Madrid

Madrid. Is it fair to say that it may be my favorite Spanish city (Barcelona doesn't count. Barcelona is Catalana, for reasons to be discussed later). It's beautiful, modern, chic, and has an all around great vibe -- not to mention a haven for foodies, such as myself.

I love food, I'm not afraid to admit it. It should be enjoyed thoroughly every single day. In Madrid, this isn't a hard task. They have everything you could ever want: Tapas, American, Mexican, Italian, Argentinian, Chinese, and always more. When you go to Madrid, you will be fed copious amounts of food, and you will never be let down. Next to Plaza Mayor, there is a cool little market that is entirely filled with bars, tapas bars (You order a Canya (a cervecita) or three, and it comes, topped, with a plate of tapas -- thus the name).

Character and good food, what else do you need from a city to enjoy yourself greatly? Well, for one, lots of dive bars help. There are plenty to be had in the bustling nightlife of Madrid. And, after drinking Estrella Damm for a while, it was nice to cleanse the palate with a different pilsner of choice (hell, even through in a stout for good measure -- but the stouts really come in a few weeks when I go to Cork, Ireland).

Madrid also is home to two amazing museums: The Prado, and La Reina Sofia. Both were quite interesting, but La Reina Sofia was home to more of the modern art ala Dali or Picasso. Which suited my tastes in art much better.

The final thing that I like about Madrid -- Its Spanish. All of the signs are in spanish, and all of the people are speaking spanish. While this is also the case here in Barcelona, it is so to a much lesser extent. Primarily, the Catalans speak, well obviously Catalan. So, all of the signs are first and foremost Catalan, then Spanish, then English.

Even though I don't speak Spanish that well (though I am getting better, and understanding mostly everything), I do greatly enjoy being able to communicate -- even if it is not my native tongue. Here in Barcelona, it is sometimes overwhelming with the constant bombardment of Catalan -- with even Spanish as a secondary language.

No pictures, I know, boring. But I am saving my photography abilities for upcoming travels -- next weekend is a much needed weekend of rest, in Barca. Then off to Portugal, then Ireland. So, until next time!