Before I started my elective in the UK during last summer, I have spent two weeks travelling around in the Europe. It was indeed a very exciting adventure for me as this was my first ever trip to the European countries. I first landed in London, UK after flying for 13 hours from Malaysia. It was an enjoyable long haul flight via the Malaysian Airlines which was considerably cheap since I bought the tickets at a last minute that cost me MYR1250 (US$305) one way.

Ryan Air airline

A couple of friends (seven) and I began our Euro Trip by heading to Madrid through one of the European budget airlines, Ryan Air. Prior going for the trip, each of us was given tasks to do research on the country that was assigned to us and I was responsible for Spain's itinerary. Having said that, I had spent considerably huge amount of my leisure time getting to know all the attractions, navigation, cultures, not to mention planning the schedule for the days we spent there.

Honestly speaking, planning for a trip was really exhausting. Apart from making sure that the destinations and meals fitted everyone's preferences, I needed to become familiar with the roads in a country that was entirely new for me. In addition, I also had to learn some simple Spanish as I found out that not everyone in Spain spoke English, let alone Malay or Mandarin.

Day 1

We arrived at the Terminal 1 of Madrid Airport approximately 12 noon after four hours of journey in the plane from London Stansted Airport. The crowd was mental, especially for the foreigners as we went through strict inspection from the officers. It took us a good 30 minutes to pass through the security check. Then, in order to get to the Atocha Railway Station which was our first stop, we picked the most affordable way to get there.

The Atocha Railway Station

We got on to the free bus from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4 and then from Terminal 4 floor 1 we boarded Cercanias Line 1 C1 for 6 stops to the destination. All of that cost us only €2.6. The Atocha Railway Station was the first and largest railway station in Madrid that serves local commuters, intercity and inter-region travelers in Spain. It was located in the district of Prado which is situated near the center of Madrid. Within the station, there was a mini garden that was so mesmerising!

Potato cake and bun!

Lovely florist!

Before we went to the next place, we stopped by at the nearest market which was the Mercado Anton Martin to have a quick lunch. It was a beautiful market that offered a variety of local food and products. There were not many tourists when we were there and the food was sold at a quite affordable price.



Royal Palace of Madrid




Then we went to the Royal Palace of Madrid. It is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family in Madrid. However, the palace was mostly used for state ceremonies only. The opening hours may vary depending on the season when you are going there. As such, it was advisable for you to check their websites before you go and get the tickets instead of buying them on the spot as the queue can be really long.

Plaza Mayor

King Philips II statue

After we had taken probably hundreds of pictures of the beautiful palace, we went to the next destination, the Plaza Mayor (free entrance). It was a very popular grand arcade square located in the heart of Madrid and it was once called the Plaza del Arrabal but the name changed over time to the current Plaza Mayor. What was interesting about this place was a bronze statue of King Philips II at the center of the square. The place however, sold overpriced food but it was worth while to spend some time walking around and appreciate the beauty of the place.

As we were on a really tight budget because we intended to travel to as many cities and countries as possible, we ended up having a quick meal at the nearest stall, which was the Bar La Campana. It opened from nine in the morning until 11 at night. The recommended food was the cheap local delicacy, the calamari rings which cost only €2.6. Tips: Remember to ask for mayonnaise as it would not be provided unless upon request.

Mercado de San Miguel

Delicious paella!

After the scrumptious meal, we went to the Mercado de San Miguel which was about 10 minutes walk from Plaza Mayor. It was yet another market that was flooded by tourists from all around the globe due to its strategic location (between Puerta del Sol and the Royal Palace). This magnificent market did not only own a beautiful facade, but also the home of some of the Spain's world-famous cuisine.

Puerta Del Sol

Since the market was near the Puerta del Sol, we walked to the area to have a look. It was one of the best known public squares in Madrid and some of the busiest place. There, we searched for the Kilometre Zero. It was said to be the official starting point for Spain's six national roads. Also, we managed to visit the famous Clock of Puerta del Sol, whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year.

Burito for life

After walking for somewhat twenty thousand steps, we finally had our dinner and tried the local tapas which were really scrumptious at an affordable price before calling it a day and returned to our airbnb accommodation.

Day 2

Gran Via


Being excited travellers who were eager to explore all places in Madrid, we woke up early in the morning to prepare ourselves and head out to the Gran Via. As the name translated to "Great Way", it was an ornate and lavish shopping street located in central of Madrid. After doing much research via Google, we were recommended by the others to try the some of the local food such as strawberry gazpacho, Spanish ham and potato omellet (tortilla).

Le Pain Quotidien





We had our breakfast at this amazing restaurant that was located in Gran Via. It was an international chain of  bakery-restaurants founded in Brussels in 1990 by Alain Coumont. The store served simple and delicious food for all day, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. The food was undeniably tasty despite being a little bit pricey. It was, however, worth every penny as it was perhaps one of the best breakfasts we had in Europe.

