Day 1:
We arrived at Madrid Barajas International Airport in the morning. We were staying in Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center for the first night. After checking-in and freshening up we took the metro to the city (from the airport which was the closest Metro stop from the hotel). All metro trains outbound and inbound for the airport carry a 3 Euro surcharge. We did not buy any metro pass during our stay in Madrid and instead used the 10 journey ticket (that can be shared between travelers).
It was close to lunch time and our first stop was Mercado San Miguel. It is a must see attraction for anyone who is in Madrid. It was around 2 PM and boy was the market crowded. We tried different tapas offerings.
By now we had about an hour wait for a Free Tapas tour (courtesy Strawberry Tours) that I had signed up for. We decided to spend that time hanging out at Plaza de Isabel people watching . The tour started promptly at 6 PM with our guide Leticia and about 11 other people and lasted 4 hours.
Our first stop was Refra, a small restaurant close to Mercado San Miguel.
Our next stop was Arbonaida Bar followed by Abaco Taberna and finally La Taberna de Ramales.
Overall we had a great time doing the tapas tour and feel like we made a good choice in going with Strawberry Tours (and a shout out to our great guide Leticia). After the tour we took the metro back to the airport and then shuttle to hotel.
Day 2:
My parents arrived on an early morning flight and after picking them up from the airport we took a taxi to the city. We were staying in Artiem Madrid Hotel for the next 2 nights. After checking-in and freshening up we set out for some sightseeing. We took the metro to Opera station again. From there we walked to the Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid). Right in front of the Palace is Plaza de Oriente.
We got to see the end of the “Change of Guards” and then walked over to the nearby Sabatini Gardens (Jardines de Sabatini).
After spending about 30 minutes in the garden we walked by the palace again to the Almudena Cathedral next to it. After seeing so many impressive cathedrals and churches in our previous Europe trips, it was not that remarkable (either from the outside or inside).
We continued on our walk to Mercado San Miguel for lunch.
We tried some more empanadas but the crowds were so heavy we decided to go back to the Refras restaurant (from our tapas tour the night before). We ended up having some Patatas Bravas, Fried Eggplant with Honey (Berenjenas con Miel) and Huevos Rotos (not in picture).
After lunch we took the metro back to hotel.
After a couple of hours rest we took a cab to Plaza de Cibeles.
I had read about the Cibeles Fountain but in reality you cannot cross the busy intersection and see the fountains up close. Next we took a cab to the Reina Sofia Museum. Although the museum has an entry fee, it is free from 7 PM – 9 PM on Saturdays. I knew that the famous Picasso painting “Guernica” was housed there and we got to see it. I do not understand or have much appreciation for modern art but glad to say I saw the painting in person. Next we took the metro to Opera again and walked over to a restaurant I had shortlisted from TripAdvisor. We saw a big line out the door and were told it was an hour wait!! We decided to try our luck somewhere else and unfortunately settled for a very ordinary restaurant.
Day 3:
We took a cab to Gran Via. We walked the streets with expensive stores and finally arrived at Puerta Del Sol. This is one of the busiest squares in Madrid and totally tourist central. We took a picture of the Bear and Madrono statue (El Oso y el Madroño).
After spending about an hour in the square we took the metro to La Latina and walked to the craziness that is El Rastro Market. We were lucky to be in Marid on a Sunday as this market only happens this day.
In the afternoon took the metro to Retiro Park. This is a popular hangout place for the locals and it showed. We walked around the park visiting the lake and the Crystal Palace (Palacio de Cristal del Retiro).
Just outside of the Retiro Park lies Alcala Gate (Puerta de Alcalá).
After spending a couple of hours in the park we took a cab to Chocolateria San Gines, the #1 place in Madrid to try Churros dipped in Chocolate. The place is legendary and happy to say lives up to its name.
Next we walked over to Mercado San Miguel again and passed by Plaza Mayor, another big and famous square of Madrid.
I tried some different tapas this time, namely fresh anchovies with pepper (Boquerones con Pimientos), salted anchovies with pepper (Anchoas con Pimientos) and marinated herring with mustard (Arenque Marinado con Mostaza).
Day 4:
We took the metro to Las Ventas Metro stop. Right next to the metro station is Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas (famous bullring of Madrid). The place was closed as the fights are in the evenings but we just wanted to visit this iconic place.
Next we took a metro to Santiago Bernabeau, the home of Real Madrid FC. I was not very keen on spending 40 Euro to go on a stadium tour so we just took some pictures from outside and made our way back to hotel.
We were to depart in the early evening on our train to Barcelona. We took a cab to Madrid Atocha railway station where we took the superfast AVE train to Barcelona.
Day 5:
We arrived from St. Petersburg via London to Madrid in the evening at the end of our trip. We had just the evening and night and were leaving for US in the morning. We wanted to try out some more tapas and so hit the streets. Our first stop – Casa Lucas in Calle Cava Baja (lots of tapas bars on this street).
We ordered some yummy tapas and drinks and then followed up with some more Sangria and calamari at El Minibar, a very cool bar a short stroll away.
I must say we ended the trip on a very high note as both the tapas places were amazing. The food tasted fresh and delicious and we are happy to have tried out both these restaurants.