So after a month since I returned from my European trip, I am finally posting my first entry and it’s from when I visited Madrid, Spain’s busy capital. I am thankful that I actually got to stay the longest in Spain during this trip. I don’t really speak Spanish (except for the usual “Hola” or “Gracias”) but I’ve always been fascinated by Spanish culture, food and architecture. Unlike Barcelona (which was actually my point of entry but since I refuse to blog chronologically, I ended up with this post), Madrid has a more urban and cosmopolitan vibe where things are most fast-paced and modern. The city is a big, teeming metropolis that is hip and historical at the same time as it maintains well-preserved cultural attractions in the bustle and haste of contemporary life. The city is also well-known for its delightful city parks and the best-known is Parque del Retiro or El Retiro Park which provides the beautiful background for my outfit shot for the day. I know this is a more casual look than most of you are used to seeing me in and I have to say that I did it on purpose since I wanted to prioritize comfort (while still integrating some style) for traveling. The best thing that I have to say I brought with me for the trip were my Stan Smith sneakers which saved my feet for the long walks throughout my stay in Europe. There was a lot of walking and I mean A LOT and I think that if anything, this trip has made me discover a new-found respect for flat shoes.
It was a good decision to be comfortable since this day was when we went around the many different sites in Madrid and since Madrid is a city that is so rich in history, an entire day wasn’t enough to soak in everything. El Retiro Park, on its own, is 12 hectares featuring vegetation, ponds, statues, monuments and fountains and on a normal day, you could see locals escaping to the gardens as it is a popular leisure centre in the city.
The day also consisted of a lot of eating. I love Spanish food which is why I immensely enjoyed Chuleton de Buey,a very thick cut bone-in rib steak cooked in salt, which convinced me that Spain is a big Temple of Beef because I would have to say that the best steak I’ve ever had was in fact, in Spain. After a few minutes of walking around Plaza Mayor, we found ourselves again eating tapas, paella, sweets while drinking Cava at Mercado de San Miguel which is the most beautiful market in Madrid and a definite haven for foodies. We went to a few more sites around the city (courtesy of the driver we hired to take us around a private tour throughout our stay named Alejandro) and ended the day with a visit to The Prado Museum where I saw the work of Velasquez and Goya who I consider as two of the greatest geniuses in paintings of all time. There was just so much to see and do in Madrid and while the photos below don’t even do justice to the city since I am one of those people who brings an SLR camera and completely abandons using it since I am too overwhelmed with what I am seeing that I end up being too “in the moment” that I forget to document the moment (the same applies to my entire Europe trip by the way). In the meantime, enjoy!
Blazer: Zara | Shirt: Zara | Ripped Skinny Jeans: Mango | Sneakers: Adidas Stan Smiths | Bag: Fendi Chameleon