So a persian, Indian, Polish & Vietnamese chick go on a bachelorette trip to Spain… and Spain wasn’t ready!

In March, I headed off on a 4 girl bachelorette trip, to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one my best classmates: Shahrzad. I met Shahrzad in xray school 6 years ago & through lab, we instantly got along! From there we went on to go through clinicals together & without her, it all would not have been nearly as fun. Fast forward March 2019, we had 10 days & plans for Madrid, Sevilla, Ibiza & Barcelona. And boy, was this about to one of the craziest trips I ever go one, and more than worth it!

Puerta Del Sol

Our hotel was just blocks from the most well known & busiest part of the city, Puerta Del Sol, which in English translated to “Gate of the Sun.” This was probably due to its sunset shape. With streets lined with shops, we found plenty of musicians & street performers, dressed as bootlegged versions of various cartoons. The most entertaining thing we found though, was a group of guys messing around with a soccer ball. Surely one of them had lost a bet, because he was out in a skirt & wig.

GYMAGE LOUNGE

Calle de la Luna, 2, 28004 Madrid, Spain (12PM-1:30AM)

Jetlagged, later that night we headed out to a recommended food/drink lounge: Gymage. With great music & an indoor/outdoor setting, it was perfect. Onsite there’s a luxury gym, theater, spa & restaurant. Plus they had Shisha (or Hookah if you’re from the West )!

Plaza Mayor

They next morning we headed towards the Mercado de San Miguel for brunch. On the way though, just a few blocks away from last night’s Puerta del Sol, we made our way through Plaza Mayor. That’s the one thing you can count on a lot of the tourist destinations, they’re very walkable.

Dating back to the 15th century, the former open market area is now a perimeter of shops & restaurants, filled in the center with more street performers & tourists. Beware though, it’s a great spot for pickpockets, so keep an eye on your items! Anyways, onto brunch!

Outfit (right): Top from ASOS, pants from Express, shoes from American Eagle

Mercado de San Miguel

Pretty much as soon as you exit any of the west facing archways of Plaza Mayor, you’ll immediately come upon the Mercado de San Miguel. This is a great spot to get your groceries if you’ll be staying in Madrid for awhile, or to pick up small bites or brunch!

Palacio Real de Madrid

Calle de Bailén, s/n, 28071 Madrid, Spain (10AM-8PM)

After brunch, you can check out the Palacio Real (or Royal Palace of Madrid). It’s only a 5 minute walk from the Mercado de San Miguel, and if you choose your route wisely, you can pass by the Monumento a Felipe IV along the way.

As the largest functioning royal palace in all of Europe, it has over 3,400 rooms & and is the official residence of the Spanish royal family of Madrid. Whether they actually preside in there is another story, but for a small fee, you can walk through a small part of the palace.

Also if you’re tired from a morning filled with walking, you can take a Tuk Tuk back to your hotel, like we did! It certainly made for a fun ride back with great music & a nice breeze in the hot temps!

Parque del Buen Retiro

Plaza de la Independencia, 7, 28001 Madrid, Spain

After some rest, we headed to the famous Buen Retiro Park!

Radio ME Madrid Rooftop Bar

ME Madrid, Plaza de Sta. Ana, 14, 28012 Madrid

For our final full day in Madrid the weather was warm & perfect. After a late (late) night out, it was perfect for us to recover on a beautiful rooftop for brunch. In the Plaza de Santa Ana (seen below), you’ll find a hotel called ME Madrid Reina Victoria. Further down from the hotel entrance, you’ll find a bouncer & black elevator that will take you to the rooftop of the hotel.

Again, with an indoor (restaurant) & outdoor experience available, it’s a brunch lounge by day & fitted with a live DJ by night. Don’t forget about the central bar & spectacular view.

Madrid had been spectacular. If you’re into traveling, whether it’s for culture, food, or a good time, Madrid has what you’re looking for, and all in great proximity. Our next stop though, would be a break from all the glamour & into the historic filled Seville. Stay tuned! - JEN