Since being on this journey in Madrid, i have found myself often asking/stating a common phrase; “Imagine if we didn’t do this”. Living the life we have been here in Spain, and enjoying all of the amazing activities, views, people and travelling we’ve done, i cannot IMAGINE not having come on TAB. As someone who has traveled my fair share, i had little to no doubts about moving to Spain for 2 months, but i also had no idea what to expect. Looking over our past month here, i don’t think i could have asked for better. We fell into life with each other, in Madrid, very comfortably and we fell in love with Madrid shortly afterwards. Being so wrapped up in the life here, it is nice to take a step back sometimes and think about how truly amazing life is for us right now. We are lucky, grateful, and in awe of our experiences here, and though we squirm at the thought of returning home so soon, we are packing as much life as possible into the time that we do have.
Getting Around
Where we live on Called de Atocha, in the downtown area you can walk anywhere within 25 minutes! However if you’re tired or journeying a bit further, the metro here is incredible. As someone born and raised in Calgary, the “Metro” system that i was use to is… insufficient to say the least. Here in the centre of Madrid, you can get anywhere on the train. Within about 5 minutes of walking you’ll hit a metro station that can connect you with many lines that will get you anywhere you need to go. Key advice: keep the metro website open on your phone or linked somewhere handy to make sure you’re headed the right direction. While the many varying lines and colour coated map makes it organized and convenient, you have to double check the direction (we have gone the wrong way our fair share.) The website is easy to use and ensures you’ll get to any stop you need, in the simplest way. Key advice 2: get a transit pass as soon as you arrive, it takes weeks to get through the process (we’ve been buying the “10 pass” the whole time which is still an affordable option, 8,50E).
We Love Food
We love to try new food, especially things that are foreign to us or are local specialties. We suggest always doing a quick google search when you are in a new city or even a different community to see what they are known best for to make sure you get the most authentic eats! For getting groceries for home, there are a lot of great shops, we frequent the “Dia” down the street from us as it is not too big that its overwhelming, but big enough that it has everything we need, and at a good price! There is also a LIDL near us that is bigger and slightly slower prices. For baked goodies, we have our own little local bakery down the street that we treat ourselves to fresh loaves of bread, croissants (the multigrain ones are surprisingly scrumptious) or dessert treats, possibly more often than necessary 😉 .
For the Love of Shopping
If i could go back to that last day at home when i finished packing up my suitcase… well lets just say it would’ve been left half empty. Anything you need from home, you can find here. Another key piece of advice: leave space!! Shopping at home is one thing, but shopping in Spain and bringing home your new cherished travel goodies is another. There are many great stores, and affordable options! In more touristy areas (such as Puerto Sol or Gran Via) there are big stores, just like home in Canada such as Sephora, Zara, H&M, Footlocker etc., but then there are many different, yet similar ones that we don’t have back home. Naturally, we had to check out them all. Aside from the bigger chain stores, there are also markets, small unique street shops, and our favourite, thrift stores! I have already acquired a few new outfits from some different second-hand stores, (“Humana” is a favourite) here in Madrid, and have no doubts that i will end up with a few more. Looks like i may be checking another suitcase for the way home….
Madrid, we love you!
