Madrid- Parque del Retiro & Real Madrid Game

Taking in the view from our hostel rooftop.

10/20 We woke up early (as usual), grabbed some breakfast in the hostel’s third floor kitchen, and watched the sunrise over the rooftops of Sevilla. The hostel is in an old mansion and we definitely loved our time there, I was sad to leave. We took a cab to the train station, and then we were on our way to the capital city of Spain! I had spent two days in Madrid in 2007, but I was sick at the beginning of my study abroad trip and so I honestly saw hardly anything of the city. To me, this was like the first time going, so I was very excited! Once we arrived at the huge train station "Atocha" in Madrid, we took a cab to our hostel.

While our hostel, Pension Lemus, had a central location right by the Gran Vía on a lively street, the place itself was pretty sketchy. I like to call it “jank”. It was definitely the least clean, creepiest looking hostel I have ever stayed in during any of my travels (including places in rural Cambodia). We also eventually found out that the customer service was terrible too. Walking in and seeing a dusty, vandalized stairwell leading up to the second floor entry with creaky floors wasn’t the most reassuring welcome. Once again, knowing Spanish came in handy because none of the employees spoke any English. I actually had to help another person checking in who was getting flustered with the language barrier. Our room had a queen bed and a twin bed, and the bathroom down the hall had a Disney Channel “Camp Rock” shower curtain and a random 1950's cartoon like painting. It was a bit like a cheaply decorated college dorm. Despite this, we were excited to be in Madrid, and the excellent location helped us overlook the rough interior!

Hostel entry- didn't look bad, at first.

What was our first stop in the capital of Spain? An order-up Chinese restaurant naturally! We had some amazing Asian stir fry at “Wok to Wok”, which was conveniently next door to the hostel entrance. By this point, it was already afternoon and we had tickets for the big soccer game that night, so we decided to take it easy and headed to the “Central Park” of Madrid: Parque del Retiro! We started walking around and exploring, enjoying our first semblance of fall weather. Full of trees, gardens, paths, and little ice-cream shops, it was a very beautiful and relaxing walk. 

Fall in Parque del Retiro

After we had some gelato by the lake, I decided to barter with some guys selling fake Real Madrid soccer jerseys in the park. I was proud of myself for talking the man down to a decent price. My recent haggling experience in Morocco really paid off! I wanted something festive to wear to the game that night, and so it was perfect! We continued walking around the park, somewhat aimlessly, and ended up at the famous Palacio del Cristal. It is a beautiful glass and medal structure built in the 1800s. We all said it would be our dream location for a wedding reception! It almost looks like a large, gorgeous, greenhouse. We had fun walking around the area and taking photos. There were some baby turtles, hidden little mini caves, and lots of fountains!

Palacio del Cristal

Upon leaving the park, we did a quick walk by of the Plaza de Cibeles- the main plaza in Madrid where all of the riots have been happening recently, but also where they had the huge street party celebrating the world cup win a few years back. We got to see the famous fountain and government buildings, all on the walk back to our hostel. I would also like to point out that I finally felt confident enough with a map of a city that I was leading us around to our destinations. I was using a map. Successfully. For me, that is a big deal! Once we changed into our clothes for the big game, we asked someone for information on the bus to the stadium. We ended up finding a cab driver though, and luxuriously made our way there.

Once arriving at the famed Santiago Bernabeu stadium, home to the soccer team Real Madrid, we began

A fan's decked out car before the game

our quest to pick up our tickets. It was a bit of a struggle, with conflicting directions from different people. We walked all over the place, so it was a good thing we were early. We got to see the Spanish version of “tailgating”- people partying it up in the parking lot pre game, and then finally I figured out the automated machine and we got our tickets! Between the online ticket ordering issues, my phone conversation with their customer service, and the struggle to pick up the tickets, I felt a huge relief to finally have them in my hand!  We walked around a bit before the game, took photos, and the girls bought some team souvenirs. Decked out in our gear, we were ready! (Disclaimer: I am still a Valencia CF fan at heart)

Attending a soccer game in Spain is an experience in itself. Attending a Real Madrid game is a whole different thing entirely. The stadium itself is absolutely massive, and the fans in the crowd are intense. While our seats were way in the back, we still had an amazing time. We got to see world famous athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo, and cute ones like Iker Casillas, play soccer in front of our own eyes. It was fantastic! We got to do the Olé cheer, and take part in something that truly represents a very prevalent part of Spanish culture. While I initially was hesitant to go because of the pricy ticket cost, I am SO glad we went. It is definitely a “bucket list” thing that anyone visiting Spain- Madrid especially- must do!

Supporting the team by the stadium

Inside the huge stadium with my new jersey!

Cristiano Ronaldo on the field! (yes, this is zoomed in)

Mapping out the route home while at Hard Rock Cafe

Once the game let out, we decided it would be fine to walk back towards the main plaza. I guess we didn’t realize that 7 minutes in a cab is much more time while walking on a very crowded street. It took us about an hour to walk back to the city center! Once there, we decided to eat dinner at the Hard Rock Café Madrid because we really wanted a juicy burger, fries, and free refills on fountain drinks. There was a bit of a wait, but it was worth it! We had a great meal, figured out our plans for tomorrow, and then walked back to our hostel.

Once there, we figured out that we had extremely loud, annoying, and drunk Italian neighbors. The hallway was so loud, and they had their door opening while partying in their room. Every time we walked by to get to the restroom we were cat-called, and we were annoyed that absolutely no hostel staff was present to ask them to keep the noise down, at least after 1am. We’re not asking too much! We had a long day and wanted some sleep! Somehow though, we fell asleep to the sound of raging Italian techno music. An interesting end to our first day in Madrid!

Plaza de Cibeles in the center of Madrid