MADRID

On Monday early in the AM on July 2nd came the MUCH anticipated arrival of my dearest seester to Madrid and I could not have been more excited!!:) Eager to explore, we set out immediately after dropping off her bags to begin what will probably always remain a contender for being one of the longest (albeit exciting!:)) 24 hours of her life…

Plaza Mayor!

That being said, a crucial first stop to jumpstart the beginning of a crazy long day was coffee and food at the classy Dunkin' Doughnuts up the street. After feeling slightly rejuvenated thanks to caffeine and a half hour dedicated to quality people-watching time, we headed down Gran Via to take in sights at the beautiful Retiro Park in the center of town.

As we were walking down Gran Via (a walk I have done countless times while living in Madrid this year), it wasn’t at all surprising to me that Kathryn continuously pointed out buildings and detail that my unobservant eye had never seen before. Our somehow opposite yet similar personality traits made for an awesome travel companion pair over the following few weeks and it could not have been a more PERFECT trip.:)

:)

After a stroll around Retiro where we saw an unnatural amount of fish and turtles in the lake as well as a strange broken-glass art display in the glass palace we headed to Sol and Plaza Mayor before tapa-hopping in La Latina while (unsuccessfully) trying to avoid being attacked by birds. We met up with my friend Maria and headed back to our apartments to put on Spain gear and walk to Plaza Cibeles in the center of town to welcome the Euro Cup champions back into Madrid after their big win the night before. What we anticipated to be an hour wait turned into almost three (Kathryn was a trooper!) but seeing some of the WORLD’S BEST soccer players so close in person made the crazy surrounding fans and packed streets well worth the wait!

Parque Retiro:)

A much needed tapas session at our favorite restaurant, Lateral, would bring an end to a jam-packed and perfect first day of our European adventure!:)

After a restful night's sleep we kicked off the following morning with coffee and delicious pastries and more walking around and sightseeing. A relaxing lunch in the sunshine accompanied by some tinto de veranos made for a perfect afternoon before heading to a bucket-list-worthy rooftop bar, Belles Artes, which provided us with amazing views of all of Madrid (and of course, more tinto de verano).

Welcoming the Champs back to Madrid!:)

Later that evening Kathryn got a taste of my day to day 'real life' in the city when we all ended the night at Maria's apartment with a couple of large pizzas and a viewing of our favorite reality tv show. We lost track of time through endless laughs and infinite servings of pizza and just hours after we finally left Maria's, Kathryn and I were up and at 'em to catch an early-morning bus to the airport for our 7:30am flight to Croatia. Ahhhhh the adventures have only just begun!:)

Next stop: DUBROVNIK:)