Spain. Of course, I wanted to go back as soon as possible, and I can tell you now, for sure, I will go back again and again and again, visiting different parts of the country, and one day I might choose a favorite one and move my base camp there. Cuz why not?

Storytime: I have a sister. Well, 2.  Actually, 3. (her father and me mama got together years ago and I looove them so much, they are family) One is living in Florida (da fakk am I doing in the UK? Yea I know… Sometimes I’m wondering about the same), another one is living back home in Hungary and the 3rd one is living in Paris. Talking about traveler genes, eh? – And by the way, all of us are girls, so hashtagsquadgoals.

In this post, let’s focus on the one in the US. She decided to work on a Caribbean cruise ship when I was like 10 years old-ish. So after that, we only met every 6 months. She was always sending handwritten letters, postcards, and the old-fashioned printed out photographs – people, we are in like 1998 now, things like this existed, I promise – She was on a ship for quite a while, like 5 years or so, and after that, she stayed in Miami – please.

I’m jealous as hell, but she keeps telling me all her travels around the US and Latin America, yet she is the one who’s jealous as fuck because I traveled around Europe and Africa. Never-ending arguments about 3rd world problems, such as: Who can travel to cooler places?
But well…  All this means that I grew up pretty much without her in my life. We never had the time for that sister bond. One day, she said she wanted to go to Madrid for a few days, and I should join. It was a quick and cheap 2-hour or so flight for me, so I thought why not?!

A few days before the trip, I got ill, I thought I would die, and my soul already started to leave my body behind… At one point, I thought I had to cancel the trip, but I was like no, I just have to go. So I boarded the plane to Madrid. It was a challenging flight, but we made it late at night, got in a taxi, and headed straight to the hotel. Our first night was all about my sister trying to ask for help and some painkillers from the reception staff, who understood Spanish only, and our knowledge at that time was very limited, and turned out Ricky Martin lyrics, known by heart, are not gonna help us now either…

Amazing. I thought it was a really bad idea for me to go and jeopardize her whole trip. Oh well. It was too late since I was there.
The next morning I woke up feeling a little better, so we decided it was time for some sightseeing.
Later on, we met one of her friends, originally from Argentina, which means someone who is fluent in Spanish, so one of our first destinations was a pharmacy lol.
We had our lunch, and it was time for a little technical break for me. I went back to the hotel, took the medication, and had a few hours of recharge nap. While the girls were drinking their vino out in the city.

Flamenco in Madrid

Later that day, we decided to search for a Flamenco bar. I had no idea what to expect, but my sister was like: ‘You gonna love it, it’s so passionate and emotional. All is improvised and based on their actual feelings and thoughts, and you’re just gonna cry into your wine glass for sure.’… I was like, okay, cool, that’s exactly what I need now.
So we found a place called Tablao Flamenco Cardamomo. The first 15 minutes were definitely confusing for me. It was too much happening with the guitars, singers, dancers, emotions, and the ‘crying while you sing’ situation… but after finishing the first glass of wine, I kinda caught the vibes, and I started to enjoy this experience.

The next day I felt brand new, like no illness ever happened. It was a sunny, perfect day of sightseeing. We walked around for a bit on Gran Via, a little shopping here and there (hint: Zara.) We found our way to Puerta del Sol and wandered all the way through the area of Teatro Real, surrounded by Jardines De Lepanto y Del Cabo Novalan, and last but not least, Palacio Real de Madrid.

Ayyy Madrid  ¡Qué maravilloso!

Oh, by the way, Madrid has a metro line you can use if you are a lazy bitch, but as I mentioned in my previous posts, I prefer to walk around and explore more and more of the city – if it’s not raining.
Madrid is amazing.
I fell in love with it in a quick second, and actually, I can see myself living there. It was so beautiful and sunny already, even though our trip was in early March… I love the architecture, all the buildings are very colorful and detailed. The street view is simply amazing, with sophisticated street art on many walls. It just fits. It has the Mediterranean vibe that I felt in Fuerteventura, yet it is different. You just have to see it with your own eyes, but till then, I will leave some pictures here for you:

After a day of wanderlusting, we decided it was time for a Spanish dinner. I was in desperate need of paella – what else?
We were trying to find a place, but we felt a bit lost without any internet data left. It was the weekend, so there were many guys out on the street handing out flyers about places to go, weekend offers, and everything. One of them said the best place to eat paella and tapas is Rosi La Loca  … I love that name, but the best ever was a store called Boludos y Boludas, I mean… okay.
The restaurant is much larger inside than it looks from the street. It has an underground part with crazy artworks on the wall. It has a funky atmosphere, friendly staff, and delicious food. I would definitely recommend trying it out if you ever happen to be in Madrid.

Can I move to Madrid tomorrow, please? I love it, it’s everything. The Spanish vibes are everywhere around you, even without a beach… Because it’s in the streets, in the sound of the musicians playing, and in the people who sit in front of the little coffee shops, wine bars, and simply enjoying life.

… And what else can I say? I loved spending some quality time with my sis, finally, after all these years. Even if it was a very short trip and I was half-dead at the beginning. Soon it’s time to visit her in Miami, and well… 

Aaaanyways,

See you at the next one,

Noémi

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