Walking Through It All in Madrid: Fun, Culture, and Tapas

Following an intense first week in Alicante, full of emotions, jet-lag, new friends and even new (hosting) families... We decided to visit Madrid for the weekend after our class on Friday.

Students were told to pack some food for the almost 6-hour bus trip to the capital of Spain. Here is another example of the love for food that we have in Spain. I saw multiple students sporting a foot-long “bocadillo” prepared by their families for the trip. ¡Vámonos!

We arrived safely to our hostel, which used to be an old building, now renovated as a quaint and modern place for travelers like us. The best part of this place was its location. A two-minute walk would take you to the very center of Madrid, La Plaza de España. Ideal location 

Madrid is one of the most visited cities in the world. Full of monuments, historic buildings, and lively streets. The first evening was the perfect time to take on a walking tour around the most emblematic places of the city. Since we had taken a “siesta” on the bus, we had good energy and felt ready to take it all in. Our first stop was the “Plaza Mayor” and from there we visited “La Puerta del Sol”, (the equivalent of Times Square in NY because this is where we welcome the New Year in Spain), the Royal Palace, Debod´s Temple, and few other highlights. Everyone was a bit tired after the walk, but excited. Let me show you some pics.

Photo for blog post Walking Through It All in Madrid: Fun, Culture, and Tapas

Photo for blog post Walking Through It All in Madrid: Fun, Culture, and Tapas

Culture is important, but so is adventure. Throughout the weekend in Madrid, we had different opportunities to explore, go shopping, and taste the local food (like “tapas”) with our friends. The city is very safe to walk around and there is no better way to immerse yourself in the culture than to experience it freestyle and practice Spanish with locals at restaurants and stores.

Personally, I enjoy twice as much traveling with CIEE as a “Program Leader” because I am able to wear my “first-time googles.” I was born and raised in Spain and have seen some of these places multiple times, but because of our students´excitement and questions, I was able to see Madrid with fresh eyes and discover and learn new things. The tasty “tapas” are just a bonus... :)

On Saturday we visited the stadium of what is considered (some may disagree) the best soccer team in the world: El Real Madrid. We were able to see the great collections of trophies, touch the manicured field, and get an autograph with Cristiano Ronaldo, well, not this time actually, but that would have been fun!

After lunch, more walking of course. We walked a lot in Madrid, but this is something quite normal in Spain, and perhaps one of the reasons that in 2019 was ranked healthiest country in the world. So walking, and walking we kept, along the streets and also along the galleries of El Prado, which we visited that afternoon. El Prado is a world-renowned museum with some of the best collections of art and plenty of hallways to explore and get lost among famous paintings and ancient sculptures. Can you guess what painting was the most popular? “Las Meninas” by Velazquez had the largest crowd admiring it, no question. El Prado is truly amazing!

Walking and seeing so much gets you really hungry, but that is no problem in Madrid because there is a bar or restaurant in each corner. So we let everybody go and explore again, or do some shopping for friends and families before our departure back home on Sunday.

Photo for blog post Walking Through It All in Madrid: Fun, Culture, and Tapas

But we had a last treat before heading back to Alicante. On Sunday, we visited “El Retiro” on a touring bike. This park is located in the center of the city and is where most “madrileños” meet for a walk with their family, enjoy practicing sports, or simply sit to drink a coffee in one of its many outdoor cafeterias. It is full of life, nice landscapes, and history (do not miss the Crystal Palace if you go!).

Photo for blog post Walking Through It All in Madrid: Fun, Culture, and Tapas

I think the beautiful weather that we enjoyed that day in “El Retiro”, coupled with the games that we played towards the end of our tour, made it the perfect end to a special weekend.

Photo for blog post Walking Through It All in Madrid: Fun, Culture, and Tapas

I certainly hope that this short trip to Madrid was not only fun and interesting, but also helped in developing the confidence that each and every student has about their own skills and abilities to travel and explore other places, and countries because this is what we are really about: making the world our classroom.