Madrid and Sevogia

Before the trip I had booked the hostel in Madrid, so the first order of business was to check in and drop off my luggage. I didn’t have much time to get oriented in the city though, because I had plans to meet up with a friend of a friend in Segovia. One of my neighbors back home in Ohio studied abroad in Spain when she was in school and kept in touch with her host family. One of the sons (now in his 30s) still lived close to home in Segovia, and we had arranged to meet. The trip from Madrid took me not much more than half an hour by train, and David was there at the station waiting to pick me up.

Segovia is a short train ride north of the capital

cathedral in Segovia

David was easy to talk to and a great guide, although he preferred to speak in Spanish. I hadn’t taken any Spanish courses since my trip to Ecuador, but I still could carry on a simple conversation. The trip to Spain, and especially spending the day with David, was a great way to brush up on the language. One of the highlights of Segovia (and the entire trip) was a local restaurant that David took me to for lunch. Bar none the best lamb that I had ever tasted! It helped that I was starving when we sat down to eat; nonetheless, it was probably my favorite meal of the trip. After lunch David showed me around the old city, with its Roman aqueduct, medieval gates, and brilliant Segovia Cathedral. We took a tour of the cathedral, originally built in the 16^th century, which had an amazing view of the city. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is definitely worth the short trip if you ever end up in Madrid.

aqueduct in Segovia

Alcazar Castle

After a drink in the old town square, it was time for me to head back to the train station. David dropped me off in time for the second to last trip of the evening (don’t remember the exact time – it’s been over two years now!). We said our goodbyes and before I knew it I was back at the Chamartin station in Madrid. I grabbed a quick bite to eat at the station and headed back to the hostel, worn out from a long day of traveling. I was staying in a room with 8 beds, and there were a few people hanging out there when I arrived. I chatted with a few backpackers from the UK and met a girl named Karoline from Brazil who was an au pair in Germany. The British girls had to get up super early for a flight back to the UK, and Karoline was staying in that night, so I decided to crash early too.

The next morning, feeling rested, I went for a jog to orient myself and do some flyby sightseeing. For lunch I met up with Karoline and we went to a tapas bar (where each dish is small and you can order several different menu items). Afterwards we went for a walk in the Parque Retiro. The park, over 350 acres, is a great spot to relax and listen to local musicians or watch entertaining street performers.
Later in the afternoon I went with Karoline to the Plaza Mayor, a big public square in central Madrid. There we met up with a tour group that took us around the old city for an hour or so. By the end of the tour it was getting late and I was starving! Karoline had arranged to meet up with a friend from Brazil who was then studying in Madrid. We also went with a guy from Belfast (maybe David…can’t remember his name!) who I had met back at the hostel.

central pond in Parque Retrio

Plaza Mayor

We had a memorable dinner in the Plaza Mayor, sitting outside at dusk, drinking sangria and enjoying a traditional Spanish meal. It was funny thinking back on our conversation, because David (that’s the name I’m sticking with!) had a strong Irish accent, and occasionally I would have to repeat what he said in my American dialect so the Brazilians could understand.

Karoline left the following morning for Barcelona, which was coincidently my next stop too. I had decided to stay one more night in Madrid, but we made plans to meet up the next day. Once she left I headed to the Prado, the famous art museum near Parque Retiro. I had initially expected to spend a couple of hours maximum at the museum. I’m not a huge art fan – it’s not that I dislike art – but let’s just say that I probably won’t be collecting paintings anytime soon.

 But what I thought would be a rather brief visit took me twice as long as I had expected. And I could have easily spent the entire day there. The museum is home to around 9,000 paintings, as well as thousands of prints, drawings, and decorative objects. It was also fascinating to watch the artists scattered throughout the museum who were copying old paintings. Needless to say I gained a greater appreciation for art during the visit to the Prado.

The Prado

Even though I could have stayed much longer, I eventually had to leave the museum to do more sightseeing. The second big stop of the day was the Santiago Bernabéu, home to Real Madrid. For those few people (mostly Americans) on the planet not familiar with Real Madrid, they are one of the most famous and successful fútbol – aka soccer – clubs in the world. And they make sure that if you don’t already know that you definitely will by the end of the tour. I couldn’t keep track of the number of times I either saw printed or heard during the tour that Real Madrid was the winnigest club in the history of the sport. Maybe they need that assurance since they feel threatened by Barcelona? Joking aside, the tour was exciting, even for people like me who aren’t die-hard fans.

The home of Real Madrid

By the time the tour was over it was already getting late, so I took the subway back to the city center to grab dinner. Back at the hostel a group was organizing a pub crawl and I decided to tag along. The plan was to start out going to a few bars and end with a club. As is the case with most big groups, they can feel like a sterile tourist version of the real thing. It was still a fun way to experience the nightlife without feeling awkward on your own. Eventually a few of us decided to stay behind at a bar and then it felt more authentic.