Madrid: First Impressions

When Dad asked if Brendan and I wanted to join him for a weekend in Madrid, we looked at one another with hesitation, not because I wasn’t keen on seeing my relatives who I haven’t seen for 10 years, but because we’ve never really fallen for Spain. Sure, we love a good Paella or a Gaudi-designed building, but the country and the customs have never really captured our hearts in the way that France has for both of us. Despite our reservations, we wanted to see my uncle, aunty and cousins who now live just on the outskirts of Madrid, a city I’d never visited before, and so we found ourselves waking up at 5am on a Saturday morning to catch our 8am flight from Heathrow. Arriving in Madrid at around midday, we were greeted by my Dad’s brother and his wife, who informed us that as it was far too early for lunch (?!) we would go into Madrid for a few hours before eating lunch at their home.

I had absolutely no idea what Madrid is all about; it’s been such a busy few months that I hadn’t done any research and therefore had no expectations of Spain’s capital city. The first thing that I noticed was the intriguing mix of old and new architecture. Gleaming glass buildings mingled effortlessly with intricate, historic structures and gave the overall impression of a clean, neat, well-maintained metropolis. Looking back on my myriad photos of Madrid, I realise how drawn I am to beautiful architecture:

wrought iron in Madrid

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

statue depicting the image from Madrid's coat of arms

Bank of Spain building

If first impressions count, then Madrid was doing well; I was really impressed with the colour, the vibrance and the architecture that I saw – and of course, it helped that the weather was a lovely, sunny 23 degrees! We stopped for a croqueta and a glass of champagne in Plaza Mayor and then drove back to my uncle’s house, where I met my lovely cousins for the first time in a decade…which was basically like meeting them for the first time because we barely remembered each other. After a delicious paella lunch, we drove to a town in the hills where my youngest cousin goes to school, a UNESCO world heritage site called El Escorial; once a palace for the King of Spain. The enormous palace, inspired by King Solomon’s temple, overlooks the whole of Madrid and has some spectacular views:

El Escorial at sunset

El Escorial

Once more, I was drawn to the incredible architecture and as we strolled through the quaint town, I snapped the buildings and streets that captured my attention:

intricate silhouettes

lamp-posts and palace shadows

lamp-lit street

cafe terrace

My uncle had made dinner reservations for us in Madrid, so we drove back into the city where the nightlife, at 9pm, was only just kicking off. We wandered past the Royal Palace and the Opera House to take a few more pictures before venturing in search of some pre-dinner drinks:

bells outside the Royal Palace

We strolled around the city, taking in the sights and the crowds – oh, the crowds! They only got bigger as the night wore on, which for a girl from little old Adelaide (even London, where the tubes stop running just after midnight) was strange. When I found out that our dinner reservation had been made for 11:30pm I almost passed out in the street from shock and hunger. I am seriously not cut out for Spanish mealtimes; but miraculously, I survived and when I was served my lamb at about 12:15am (I ate my dinner in the morning!!), I was probably more grateful for the meal than ever before. The restaurant we ate at was Moroccan-inspired, and my lamb dish was served with honey and pine-nuts…and a generous dusting of icing sugar! The combination was unexpected, but the flavours really complemented one another, the lamb was so tender it was almost falling apart, and I was surprised to find the relatively small dish filled me up, despite my near starvation!

lamb with icing sugar

After a fairly eventful trip home with my cousins, involving three Metro trips, a near pick-pocketing incident, a car locked into a parking garage and tripping through some rather prickly bushes in the middle of a road, I arrived home at 3am. For those of you who know me, you’re probably more impressed with that last statement than my paragliding experience. I am too. Consequently, my Sunday was rather lethargic, but more on that later…