WORLD OF NADA: October 2015

I didn't browse much before going to Madrid and had no idea about this place before. Me and my friends were walking to Plaza Mayor from the palace. They stopped to buy souvenirs, I was bored, so I walked further alone. Suddenly, I saw a place that looks fancy. I approached it and gasped. I couldn't believe where I brought myself to: a food market. Since I am a foodie, it's like I found a treasure! I walked in and took a quick tour. My eyes couldn't stop blinking, I was too excited looking through the stalls. I found a tapas stall which is quite crowded and tried 2 flavours which is salmon and octopus. They were awesome and only 1€ each!

On our second night, I was very happy that I could really explore the market and tried more food with my friends. There are still many more delicious things you can try besides tapas: paella, meat, seafood, cakes, cocktails, wines, beers, and many more. Not only locals, but I also met some tourists. With great ambience, I really had a pleasant dining experience and this place is surely a food paradise.

Here are some dishes I tried (sorry I forgot to take notes of the stall names):

Tapas

Pork bites

Paella

Fro-yo. That caramel sauce..

Mercado de San Miguel
Plaza de San Miguel, s/n, 28005, Madrid, Spain
Nearest metro: Sol (Blue/Line 1, Red/Line 2, or Yellow/Line 3)

Opening hours:
Sunday - Wednesday: 10am to 12am
Thursday to Saturday: 10am to 2am

www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/en/

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Royal Palace of Madrid is the residence of the Spanish Royal Family. Although it is the official residence, the royal family doesn't live there and it is now used for official functions. The good thing is, although some areas are restricted, the palace is open for public and I got the chance to take a look inside.

Walking through the entrance stairway, I was immediately enchanted by the beauty of the interior. I stopped and looked around. I was in an awe and feel like a princess!

Then the tour began. Great things were about to come. However, in several spots, guests are not allowed to take any pictures, too bad. It is not necessary to put your camera inside your bags, though. It is okay to hang the camera around our neck as long as we don't take pictures.

The rooms, galleries, everything is so beautiful and sophisticated. While walking around, I was imagining myself that I was one of the royals. Silly, I know, but it's hard not to spontaneously do so. It feels so magical. My favorite would definitely be the dining room! It is this very long table, beautifully equipped with plates, glasses, and cutlery, surrounded by chairs and crystal chandeliers. Oh my God, I couldn't believe I saw it in front of my eyes.

View from the palace: Catedral de la Almudena

After you finish the tour, don't rush yourself to leave. Spend your time on the outdoor area for a while and enjoy the view.

Royal Palace of Madrid

Nearest metro: Opera (Red/Line 2 or Green/Line 5)

More info for opening hours and admission, click here

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The first time I stepped my foot, I could tell right away that I love this city more than Barcelona. It is not only me, but my friends do think so. Although Madrid is larger, I love the fact that it is less crowded which makes it less bronx. The people looks more.. tidy?? Hmm, I'm not sure of the words, I hope you know what I am trying to say. Talking about the metro station, it is also cleaner and sure does have enough air to breathe. We had very limited time in Madrid, but I am glad that I could visit these places:

1. Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid)

While London has Buckingham Palace, Madrid has its own palace for the Spanish Royal Family. Since I don't like to tell about history, you can Google it by yourself. I suggest you don't only take pictures outside, please do spend some time and money to come inside. Wait for my next post about the palace itself.

Back side of the palace

2. Catedral de la Almudena

The church is right beside the Royal Palace, so while I was there, why not also take a peak inside? This underrated cathedral is surprisingly beautiful. I definitely like this church better than Sagrada Familia.

3. Mercado de San Miguel

Foodies out there, raise your hands up! This market is a must-visit. As a fellow foodie, I feel like I'm in heaven. Offering great atmosphere and choices of food, this market must not be left out from your itinerary.

4. Plaza Mayor

Located right at the city center, this Madrid's main square is popular among locals and tourists. The restaurants surrounding the square are mostly pricey. Tight on budget? You still can sit around at this pretty open space. Better go here when it's almost dark and the lights starts to be lit.

