Much like my trip to Girona and Besalú, my university organized this trip to Madrid. After arriving in Madrid by high speed train, I went on a guided tour throughout the city. The next day, I visited the Prado museum and the Reina Sofia modern art museum and continued to explore the city without a guide. My last day was spent at El Rastro, a local flea market, and in El Retiro park.
Among the most popular landmarks of Madrid is La Plaza De Oriente. This square contains the Royal Palace (pictured to the left) as well as the Royal Theatre.
Madrid reminded me a lot of New York City with more intricate architecture; as the capital of Spain, its streets were filled with people.
The busiest area of Madrid was Puerta Del Sol. This square seemed to be the Spanish version of Times Square.
There are many street vendors- I found these beautiful paintings right outside a popular square called Plaza Mayor.
Throughout the city are narrow side streets. These are usually residential areas, but I enjoyed walking through these areas more than those with shops and restaurants.
Those narrow streets are lined with very beautiful and colorful buildings, showing the true age and character of the city of Madrid.
I was able to escape the city scene by spending time in El Retiro park.
This park contains the beautiful Palacio de Cristal, or Crystal Palace, a conservatory made almost entirely of windows.
Foods and Drinks
Madrid is famous for its churros so, of course, I had to try them. They are served with Spanish hot chocolate, which tastes similar to traditional American hot chocolate, but it is much thicker. It is customary to dip these churros in the hot chocolate before eating due to the bland taste of plain churros (it would be similar to eating fried dough without powdered sugar or cinnamon).
Otherwise, the food in Madrid was very similar to that of Barcelona, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Because Madrid is so large and a popular tourist destination, it is filled with restaurants specializing in many different kinds of cuisine. The culinary homesickness set in earlier in the week, so I allowed myself one American meal while in this huge city.
A close friend of mine studied abroad in Madrid during her Fall 2019 semester and recommended that I try a restaurant called Ojala. This restaurant specialized in American cuisine but had an interesting twist to its dining experience- the floor of the lower level (called the Ojala Playa) was covered in sand. Guests sat on cushions on the floor and enjoyed their meals at this indoor beach. My friends and I ordered dishes such as mac and cheese, pulled pork sandwiches, steak and cheese sandwiches, and cheeseburgers to remind us of home. Maybe it is because I haven’t had a meal this familiar in a long time, but this was my favorite meal I had in Madrid.
About Abroad 