Rick Steves' Madrid.

Although we had been in Madrid for a couple days, jet lag and our trip to Toledo prevented us from really exploring all that the city has to offer. Aside from some brief glimpses of Madrileño nightlife, we still didn't have a feel for Spain's capital city, but that all changed on...

Day 3

Madrid, Spain

Highlights: Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Temple of Debod

After sleeping in longer than we probably should have, Wheat and I ventured back to Gran Vía to pick up our tickets for a bullfight at Las Ventas the following day. We took our time on the walk, admiring the colorful street graffiti and stopping in an official Real Madrid store along the way. Aside from enjoying the massive posters of Cristiano Ronaldo on the wall (sup, boo?), we got to see the UEFA Champions League trophy awarded to the club in June when they won their 12th title (and third in four years).

With tickets in-hand, we made our way back to the apartment to pick up my mom for a self-guided walking tour of the city. Of course, by "self-guided," I mean closely following the instructions in our trusty Rick Steves guidebook. The man is my spirit animal and his words are to be taken as gospel. He honestly provides the most insightful, yet user-friendly walking tours that I've ever encountered, ones that leave you with the perfect mix of typical tourist sites and lesser-known hidden gems.

We started our walk in Puerta del Sol, perhaps the biggest and busiest public square in the city. We spent quite a while reading up on the history of the square from the headquarters of fascist dictator Francisco Franco to the impressive statue of King Carlos III. We watched as people dressed as characters posed for pictures with tourists (think Times Square) and took pictures of the famous statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree (El Oso y El Madroño), the symbol of Madrid for centuries.

Our walk continued a few blocks to Plaza Mayor, Madrid's other famous public square. This large open space is surrounded on all sides by grand apartment buildings that create a sense of enclosure, although you're outdoors. Plaza Mayor also has a rich history - one that includes executions during the Spanish Inquisition and even bullfights. Today, it is filled with outdoor cafes and street performers who attempt to outdo their neighbor to earn your spare change.

As we entered the square, we encountered an unmanned display of flamenco dresses and I urged my mom to pose behind one for a picture. Suddenly, a woman materialized out of nowhere demanding a euro for the picture. We didn't have a euro, so I offered her the change that Wheat had in his pocket. She kept insisting that she would only accept a euro, so I eventually gave the change back to Wheat as she proceeded to call me every Spanish curse word in the book. 

In an effort to give our feet a break and soak in the lively atmosphere, we stopped for a drink at La Torre del Oro, an infamous bullfighting bar. It was stuffed to the brim with bullfighting memorabilia, including taxidermied bull heads, and countless, often gruesome, pictures of famous matadors being gored and celebrities enjoying bullfights at Las Ventas (including Che Guevara and Robert Kennedy). You've been warned.

This guy lived, by the way.

For the next couple hours, we wandered the streets of Madrid. We passed through the Mercado de San Miguel again and marveled over the gorgeous fruit displays. We learned about the assassination attempt on Alfonso XIII and his wife, admired the impressive (and enormous!) royal palace and Almudena Cathedral, and listened to a street musician play "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" on glasses filled with water. Amazed.

As our tour came to a close, we stopped at the famous Chocolatería San Ginés for some well-deserved churros con chocolate. We all know calories don't count on vacation, right? This place was life-changing. The cafe, which is constantly full of people and boasts lines out the door, is open 24/7 and serves the most delicious churros with cups of hot chocolate for dipping. The chocolate is actually more like warm pudding because it's so thick and creamy. It was essentially the Spanish version of beignets and Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. With happy bellies, we went back to the apartment for some more gorgeous rooftop views and rest.

A couple hours later, our bellies were rumbling, so we hit the streets in search of a dinner spot. As I mentioned, our apartment was in a bustling neighborhood filled with plenty of bars and restaurants, so the hardest part was narrowing our choices down. We eventually settled on a chain restaurant called Takoaway, which was essentially Chipotle, because this girl's gotta have her Mexican food.

After dinner, Wheat and I split from my parents so we could visit el Parque del Oeste and el Templo de Debod. We'd read that the views from the park at sunset were stunning, so we rushed over to catch the last glimpses of fading daylight. The park was jam packed with people who had the same idea, but for good reason. The view of the city, the cathedral, and the royal palace in the distance were breathtaking. Once the sun was mostly down, lights illuminated the Temple of Debod, an authentic Egyptian temple that was donated to Spain in 1968 (as thanks for helping them conserve another temple). I honestly could have stood in the park and admired the temple's reflection in the pool for hours.

Eventually, Wheat pried me away from the park and we began our walk home. We stopped at Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol again to see the liveliness of the street performers at night and grabbed some crepes (for him) and gelato (for me). It was the perfect romantic end to an evening made even more romantic by a nice soak in the hot tub when we returned home.

Street performer in Plaza Mayor.