5. Puerta de Sol

Walking a few minutes from Plaza Mayor, you will find another interesting square and it's widely known to be the busiest place in Madrid. Here you can hang around, people watching, and watch street performances. How I love night lights and crowds, so I think this is a perfect place to spend my night.

Credits to Adam Rahmansyah

While Tokyo has Hachiko, Madrid has this 'The Bear and Strawberry Tree' statue
which is the official symbol of the city

6. Opera

Based on my experience, this spot should be considered as starting point when you want to go to mentioned places above. Not a must visit, but there are several restaurants, cafés, and shops to look at. Walk further and you'll find yourself in Puerta de Sol.

7. Chocoletaría San Gines

Serves the best churros and hot chocolate in town. Has opened since 1894, you just can't go wrong. The churros are cooked and served at its best: deep-fried, hot, and crispy. The nice, thick dark chocolate complements them well. Located in a passageway in Opera, it's not quite easy finding the place. You have to be careful looking at your sides, or else you miss it. The best thing is you can have the churros anytime, it opens 24 hours! Definitely a to-go for late night snacking.

8. Gran Via

Besides being the most famous street, it is known to be the street that never sleeps. Shopping center for girls and entertainment center for everybody. There were supposed to be many cinemas, theatres, bars and clubs, but I think I didn't walk far enough to find them.

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To be honest, I am not a football fan. In fact, I only watch football match when it is World Cup (even to look at the players, not the match itself, haha). Even though I'm a football dummy, I still know some popular clubs and FC Barcelona is one of them.

In my first Euro trip in 2013, when I went to Barcelona for the first time, visiting Camp Nou, Europe's largest football stadium and the home of FC Barcelona, is on the itinerary. I didn't expect myself to be so excited and enjoy my time there. Since we didn't have much time, we didn't take the tour.

This year, I came back and didn't want to waste my time for the same thing again. With my other 3 friends, who are also not football fans, we took the tour to fulfil our curiosities. Thinking about the rest of our friends who had to wait, we moved in a fast pace.

The normal price is 23€, but with my student card, I only had to pay for 17€!

After we bought the tickets, we ran like crazy to the stadium. First, we passed this welcoming hallway that displays pictures of the players.

The hallway leads you to the museum. For FC Barcelona fans, I believe you want to spend a whole day here. The museum displays everything about the team: the history, uniforms and equipments, trophies, and even multimedia experience. Since I didn't put much interest and had to catch up time, I didn't look at things thoroughly.

Then, it's time to get to the stadium. I was confused because there were so many people and many doors to reach outside. And here I was, standing among crowds and millions of chairs, watching this huge stadium. I was in an awe and could feel the thrill. I couldn't describe how excited I was. It feels so amazing!

The tour is not over yet, there's more to come. We walked down the stairs and followed the crowds. Then we passed the press room and even get to see the dressing room!

The Press Room

Jacuzzi and shower

There's even a chapel inside

What I didn't expect is that I could actually get out again, experiencing the field. I got this excitement when coming out from the bottom. I feel like one of the players stepping up the stairs!

Some people were queueing for the spot, too bad I only had one shot

Another picture, this time on the field

And that's the end of the tour. Camp Nou Experience Tour is something that cannot be missed while you are in Camp Nou. I could guarantee the tour is worth the price and experience, whether you're a football fan or not.

Camp Nou Experience Tour & Museum

Address: C. Aristides Maillol, 12, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

Nearest metro: Collblanc (Blue/L5 Line)

Admission:

General 23€

Infants (6-13 years), over 70 years, students/youth card, disabled, large family, Barça Supporters Club members 17€

Children under 6 and FCB Members Free

Opening times and more info: www.fcbarcelona.com/camp-nou

Euro Trip, Day 12 (June 29, 2013) - Sagrada Familia, Montserrat, Camp Nou