When I arrived at Barajas airport at eleven in the night, I was expecting calm and quiet Madrid streets and a lonely tram ride to my hostel, considering it was a Thursday night. But surprise was in store for me, as I stood astounded on the bustling streets of Madrid. On my way to the hostel, I saw more people than I had seen in the entire stretch of my stay in Copenhagen. Music was in the air and I suddenly felt rejuvenation gushing into my veins and thoughts of a memorable holiday flashed before me. And a memorable holiday it was!
To be fresh for the next day, I called it a night. Next day the bright sun, which I have sorely missed seeing for the last month, literally injected life into some of my dead body cells. In anticipation of a good and healthy start to the trip (and this was the only day I did this), I went for a small jog. Somewhere, in a travelogue magazine, I had read, that the best way to explore a city was to go running in the morning, when the traffic is minimum and the air fresh.
Madrid is different from the Northern European countries I have visited. The typical tenacity of the classic European buildings which can be seen in Paris, Copenhagen, Rome etc were missing and in front of me stood modern high-rises, with wide streets, bustling in the early hours. Gone was the melancholic feeling, which one can get sometimes, when things are too systematic and everything is perfect. The streets of Madrid provided a refreshing change form the world which I have been living and which was too organized.
To be fresh for the next day, I called it a night. Next day the bright sun, which I have sorely missed seeing for the last month, literally injected life into some of my dead body cells. In anticipation of a good and healthy start to the trip (and this was the only day I did this), I went for a small jog. Somewhere, in a travelogue magazine, I had read, that the best way to explore a city was to go running in the morning, when the traffic is minimum and the air fresh.
Madrid is different from the Northern European countries I have visited. The typical tenacity of the classic European buildings which can be seen in Paris, Copenhagen, Rome etc were missing and in front of me stood modern high-rises, with wide streets, bustling in the early hours. Gone was the melancholic feeling, which one can get sometimes, when things are too systematic and everything is perfect. The streets of Madrid provided a refreshing change form the world which I have been living and which was too organized.
The afternoon was spent making a couple of trips to the airport (different story), however the night proved to be a perfect start to the trip. A couple of tour companies provide a pub crawl experience, where a group of tourists assemble and then hit a string of pubs and discos. It provides a good opportunity for people to get to know each other and there are discounts offered at the pubs. We started at nine and ended at four in the morning. In between, we had a couple of shots, numerous beers, some Martini's and danced quite a lot. At one of the pubs, people were dressed as cows. The nightlife in Madrid starts at one in the morning and when the night is at an end, pub tables become breakfast tables. When it struck four in the morning, our legs finally gave way and we made our way back to the hostel. The sheer number of people on the streets and in the pubs only authenticated Madrid's colourful nightlife.
Next morning we visited Santiago Bernabau (home of Real Madrid) stadium. The lit up faces of Sidharth and Anoop (Soccer fans) at the sight of the stadium was worth noticing. For Sidharth it was like the site of a holy pilgrimage. I was awed by the sheer magnitude of the ground and its stands. We made a round of the Real Madrid museum and learned some history of the Real Madrid team and the stadium itself. Having seen a couple of matches on television, I could just sense, what a pulsating moment it would be, to be one among the 80,400 spectators making Mexican waves and swearing at the top of one's voice.
Next stop was Puerta del Sol; also called as 'Kilometre Zero'. As the Spainards say, this is the Centre of Madrid and all directions start from here. It is one of the main squares of Madrid. Here also stands the famous statue of a Bear with a strawberry tree. From there, we walked to Parque del Retiro (Madrid's Central Park) and passed by a couple of Museums. It was time for dinner and so we inquired after an authentic Spanish restaurant. We found "Madrid Madrid" where we tried assorted Tapas (starters), some Sangria (Spanish drink made of red wine and fruit juice; highly recommended) and Bocadillo (Spanish sandwiches).
The phrase in the television advertisements ‘Madrid only happens in Madrid’ sounded so true!
Next morning we visited Santiago Bernabau (home of Real Madrid) stadium. The lit up faces of Sidharth and Anoop (Soccer fans) at the sight of the stadium was worth noticing. For Sidharth it was like the site of a holy pilgrimage. I was awed by the sheer magnitude of the ground and its stands. We made a round of the Real Madrid museum and learned some history of the Real Madrid team and the stadium itself. Having seen a couple of matches on television, I could just sense, what a pulsating moment it would be, to be one among the 80,400 spectators making Mexican waves and swearing at the top of one's voice.
Next stop was Puerta del Sol; also called as 'Kilometre Zero'. As the Spainards say, this is the Centre of Madrid and all directions start from here. It is one of the main squares of Madrid. Here also stands the famous statue of a Bear with a strawberry tree. From there, we walked to Parque del Retiro (Madrid's Central Park) and passed by a couple of Museums. It was time for dinner and so we inquired after an authentic Spanish restaurant. We found "Madrid Madrid" where we tried assorted Tapas (starters), some Sangria (Spanish drink made of red wine and fruit juice; highly recommended) and Bocadillo (Spanish sandwiches).
The phrase in the television advertisements ‘Madrid only happens in Madrid’ sounded so true!
1 comment:
Hey you are really making the most of Europe and the travel.
Keep it up! Also the blogging.
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