Madrid

Changing of the Guard

At the Plaza Oriente

On the Gran Via

Spiderman at Plaza Mayor

Well, we had a strange route. San Diego-Dallas-Miami-Madrid, but lucked into a full upgrade using VIP stickers or something instead of air miles… not sure how that happened, but more to the point, why doesn’t it happen more often? Incredibly, there are no Marriotts in Madrid so we were forced to actually stay someplace different. And pay for it. I stumbled online onto a charming little Spanish hotel chain called Room Mate. They are all small boutique hotels with that loungy minimalist look and basic amenities. Free breakfast and wifi and I loved the location of ours (Alicia 90€ a night)—smack dab in the center of the historical district at the Plaza Santa Ana. So we were happy.

I guess I expected Madrid to be like Mexico City: trashy, chaotic, obnoxious. But it’s just wonderful. The tourist area is spotlessly clean and the architecture gorgeous. Every day we walked miles around town, from Plaza Mayor to the Parque Retiro to the Palacio, it’s just a fantastic city for walking. We visited the Prado Museum, (celebrity sighting: Ethan Hawke) went rowing on the lagoon at Retiro, sat for hours at the Plaza Mayor to watch the flow of tourists and performers, and generally dithered until it was time for more tapas and wine. On weekends, thousands of local families stroll through the parks and plazas; it was extremely civilized. I’m smitten. We spent a couple of extra nights in Madrid at the end of our trip. The Alicia was booked so we moved to the eccentric, wonderful and considerably more costly (285€) Casa de Madrid. Check it out.

Sunday at El Parque Retiro