LIFE//A Perfect Day in Madrid

¡Hola! The gamine has officially gone international. We are having an amazing time abroad and of course we want to share it with you! Check out our first mini travel guide for the perfect day in Madrid (you really only need one).

A Perfect Day in Madrid

9 am: Check into the ME Melia Madrid, a stylish and hip (but not in annoying minimalist way) hotel located centrally in the Plaza de Santa Ana. We got a deal on jetsetter.com. They let us check it at 9 am no problem after a lovely Delta flight over where we got bumped up to first class!

via memadrid.com

11 am: Take a quick nap and then take a short walk down one of the main streets, Atocha to the Museo Reina Sofia. Go right to the 2nd floor and see Picasso’s Guernica. It is not disappointing. The enormous canvas was powerful and more importantly the room wasn’t crowded, so feel free to linger and really take in this masterpiece.

via disfrutaespana.com

12:30 pm: The day is long in Madrid to wander around grab some cafe con leche and explore the city. We had a lovely traditional lunch at one of the small cafes in Plaza Santa Ana. Order some specialties like tortillas españolas and get ready for the beginning of a lot of ham on the menu.

2:00 pm: Siesta! Take advantage of the other worldly tradition of siesta (after all this is a cultural experience) and take an indulgent midday nap with the windows open.

4:00 pm: Walk about 10 minutes towards El Parque del Retiro, the gorgeous Central Park of Madrid. Now you are a tourist at heart so find the pond and rent a small row boat for less than 5 €.

Not that we have to tell you, but take some time to just relax in the park.

via www.sha.asso.fr

9:30 pm: Begin your tapas (or pintxos, pronounced “pinchos”) tour of La Latina, an area of town renowned for its small plates. We took the New York Times’ advice (as we mostly do) and headed to Calle Cava Baja, a charming street teeming with small restaurants. We absolutely LOVED Txakolina, a bit of a modern twist on pinxtos vascos with wood paneling and counters made out of recycled wine cases. Continue your crawl and discover your own favorite place.

our favorite tapas stop in Madrid!

12:30 am: Head back to the hotel, but the night is still young in Madrid so head two doors down to The Penthouse, the ME Madrid’s rooftop bar and you will need to show your key. Yes, rooftop bars tend to lean towards cheesy, but this one offers astounding views of the city, a pretty decent mojito and comfy banquet seating. Take it all in!

via memadrid.com

So that was our perfect day in Madrid. We have so much more to share about San Sebastian (on a moderate budget with some splurges) and tomorrow we head off to our final Spanish city, Barcelona. ¡Hasta Leugo!