Hello again! It’s been a while since I’ve shared a trip. Life lately has involved a lot of logistics around the Midwest for my partner’s job and taking care of our 15-year-old dog (a.k.a. cleaning up lots of poop). But I managed to plan our yearly trip over my birthday week. In case you’re new here, being born on Leap Year Day means you get an entire birthday week or month!

We chose Spain because it had reasonably priced, direct flights and it was another chance to test out my 750+ day DuoLingo streak. February is technically “off-season” and a little rainy and cold, but things were still pretty busy. I guess I need to stop being so surprised at how crowded tourist destinations are. They’re tourist destinations for a reason!

Madrid

We took an overnight flight and arrived in Madrid around 8 a.m. The first thing we noticed was that no one was out and not even coffee shops were open yet. It’s definitely a late-night culture.

We couldn’t check in to our hotel in the Sol district. So we left our bags. Then we walked to El Retiro Park, one of the largest parks in the city. After that, we visited the Museo Nacional del Prado, the main art museum in Madrid. We were very tired, but it was an amazing museum. It was especially cool to see a Rembrandt in person and the large collection of Goya.

You’re not allowed to take photos inside the museum but the fact that my cat was back home at my mom’s house and probably locked in a battle with her cat that looked something like the below…I had to break the rule one time.

What’s even more iconic than the Prado? The viral ham sandwich we saw on Instagram. So that’s where we headed next. Divorare serves an epic burrata, mortadella, pistachio, pesto, focaccia sandwich, and it lived up to the hype.

We took a power nap once we were able to get into our hotel room. We woke up in time to head out for dinner at 9 p.m. like the rest of Madrid. We learned that most bars/restaurants will serve free tapas when you order a drink. You can bar crawl around town and get snacks along the way.

Toledo

The next day we took a day trip to Toledo. It’s only about an hour ride from Madrid. I recommend purchasing your train tickets ahead of time. When you arrive in Toledo, the train station is small but one of the most beautiful I’ve ever been to.

Toledo is an ancient city surrounded by walls. Old Town is very walk-able, but it can get quite steep in some place.

We spent our time wandering the narrow roads. We took in the sights of Catedral Primada de Toledo, Alcázar de Toledo, and the surrounding hills.

Seville

The next stop was Seville, a 2.5-hour train journey from Madrid. We travel with backpacks, so it makes navigating subways and train stations fairly easy. We just end up repeating a lot of outfits.

We stayed at Legado Alcazar Hotel in a terrace room with views of the Real Alcazar gardens. The gardens have peacocks, and it was nice to enjoy our coffees on the terrace.

Touring the historic royal palace Real Alcazar is one of the most popular things to do in Seville. We didn’t book tickets ahead of time. They were sold out online, and there was an hours-long wait in line to get them the day of. So instead, we followed our usual approach. We spent hours walking the orange tree-lined streets of Seville. And of course, more snacks.

We did a self-guided tour of Plaza de Toros, the largest bullfighting ring in Spain.

Plaza de España was also a lovely place to explore, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition. There’s lots of amazing tile work and architectural details to take in.

We had overpriced drinks at A.R.T Sky Bar, but the view overlooking Cathedral de Seville at sunset was top-notch. We ended the night with a Flamenco Show at Tablao Flamenco Las Setas. It is located under Setas de Seville, also known as the mushroom. The show had great reviews online, and it did not disappoint!

Ronda

For the next leg of the trip, we rented a car instead of taking the train because we wanted to be on our own schedule to visit the town of Ronda. The drive through the mountains was gorgeous. I felt like we got to see a lot more than from the train.

Our main destination in Ronda was, of course, to see the iconic bridge. There is a trail that leads down to a few different viewpoints.

Before heading on our way, we walked up the pedestrian street Carrera Espinel, which is filled with shops and restaurants.

Malaga

The last stop of our week in Spain was the coastal city of Malaga. It had a totally different vibe than the other towns. The weather turned when we arrived in Malaga. It was pouring rain most of the time. However, I can totally picture it being a lively beach town during the summer months.

We were scheduled to take a tour to Caminito Del Rey, but it was canceled because of the storms, so we just explored the city, getting lots of drinks and snacks along the way.

Our favorite spot was Palermo Coffee and Drinks. They made amazing craft cocktails. We celebrated my birthday with espresso martinis and a chocolate brownie.

---

Finally, it was back to Madrid for one last night. It was a direct train ride from Malaga back to Madrid. We arrived in Madrid to more rain and took the metro to our last hotel. Because of the weather and the fact that it was a Saturday, the metro was terrifyingly crammed with people.

It was our last day, though, so we still did some walking in the rain and checked out Plaza de la Armeria. We visited the Museo de Jamon to enjoy some Iberian ham. And I couldn’t resist going back to Divorare for one last sandwich.

Overall, our trip to Spain was an unforgettable experience filled with rich history, vibrant culture, and delicious food. From the bustling streets of Madrid to the serene landscapes of Ronda, each destination offered its own unique charm. Despite the occasional rain, we made the most of every moment, exploring new places and creating lasting memories. Until next time, adiós!