After a 5.5 hour bus ride from Oviedo, I arrived in Madrid. I took a quick Metro ride to my hostel for the next 4 nights, which was another really nice hostel. One of those ones with curtains on the beds. Love those.

After checking in, I went for a walk to check out some of the plazas, and to distract myself, as I had signed up for a paella dinner at the hostel. Being Spain, the food came out at 9:30pm. As I’m not 22, I skipped the organized bar crawl and went to bed before midnight. At 6:30am, I heard two people come back, presumably from said pub crawl…

Perhaps it was the fact that no one really got up early, as they were out so late, but I woke up and looked at my phone and it read 10:30am. So much for an early start in the heat, but at least I had been sleeping well since Valencia. Despite only one earplug since I lost one in Barcelona. I did buy some new ones, but they’re uncomfortable and don’t really do much. I have a friend meeting me in South Africa who is going to replenish my stock.

I wandered out to see some sights, checking out the royal theatre where they hold very expensive operas, as it was open house for Opera Week. Unfortunately, there were no free shows, but it was cool to see behind the scenes and it had great views of the plaza below. I found another museum after that housed in a ridiculously opulent manor. Apparently the owner threw a lot of parties to show off his art collection. No kidding.

I had nothing to do in the evening so I went online and found a free (notice the trend) symphony orchestra show happening in a park. I figured it was nearby as I was so central, but turns out it was an hour away by Metro. But then again, I had nothing to do. When I exited the Metro station, it looked like I was in the middle of very quiet suburbs with no one around. But I figured I’d show up and if the show didn’t seem to be happening, I’d simply turn around and be home before dark. As soon as I neared the park though, it was clear something was going on. The symphony turned out to be a circus style event, where a roaming troop teamed up with the local orchestra. It was hilarious and a great way to spend the evening.

The next morning I perfected my sleeping in by being the last one up at 11:15am! I know! I walked out the door to look for the big Sunday flea market and it turned out if was literally outside the hostel door. It was a bit exhausting as you might imagine, so I spent the rest of the afternoon in the magnificent Parque de la Retiro, which used to be royal grounds. Finally, I headed for the free hours at the Prado museum, where I was very happy to get inside after waiting in line for 30 minutes in some extreme heat.

My last day in Madrid I actually spent in Toledo, about an hour bus ride from the city. It was another beautiful historic town, of which Spain has so many. It was a bit quiet as a lot of the shops were closed as people were on holidays, and it was ridiculously hot, but it made for a nice day out. I ended the day in true Spanish fashion with a friend I had met at the hostel, by ordering small glasses of red wine to get free tapas, and when the bill came at the end of the night, we each owed 4.50 euros. 

To be honest though, I didn’t love Madrid. I feel like if it was my first stop I would have, but being my last, I had maybe had my fill of Spain, and Madrid somehow felt less “Spanish” than the other cities. But one thing is for sure. Spain, I will be back. I have so much more to see.