OT I'm going to Madrid, Spain

[patsal]

on Saturday and I'll be there for a week with DD 14 and DS 17 while DH is working there. I have picked up a few guidebooks, but if anyone else has been, what kinds of things did you do and were you able to keep on budget? I am planning museums, perhaps the park, maybe the "flea market", some shopping. DH will be working on Monday--our holiday so he will swap it out and day trip with us to Toledo on Friday. This is happening so fast that I am not sure how to best plan for such an exciting, yet short trip.

 

[patsal]

Bump!

 

[pilgrimage]

I was there as a student. Go to the Prado Museum and budget lots
of time for the El Greco paintings, esp. Amazing! We enjoyed roaming
around the plaza people watching. Remember dinner is usually served
around 9 pm and lots of stores close mid-day.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I always tell people not to skip Retiro Park. It's one of my best memories from my trip to Spain. Also, everyone goes to the Prado, however, don't miss out on the museum of modern art either. If you can swing it, a day trip to Toledo by train is a great idea.

 

[patsal]

Thanks, those are both on my list, so now I have starred them as must do.

 

[daisax]

I greatly preferred Avila and Segovia to Toledo, but your mileage may vary. Avila has amazing roman walls and pre-roman carved bulls (as well as the home/church of St. Theresa and St. John of the Cross, and Segovia has an amazing Roman aquaduct.

Be sure to eat churros and chocolate in the early morning/late night hours with the students and workers!

The food in Madrid is amazing, so enjoy!

 

[PigletsPal2]

I second the churros and chocolate motion! We lived in Madrid for two years, and that was my breakfast every morning. We were working and didn't get to sightsee much in Madrid, but did get to Toledo, Segovia (wonderful day trip), Grenada, and my personal favorite but not a day trip - Barcelona. I'd go back to Spain in a heartbeat! I'm so jealous right now!

Queen Colleen

 

[PigletsPal2]

Oh, and don't forget shopping at the Plaza Mayor - or if you ask a taxi driver to take you there - Platha My-or.

Queen Colleen

 

[siouxsieQ]

It's been about 10 years since I've been to Madrid. I don't remember a lot about it, but I know I really liked it. Plaza Mayor was fun.
We used Madrid as a base for a few days and did several day trips via train. Segovia was my favorite. That was actually one of my favorite cities on our Spain/Portugal trip.

 

[clh2]

My DD went with her high school band to Madrid over Christmas break. On the day they went to Toledo, they stopped at a place called: Damasquinado Factory. A description is:

Swords and Damasquinado For many groups, the highlight of the visit to Toledo is the damasquinado factory where the group is given a brief explanation in the art of damasquinado and the manufacture of Toledo blades before being herded into the outlet shop to buy. Prices are OK, comparable with the many retail outlets in town (sight of which most guides try studiously to avoid). They can buy work of primary quality, which is expensive, or cheaper stuff.​

Damasquinado is a jewellery technique imported, naturally, from Damascus in the time of the Moors. It uses black steel inlaid with gold, silver and copper thread. It is very fine filigree work which at its best can be really beautiful and at its worst just vulgar and over-ornate. Throughout the Middle Ages, Toledo was famous for its weaponry. Steel from the north, principally the Basque Country, was tempered in the waters of the Tagus, producing some of the toughest blades available on the European continent. Reproductions of many of the most famous designs are also manufactured here, including, for example, El Cid's trusty blade Tizona. The factory will accept payment in USD or just about any other currency you can think of.​

DD even bought me a bracelet from here, and I LOVE IT!!! Have fun - my daughter loved Madrid!

 

[fairykin]

Visit the Cathederals..they are beautiful!!!

Buy a great pair of leather boots or a lovely leather bag, they have the best craftsmen there!

Walk around on some of the cobblestone streets and enjoy the tapas bars. They have great pastries and serve the coffee in glasses.

Most of all... enjoy your visit and remember the smells as well as the sights.

May your travel be safe and your trip be filled with happy memories.

 

[Micca]

They say the ladies are insane there

 

[bubie2.5]

There are three major art museums: El Prado, Reina Sofia and El Thyssen… if you have to chose just one, I would go to El Prado. For modern art The Reina Sofia. There are always a lot of free art exhibits sponsored by private corporations al around the city. If I’m not mistaken there’s a Francis Bacon one in El Prado right now that is a must.

You can visit La Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, El Palacio Real (the Royal Palace), the Plaza Cibeles, the fountain of Zeus. Madrid is a great place to immerse yourself in history. Have walks on the Casco Viejo (the older part of the city).

Go to el Retiro, a big park where there are a lot of things to do, especially on weekends (street theatre, mimes, boat rides…) and take a look at the crystal palace there; the botanic garden is also nearby.

The Warner theme park is always a hit with the little ones.

Use the Metro (subway), but try to avoid rush hours (8:00-9:00, 3:00-4:00). You really don’t need to rent a car or take lots of taxis if you’re staying in the center of the city.

The whole family can go into a bar (family friendly places that are more like a café) and order a few tapas and mosto (grape juice) for the kids.

The Cathedrals of Almudena and Los Gerónimos are beautiful places to visit, their architecture is amazing.

Toledo is really close so is a great a day to visit it for a day. You can go by bus.

The people in Spain are very friendly, you’ll have a lovely time there.

 

[bubie2.5]

They say the ladies are insane there

Tell me about it, I have to live with one.

 

[Mooshu]

If I rememeber correctly there is a huge swap meet/flea market on by the Museum of Modern Art on the weekends.

The oldest resturant in the world is located in Madrid, Sobrino de Botín ~ order the Suckling pig...it's the BEST!

Don't forget to try the tapas, Paella & sangria.

And siesta time is usually around 2pm and everything shuts down for about 2hours...we made that mistake and forgot, we had to go have some sangria in the Plaza Mayor while we waited for everything to open back up.