Madrid: The Start of the Erasmus Year

Hey guys! How's everyone doing? So yeah, almost 3 weeks here in Madrid. It's starting to get a bit colder, much to most peoples dismay. I mean, you can still go through your day with 20-25 degrees, which, for an Irish person, is our summer. It's about the second week of university too and still I'm confused about where I'm going and stuff like that, but I'm taking it all in stride. So, being in Madrid this far, I've discovered some things that I think are worth sharing for those of you who are considering visiting this beautiful city. Things that are must tries and must sees.

Here are a few things that I found interesting and want to share with you guys!

1. The Amazing Palacio de Cibiles: On my first few days here in Madrid, I walked through the Plaza de Cibiles numerous times, gazing at the sheer size of this incredible building. The Palacio de Cibiles is an emblem of Madrid. One of its incredible landmarks and something worth seeings. On one particular afternoon, on the first Wednesday of September, a couple of my friends and I took the opportunity to climb to the top terrace of the Palacio de Cibiles and gaze out over the city of Madrid. The view was absolutely one of a kind. The hustle of the people down below as they went about their business, the statue of Nike on top of the Metropolis building clouded by shadow, giving light to a massive Rolex logo and a 360 degree
   
   panoramic view of the city and sometimes its surrounding communes. Another cool sight to see once on top of the Palacio de Cibilies is the amount of Spanish flags, billowing gently with the breeze. On a separate occasion, whilst going through Madrid after the sun had set, I walked through the Plaza de Cibiles and past the Banco de España and the Palacio de Cibilies was illuminated and basking in a purple glow, making the building look extra extravagant and super eye-catching. Another amazing thing about the Palacio de Cibiles is that you can also dine there too. Personally, I have not eaten there, but I have yet to try it out (And when I do, you guys will be the first to know!). According to some reviews, the terrace on the 6th floor of the Palacio serves high
   
   quality food which isn't too expensive and the glow from the sun gives an amazing atmosphere. If there is one thing I recommend you seeing whilst staying in Madrid, its checking out the Palacio and its amazing views. They are really one of a kind!
2. Walking Madrid at Night: I highly recommend this one! One one particular day last week, my roommate and I decided to go and see what the center of Madrid was like during that night, whether it was quite, or there was something on, but mostly to try and take pictures in the
   
   moonlight. We started by getting out at Banco de España metro station (Line 2) and decided to start out night with a nice drink. Feeling slightly homesick, our choice ended up being The James Joyce Irish Bar, the same place I visited with my family back at the beginning of this adventure. I always enjoy going into The James Joyce Bar, the staff are friendly, the drinks are on point, the food always hits the spot and the atmosphere actually gives an Irish feel to it. We sat and drank our drinks for a little while until it was starting to get late. So off we went back towards Banco de España, looking at all the buildings glowing in florescence. It was really cool to see and it was a quieter time of evening also. The metro stations were lit up, the evening crowd were sitting and enjoying their drinks while in conversation. The evening has a nice feeling to it in Madrid. As we walked up, passing Sevilla station and getting on to the Gran Via, the night was coming alive. We made our way towards Sol and took pictures along the way. The Gran Via was electric with the sound of people. The streets were glowing from the lit up buildings and were alive with activity. We then continued through Gran Via and down towards Sol. I love Sol at night. It's busy. There are always a nice crowd around, give or take the promoters trying to get you into their nightclubs, but it's never
   
   
   dull in Sol. The infamous Tío Pepe sign looms over the square, which is quite cool too. On towards Opera, the street towards the Palacio Real is always such a nice street. There is so much to see and nice shops along the way. And then it opens up into the Opera plaza where the Teatro Real is. People sit around the square and it, as well, is a great atmosphere. I do highly recommend walking Madrid in the evening between sunset and nighttime as it gives the best authentic atmosphere to your Madrid experience. Amazing buildings, amazing activity and never a dull night. 
3. Gastronomy: It wouldn't be a Student Traveller blog post without a mention of food. And as I write this, my stomach is speaking to me. "Hurry up and feed me", I assume. But here in Madrid, I find the range of cuisine and gastro-outlets to be something magnificent. I'm a lover of food. It's an emotional experience for me. From tapas bars, to paella restaurants, Latin
   