Monasterio of Las Descalzas Reales

Right after walking around Gran Via for sometime, we headed to the next destination, the Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales. It was a royal monastery in Spain and the literal translation of the Spanish words were "Monastery of the Royal Barefooted". There were admission tickets to enter the monastery and it only opened at certain hour of the day depending on the seasons. There were tons of religious paintings which were kept in superb conditions and the guide gave detailed information about the history of the events.

Iglesia de San Jose

More commonly known as the Church of San Jose, we spent some time appreciating the beauty of this baroque style church along Calla de Alcala at the junction of Gran Via in the Chueca neighbourhood. It is a Catholic church with its attractive three arched entrance facade, not to mention with a statue figure of the Virgin of Carmen. Besides, the church holds a significant sculpture of the Crucified Christ by Alonso de Mena and a San Jose by Luis Salvador Carmona

Plaza de Cibeles



One of the main attractions in Plaza de Cibeles was none other than its gorgeous fountain. Built in 1782, it was one of the symbols of Madrid that was located in the center of the plaza. Surrounded by the buildings of Buenavista Palace (the Army Headquarters), the monumental fountain showed Cybele, the Greek goddess of fertility and nature holding a sceptre and a key while being pulled by two lions on a chariot. The control of the wild lions portrayed the power of nature or of the goddess.

Parque del Buen Retiro

Look at the beautiful Crystal Palace

When we have finished taking probably hundreds of pictures at the plaza, we went to the next place, the Buen Retiro Park. It was one of the biggest parks I have seen in my life. The park was once belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century when it became a park for the public. The real beauty of the park was actually the Crystal Palace (Palacio de Cristal del Retiro). It was a stunning building that was made entirely out of glass with metal frameworks in the shape of a Greek Cross.

Prado National Museum

Prado Museum

Spotted this gorgeous building while we were going to Prado Museum

The final place that we went before ending the day was the Prado National Museum. It happened to be the main Spanish national art museum. It had one of the world's greatest collections of arts such as the paintings from the famous Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya, just to name a few. In addition, it also stored Flemish as well as Italian arts. Due to extensive walk and sightseeing, we ended the day early, missing couple of attractions that we had scheduled earlier on.

Day 3

Chocolat





Chocolat was probably the best shop we visited in Madrid for breakfast! Not only it served some of the best local food such as churros, the shop also happened to sell delectable hot chocolate drink. There were a variety of churros that we could choose, in terms of the shapes, sizes or the sauces. Chocolate sauce was notably the most delicious sauce to go with the freshly made hot churros that were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Plaza del Dos de Mayo



Since it was the last day for us in Madrid before we embarked on another journey, we took the opportunity to visit some of the places that were near to our accommodation. Plaza del Dos de Mayo was a historic square in the heart of the Malasana neighbourhood which was filled with fine architectures. It was definitely a busy place with welcoming and friendly locals. Apart form lovely cafes and bars, there were markets and stalls selling things ranging from craft works to vintage items.

El Corte Ingles

This pack of chips was the bomb!

So before we ended our Madrid getaway, we went to the El Corte Ingles to look around. It was actually just department store like any other shopping malls in Asia. It had everything that you want to buy, be it clothing, electronics, furniture and the likes. The main aim was to check out the electronics in the area as we heard that they are cheaper for tourists because we could claim the VAT refunds when we left Europe. It was kind of true that they are cheaper by a bit, but the warranty only worked in Spain itself.

Intercambiador de Avenida de America Bus Station


Our last destination was to get to this bus station with ultra long name. It was located slightly further away from the city centre as the journey took us almost half an hour to get there. Here, we bought our ALSA bus tickets in advanced via the online website as we were worried that there might not be any ticket left if we were to buy them on the spot since there were eight of us. We left Madrid on that night to the next city, Barcelona!

In Conclusion

All in all, it was a really memorable trip to Madrid with my bunch of friends. Prior to our departure, I came to know from countless of research and forums that Madrid (or Spain in general) was full of pickpockets and rampant street crime incidents. I was quite worried to be honest but then again every place would be dangerous if I were not to be careful and aware of my surroundings, including in my country. Thank goodness all things went smoothly for Madrid trip.





Thank you for sticking to the end of the post. I do realise that the post might be lengthy but I hope ou find it helpful for you to plan your itinerary when you are going to Madrid. I will also attach a photo that shows my Madrid Itinerary if you want to save time and just follow it. Please do note that the itinerary may be quite rushing at times as my friends and I try to visit as many places as possible given the short period of time and we actually missed couple of the places due to fatigue as well. Till then, stay tuned for my Barcelona post. Bye.