My first day in Madrid was a mixed bag, but the rest of the trip was spectacular. I “planned” this trip on the heels of coming back from South America; there were no extensive checklists or well-researched itineraries.
The flight wasn’t terrible–there were no Juan Valdez Exxon coffee spills or screaming children. The airport was a bit of a maze and the passport system was down, so I got stamped after the wait and made my way to the Metro. Getting to central Madrid involved a subway and a commuter rail, the former being fine (note that WNYC tote bag of another traveler waiting on the platform) but the latter being a bit of an ordeal. The station was filled with diesel fumes and the onboard bathroom was unspeakable and permeated all the cars with a sour septic tank odor. Fortunately it was a short trip.
The first thing I noticed on emerging from the station along the Gran Via was … a McDonalds. Later on, I would confirm that Madrid Mikey Dee’s (1) has apple pies and (2) deep fries them, as it should be. The next thing was cow people plastered on the side of a neat little store called Wow Concept–an experiment in curated chaos with an Urban Outfitters vibe. (There’s no link because their site gives me “access denied” now that I’m back in the States.) Because I notice things like that. It became a key landmark for knowing where to turn off the Gran Via to get to my hotel.
Even later in the visit I would discover Madrid’s secret weapon–it has a Popeye’s and London does not. And a Jollibee’s. Point and point, Madrid! And of course it has a Five Guys. It also has Iberian Ham, and lots of it. A moderately-sized grocery store dedicated an entire counter to just this one thing as well as having a seafood *room* that one wouldn’t expect in a land-locked city until you realize that city is in the middle of a peninsula straddling three separate seas. The one complete sentence I learned before arriving was “Yo quiero comer un sandwich de jamon sin queso”, and now I know why. You can get Iberian ham on a baguette 24/7 in Madrid at places like… “Oink”. And there was this thing in a random grocery store that looked like a donut but it was no plain donut–a chocolate toroidal plasma concealed in its depths!
The hotel was exceptional and so, so gay. My room had three strategically placed mirrors, I got cruised in the elevator, and a few people I met along the way knew *exactly* where the hotel was. From experience. Ahem. Room Mate Oscar Hotel is where I will stay again on my next visit. It is also adjacent to the currently-named Pedro Zerolo Plaza in Chueca, the center of gay life in Madrid. Claude gets an A+++ for the recommendation. The downside is that I only rode the Metro once because of how close everything was.
As usual, I walked all over the place taking pictures of semi-random building and public parks. There’s certainly plenty to explore and appreciate in Madrid, although I do have to admit I liked Buenos Aires just a little bit better for layout and architecture and vibe. Then again, it was a hastily planned trip where I didn’t get to target any of my usual subjects of interest. Here, have some random photos!
One place I did plan to visit, the National Library, is in the midst of a year-long renovation. Some of their historical displays were open, but I’ll save them for another post.
And the people? The men? That’s definitely a post in itself! Suffice to say, the six days passed by too fast. Madrid is a city I could revisit many times. Maybe I could even call it home.