a little bit cramped for 6 people, but I would stay in this hostel again if I went back to Madrid because it was inexpensive, relatively clean, and in a really good location. It was within walking distance of almost everything we wanted to see.
Close by was the Royal Palace. Last time I was in Madrid, on my first day in Spain, I went to the Royal Palace, but I didn't go inside. This time I did. You weren't allowed to take pictures but I managed to sneak a few. The inside was decorated from floor to ceiling with intricate wall paper and immaculate chandeliers. There was even a chandelier with a golden lion on the inside!The next day, we went to go see more of the city and ended up on Gran Via, which literally means Broadway in Spanish, and that's exactly what it was. The street was busy filled with people, restaurants, shopping, and theaters.
Afterwards, we heade
d to the Prado museum. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take any pictures so I'll just have to describe the museum renowned for its art collection. The building was designed by a man named Juan de Villanueva by the order of Charles III in 1785. Originally, the building was going to be used for the Natural History Cabinet, but in 1819 it opened up as an art museum devoted to Spanish art. Today, Prado houses everything from German and Italian painting, to ancient Greek sculpture.
The main attraction I had to the museum were the paintings done by Francisco Goya. Last semester, I took a class on 19th-century European art, and the only Spanish painter we learned about was Goya. After learning more about the context, and background behind his paintings, I felt like I could appreciate it more. Goya was a Spanish painter in the 19th century, and became a commissioned painter to the royal family. In his later life, he came down with an illness leaving him deaf and disconnected with the world and he started painting darker images. A lot of paintings we learn
The main attraction I had to the museum were the paintings done by Francisco Goya. Last semester, I took a class on 19th-century European art, and the only Spanish painter we learned about was Goya. After learning more about the context, and background behind his paintings, I felt like I could appreciate it more. Goya was a Spanish painter in the 19th century, and became a commissioned painter to the royal family. In his later life, he came down with an illness leaving him deaf and disconnected with the world and he started painting darker images. A lot of paintings we learn
ed about in my class were a lot different in person. Most of them, were much larger than I had imagined.
After the museum, my friends and I wanted to taste a little of the Madrid nightlife, so we went to Kapital, one of the most famous nightclubs in Madrid that has seven floors. It was good because each floor had a different kind of music to choose from, and there was a lot to explore. If I wanted to go to another club in Madrid, I wouldn't go back to Kapital. Most of the people were tourists, and it was a little bit too expensive for my budget, but I'm glad I experienced it once.
Toledo
On our final day in Madrid, we decided to take a side trip out to the beautiful city of Toledo. Four of my friends headed out early in the morning, but my friend Janelle and I wanted to sleep in a little longer so we headed out there in the afternoon. We took a bus that leaves Madrid every half hour for about 8 euros. It said it was going to take about an hour and fifteen minutes but it ended up only taking forty-five minutes.
After the museum, my friends and I wanted to taste a little of the Madrid nightlife, so we went to Kapital, one of the most famous nightclubs in Madrid that has seven floors. It was good because each floor had a different kind of music to choose from, and there was a lot to explore. If I wanted to go to another club in Madrid, I wouldn't go back to Kapital. Most of the people were tourists, and it was a little bit too expensive for my budget, but I'm glad I experienced it once.
Toledo
On our final day in Madrid, we decided to take a side trip out to the beautiful city of Toledo. Four of my friends headed out early in the morning, but my friend Janelle and I wanted to sleep in a little longer so we headed out there in the afternoon. We took a bus that leaves Madrid every half hour for about 8 euros. It said it was going to take about an hour and fifteen minutes but it ended up only taking forty-five minutes.
We just walked around the city the whole day, walking uphill almost the entire time. After taking lots of pictures and exploring, my friends wanted to go to the top of the mountain and view the city from afar. This sounded like a good idea, even though it had been raining off and on the whole weekend. So, we get on a bus that only runs once every hour and it drops us off in the middle of nowhere at the top of this mountain. As soon as the bus drops us off and leaves, it starts to rain. This wasn't light rain either, this was a straight up downpour.We didn't know where anything was, and we already sent umbrellas home with our other friends. We searched for some kind of building in the area and finally found a hospital. Luckily it was open and we all walked in there soaked to the bone, needing directions to get back to Madrid. Looking back, it was pretty funny, and worth doing, but was not fun at the time.
Unfortunately, it rained almost the entire weekend, so I didn't get to enjoy the typical Spanish weather that I enjoy almost everyday in Valencia, but it was still a great weekend filled with fun, friends, and adventure as always. There is never a boring weekend in Spain, and I can't wait for more.
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