   American bistros, European eateries and many many more. I am always happy to try some place new in Madrid. But some places leave such a lasting impression that you can't forget. And some places are good and are a good value for money. One of my legit favorite places in Madrid to eat right now is "100 Montaditos". Especially on Wednesday and Sundays! 100 Montaditos offers a variety of different foods, they come the size of tapas, they fill you and are an amazing value for money. Walking in to a Montaditos with €5, you can eat and drink a good amount of food and be full afterwards. Their chicken bocadillos are amazing, if you want a recommendation. The order system is pretty fantastic and quick. The service is speedy and the quality is quite good for the value of money.It's a great place to go between shopping, studying, to hang out with friends, generally I hang out there with my housemates, my classmates or my Finnish friends and to drink a nice beer. And the best part is, Montaditos is a massive chain in Madrid, so you're never too far away! Apart from Montaditos, one place that I love a lot in Madrid is "Venta el Buscon" (C/ Victoria 5-7). This place is so friendly, you could walk in super hungry and leave super full, guaranteed. Their steak is TO DIE FOR! Once I saw the beef last Wednesday (My birthday, just throwing that out there), I thought that my eyes were bigger than my belly. But no way, I devoured the beef. It was sizzling hot, it was cooked perfectly and it tasted phenomenal. My friends ordered: The Buscon Burger, my friend Wille looked super happy with his choice, which I have also tasted and it is amazing. And some of their Jamon Iberica tapas. Which looked incredible. I highly recommend eating in "Venta el Buscon". As for other places, I will try out more bistros and eateries to give you a list of where to go in Madrid. This place has so much food experiences to offer. 

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So those are three things I recommend in Madrid so far and some of the things I've experiences in Madrid up to this point! The more experiences I have, the more I'll share, I still have more to tell you guys! So stay tuned for more!

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First Few Days in Madrid

Hey guys! I know, I know. It's been a really long time since my last post! I apologize as it has been a very stressful time packing and getting everything sorted to come here to Madrid. So, as eluded to by the title of this post, I am now officially living in Madrid! I don't start university over here for another day. For the past few days I've just been re-familiarizing myself with the area, finding out how to get from A to B and of course, enjoying some sun. 
So lets start from the top!
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Tuesday evening was a pretty stressful time in my house. Getting the rest of the packing done, making sure that all the tickets were in check and everything was set to go. My father and my sister took a nap before the drive from Galway to Dublin so that they wouldn't have to sleep on the plane. I finished my packing and got myself ready to go. In the week or two leading up to Madrid, I had already packed my closet and all my stuff to go over. Fortunately, I had some pairs of shorts. I mean, why would I need shorts in Ireland. So luckily I had some! So the last hour or two at home was spent with my dog, because I'll miss her so much.
It came around to go time to get up and head off to the airport. Leaving my town at around 1:30 am as we had a red eye flight at 6:15 am. I'm a nocturnal sort of person, so staying awake through the drive wasn't particularly difficult. We drove on the old Dublin road from Tuam towards Ballinasloe as we thought there would be a 24 hour store open there. Unfortunately, going to Ballinasloe proved to be a bit of a waste of time as the store was closed. We drove onto the motorway at Ballinasloe as it was way quicker. Legit, an hour and half later, we were coming into the Dublin and coming up to the exits for the airport. My dad is a good driver! We pulled into our parking space in the blue zone. My father booked the parking online at the Dublin Airport (https://www.dublinairport.com/). From this parking zone, it was easy to get on the park and ride bus that would then drive you to the door of the terminal. 
We checked in our bags and headed through security. Quick and easy pass through security, which is always nice. And then, straight into Starbucks. The Starbucks in Dublin Airport is very comfortable and a nice waiting area whilst waiting for the gate to appear. We waiting for an hour or so and then
headed down towards the gate. We waiting for another 45 minutes before the gate opened. It didn't take long for the boarding to start and the safety demonstration to begin before take-off. Annnnnnnd off we went into the skies and the rest of the flight is a bit so and so as I was in and out of sleep. 
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Wednesday. We landed in Madrid just after 10 and waited for our taxi to come get us. We waited and looked around for a little while and then eventually, the taxi came for us. We drove out from the airport in through the outer part of Madrid to where my father in my sister were staying in an area called "Alsacia". The taxi dropped us off at the Silken Torre Garden Hotel. This hotel is basic enough, Bed. 4 walls. Toilet and has a very nice view of Madrid. However, the hotel doesn't have a pool, a proper bar or a proper restaurant. But staying a couple of days, it does the job quite alright. From there, we took a trip to town where we had a look around Sol (the central plaza of Madrid), went for some food in El Busco (a lovely restaurant near Sol) and from there we headed down towards the Palacio Real, the Royal Palace of Madrid. A palace 3 or 4 times the size of Buckingham

