Madrid - experience the Spanish way of life

Madrid! There are so many things to say that I do not know where to start. I was there on Erasmus program for 5 months at the beginning of the year 2010. I just had to write “Madrid hotel” in my search engine to obtain all the information I needed to find such accommodation that I wanted. Numerous Madrid hotels are located around the night club and bar districts. When I arrived to Madrid for the first time, I felt immediately good and comfortable in the city.

The first thing I noticed was how people enjoy the life there. For example, instead of going directly to work in the morning, they take time to have a cup of coffee with their friends and the same thing happens after work. They go to have tapas in one of the numerous bars of the city before going home.

Tapas! The emblematic food of Spain and of its capital. I remembered the fist time I went to one of these tapas bars. I met my friends at “El tigre” which is on the most popular places among the students. I guess it was not a surprise when I saw this bar full of people (and the pavement outside too!) from all origins, speaking, joking and laughing about the latest gossips of the day. I was really proud of myself when after few minutes I managed to reach the counter and order the famous Spanish dish. Tortillas, patatas bravas, croquetas and calamares are the most common tapas you can find in this kind of bars. Most of them are crowded and noisy but so engaging and appealing...This tradition of eating tapas is really well-established in the daily life of Madrid people.

As for the night life, Madrid is a city where the people know well how to have fun. Usually the students go out around 10 pm and some of them continue the party till the morning in one of the numerous night-clubs. If New York is referred as “The city which never sleeps”, Madrid is not so far from this definition either.

Besides of the Madrid people’s way of life, I also really appreciate its cultural and architectural patrimony. You should see the “Plaza Mayor”, the “Palacio Real”, the famous “Prado” museum and many other beautiful monuments. The list would be too long if I enumerated all those that I liked. Other thing that I have noticed about Madrid is its numerous parks. If you need to relax and boost you energy, have a pleasant walk in the magnificent “Retiro”park located in the south-east of Madrid.

More than visiting monuments, I also wanted to discover some of the typical and traditional activities of people from Madrid. That is why I went to see a corrida and I can assure you that I will never forget this show and neither one Flamenco show which I saw a few weeks later.

So if you too want to discover this amazing culture and enjoy the night life, book your Madrid accommodation and visit Madrid.