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Madrid THATīS BULL! Madrid, packed with people running around Sol, the old center of town, is famous for its bullfights, nightlife and museums. If you visit Madrid over the weekend you can pack a lot in: Saturday, visit museums by day, dance at night; Sunday, visit the flea market by day, see a bullfight at night. BULLFIGHT. Just like we watch da Bulls on Sunday night, Madrideans also watch the bulls on Sunday nights, except difference is, the bulls always lose. I head over to the Plaza de Ventas to see the classic battle of man vs. animal, which amped up Hemingway so much he wrote about it. Bullfighting is kinda like wrestling, you love it or hate it. So to see what itīs all about, I go. (7-25+ depending on where you sit)
NIGHT LIFE: Madrid is known as one of the places to party in Europe. Unfortunately, that means a lot of tourists flock to dance at the clubs, which get going at 2 am and run til sunrise. I catch a nap and wake up at 2 am to check out 3-level Joy (15) which the Letīs Go guide gives a thumbs up. But when I get there, the plaid shirts and molasses dance moves tells me itīs all tourists here. So I ditch and head next door to this club Palace, which was recommended by Karla, a fellow traveler I met in Munich. The Palace (15) is cool cause it literally looks like some palace museum youīd see on a tour, with paintings, fancy furniture, and drapes -- except you can dance and drink in this one. Three rooms crank Spanish, house and 80s pop which tells me itīs another tourist trap, but itīs got a better vibe. After clubbing, I grab some churros con chocolate - churros you dip in a bowl of chocolate - at the nearby chocolateria, open from 6 pm - 7 am for clubbers with the munchies. FOOD: For Spanish food, forget Taco Bell (Mexican)- itīs more Subway. These little bocadillo, like small subway ham and cheese sandwiches are everywhere. Paella and tapas are also key. At my hostel, I meet up with Bart, from Idaho, and we agree itīs high time we a) practice our English cause weīre way too fluent in really broken Spanish, and b) eat tapas. We randomly meet this Madrid native Mariana cuz Bart spots out her boyfriendīs U of Idaho sweatshirt, and Mariana recommend some tapas bars.
El Rastro (Flea Market). Saturday morning I head over to the flea market, where you can buy everything from cheap clothes to antiques. Itīs packed with locals so the pickings are good, just watch out for the pickpockets cause youīre pressed up against a sea of bargain shoppers. I buy an antique old bell and skeleton key. I take a break from city life and hop a flight to Ibiza |
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