Always travel in style - no matter what your budget is!
The golden sunflower fields in Spain. You can see the sunflower fields in Spain when you’re travelling on a train from Madrid to Bilbao. The five hour train ride somehow doesn’t seem so long when you see field after field of sunflowers outside your window.
Look at this tree opposite the Prado Museum in Madrid a little closer. It’s not red fruit hanging from the tree! They are in fact…earphones! I’m assuming these are earphones thrown into the trees as a remnant of tourists on sightseeing buses that stop nearby. It’s a little piece of installation art on the streets of Madrid!
The Best Food Market in Madrid is Mercado San Miguel. It has every local delicacy your tastebuds need in Spain! Iberica jamon, seafood, sangria, chocolate…there are so many stalls each selling gastronomical delights.
Mercado San Miguel is situated to the east of Plaza Major. On my last whirlwind visit to Madrid I didn’t manage to fit Mercado San Miguel into my 24 hour itinerary. This time on a longer, more relaxed weekender in Madrid, there was plenty of time to indulge!
Churros con chocolate
Two Euro Sangria
How do you order sangria at Mercado San Miguel? Simply say: Dos sangria per favore! I wish my Spanish extended further than that, but it is a very important expression at the bar. The sangria is refreshing with a hint of tartness, and also very cheap!
It’s always busy in Mercado San Miguel so you may have to hover like a hawk for a table. Otherwise stand like the locals who seem to have the Saturday afternoon visits to Mercado San Miguel downpat – a nice place to have a drink, catch up with friends and eat!
The architectural splendour of the Guggenheim Museum is unlike any other museum in the world. