Hola! Next stop Madrid, Spain

The capital of Spain is a vibrant city, reminding me of New York or Chicago but with a European twist. It’s loud, energetic, dinner doesn’t begin until 8:30pm, and the streets are alive until the sun comes up.

There’s lots to explore and plenty of beautiful architecture can be seen by walking around the city. In my honest opinion, I found it a bit cold at first and not as friendly as the last few cities I've explored, but the people I met at the hostel were wonderful!

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Palacio de Real - the royal palace is VERY grand! It is the largest palace in western Europe and I’d recommend paying the entrance fee as the rooms inside the palace are a site to see. No photos can be taken inside the rooms, so you’ll have to trust me and see it for yourself.

Some other magnificent structures that I found when exploring the streets-

Museo Nacional del Prado

Palacio de Cibeles

Puerta de Alcalá (Triumphal Arch)

Museo Arqueológico Nacional

Biblioteca Nacional de España

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Marcado de San Miguel - this market is filled with various tapas; including meats, fish, veggies, fruit, cheese, pastries and everything else you can think of. It was certainly hard not to try each tapa, and even harder to just buy a few.

Churros are a must when in Spain. I headed to a local bakery - Chocolat Madrid to enjoy some churros and dipped them in warm chocolate.

Gran Via - this shopping street is 1300m long and includes every brand you can think of, like Zara, Nike, Lacoste and Rolex. Even if you aren’t looking to buy something, the architecture is a bonus to look at.

Plaza Mayor - This main square is always full of energy, people and entertainment. It's steps away from the Royal Palace (Palacio de Real) and Puerta de Sol, another main square.

Parque El Retiro - This public park is one of the biggest in Madrid. I could have spent a whole week exploring all the different paths, finding all the stone sculptures and fountains. Instead I took an e-scooter through the main paths and then walked around to the various fountains, the lake and palaces. There are two Palaces in the park and each had a free art exhibit at the time. Palacio de Velázquez which showed Vivian Suter's exhibit (colourful canvases) and Palacio de Cristal, which showcased Kidlat Tahimik's exhibit (wooden sculptures).

This was all only in the centre and Madrid certainly has more to see, but I'm off to Barcelona! Adiós!