Travel to Madrid

Having spent 3 months living & working in Madrid, I will try and cram in as much as possible into this article, but there is just so much to see and do, 3 months just wasn't enough time!

Madrid: 
Madrid has been the captital city of Spain since 1562. It's central location within Spain and high altitude means the climate provides warm & dry summers followed by cool winters.
For any of the younger generation Madrid is known as the metropolis with many pubs, disco's and nightclubs open until early morning, and nothing really kicks off until after 11pm.
I was lucky enough to spend a vast amount of my spare time visiting many places in Madrid so i'm going to give you a rough guide & idea which I hope will suit the young & older generations!

Amusements:
There are many ways to spend your day & weekend depending on the time of year, but Madrid caters for just about everything!

Casa de Campo: Is the biggest public park in Madrid. It is on the west side are of Madrid and was originally created as a private hunting area for the Spanish monarchy until 1931, when it was then changed to public area. There are many attractions inside the Park, including Madrid Zoo, Madrid Aquarium, Amusement Park, Madrid Arena Stadium, and a cable car. One of the most popular area in the park is the Casa de Campo Lake.

Royal Palace: A must see for anyone visiting Madrid. It is one of the top tourist attractions in Madrid, and the official residence for the Royal family, but these days they only use it for state ceremonies. Otherwise known in Spanish as the Palacio Real, the Royal Palace was built during the 18th and 19th centuries, and is a monumental building, which you'll see for yourself from just walking around the outside. I definitely recommend you take the guided tour which is only 10€ and takes around 45 minutes.

Flamenco: How can you go to Madrid and not take in a Flamenco show? There are many shows on day & night, with many tablaos (flamenco bars) around the city for you to experience true Flamenco from the heart of Spain. Corral de la Morería is probably the most famous, having had many famous people visit and enjoy the show whilst having dinner.

Gran Via: This street is main central to Madrid and houses just about everything! Full of shops and restaurants, with beautiful architecture. It is known as the Spanish Broadway, providing lots of shopping opportunities by day and at night changes into one of the most populated areas for night life in Europe and is considered as the street that never sleeps!

Museo del Prado: If you like art & sculptures, then this is the place to go! I decided to go on a recommendation from a friend, although I am not really into art or sculptures I decided to spend a free day and check it out, and you'll need a good 4-6 hours to take it all in!
It undoubtedly has one of the world's finest collections, mainly Spanish but European too, dating from 12th to 19th century. There are many masterpieces that contain an amazing amount of history, that for me was a woow factor on my visit.

Travel to Barcelona

Having travelled around Spain for 2 years, living in Barcelona, Madrid & Sevilla I wanted to give you a brief personal insight into what these cities have to offer tourists.

Barcelona:
Barcelona is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain and the country's 2nd largest city, with a population of 1.6 million.
There are many things to be discovered in Barcelona, with many Shops, Restaurants & amazing architecture.

If you are planning to visit Barcelona, my advice is don't work to a plan! But make sure you have enough time to visit:

La Rambla: Which is 1.2km long and very wide, which made it so appealing compared to the narrow streets of the city. You'll experience many street artists & gift shops along the main street but take time out to venture down the narrow side streets too. Along the way you'll find Boqueria Market, a covered market which is the oldest food market in Barcelona. Offering a variety of meat, fish, vegetables and many other related products from stalls.

Canaletes Fountain: This fountain is a symbol of Barcelona, a place where people go to celebrate victories of the local football team, FC Barcelona. It is probably one of the most visited landmarks Barcelona’s most visited landmarks, partly because of it's location on La Rambla.

La Pedrera: If you like your architecture or want to be stunned at the beauty of this building then it's definately a must see. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, the Casa Milà (or more commonly known as La Pedrera or 'the stone quarry') has no straight lines. Inside there are three exhibition spaces, which I recommend visiting at around 20€ entrance fee.



There are many more places to visit, and I could spend the rest of my days writing endless information & recommendations, but if you fancy a tour there are countless offerings for city tours by bus, and even shopping tours can be arranged if you want to endulge into what Barcelona fashion houses have to offer!