Palace. The Palacio Real is a beautiful landmark in Madrid, boasting the wealth of old Spain and shows how lush the life of the royal family once was. Walking from the Palacio, we walked towards and in around the Plaza Espana. Considering out jet lag and the soaring heat in Madrid, we decided to head back to Alsacia and get some food. Luckily, just across the street from Alsacia station was a massive Carrefour shopping mall where we got some shopping and then went back to the hotel room. That evening, I received the keys to my own flat in a different side of Madrid and decided to turn in.
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Thursday. I met my father and sister in their hotel and we all headed into Madrid center to go shopping. We excited at Banco de España station, near to Gran Via and around near Prado. We walked towards Gran Via, looking the the amazing building on the way up. The government buildings, the Metropolis building and the various other places. We made our way to Gran Via where my sister was looking to find Primark. The Primark in Madrid is the largest in Europe and it really is. 5 massive floors of clothes. It was quite amazing to see. I purchased a few

essentials for university and some clothes to wear and then headed back towards Sol. From Sol, we got a bit hungry and decided to have a bit of Subway in La Latina. Sure why not. It hit the spot on such a lovely day. The cool drink and nice food was just nice. After lunch, we continued shopping until my feet started to get sore, so off I went to my apartment where I crashed for the night. Exciting, I know!
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Friday. Friday was pretty lazy day for me. My family decided to take a trip to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, home of Real Madrid. They had a really great time, looking around the stadium, in the
trophy room and taking pictures of the pitch. They spent a good while there before heading back to the center. From there, I met them at the Banco de España station. My father wanted to go and visit an Irish bar. The James Joyce Irish bar in Madrid, near the Banco de España is quite a nice Irish bar, ran by Irish people and has a very friendly and helpful staff. We had our lunch and a few drinks. I had the cottage pie, my sister had the bacon and leek pie and my father had the traditional fish and chips. The food went down really well with some cold Kopperbergs. After chatting and eating, we decided to head back to our places and take a well deserved siesta. 
In the evening, we decided to meet up again and head back to the James Joyce bar for some dinner and listen to the live music. We arrived shortly after 10pm and ordered our food. Chicken goujons, chicken wings and a beef burger. All of which were really delicious. The evening was a nice last night for my family in Madrid. Shortly after 12 we all were feeling quite tired and decided to head back home. 
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Saturday. The last day for my father and sister in Madrid. After they checked out, I made my way into town where I met them at the Irish bar where they were enjoying some cool drinks as the temperature kept on climbing. We had no real plan for the day except try and find some souvenirs for some family back in Ireland. We made our way through town, taking in the sights of Madrid. Through Gran Via and in around Sol. We decided then that it would be a nice idea to head to Retiro Park and chill out for a while. At this point it started

feeling even hottter. We caught a glimpse of a thermometre which stated that it was a whopping 38 degrees outside. We made our way to Retiro Park. This park is one of my favorite places in Madrid. It is so nice to just lie out in the grass and chill under the trees and let the breeze just wash over you. After an hour in the park, it came time for my family to leave Madrid. I went with them to collect their luggage from the Irish bar and went with
them to their bus. Off they went back to Ireland. 
After they left, I met up with a friend. We both wanted Guinness so we went to the Irish bar which serve guinness and had a really nice evening in the Irish bar. I stayed at my friends house that night which is near the Palacio Real, so the next morning, it was nice to wake up and go for a walk around the gardens of the palace.
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So to sum up the past few days in Madrid. I've revisited and became familiar with Madrid. Had my family here. Great food. Met some really amazing people. And it's safe to say, I'm going to really enjoy living here.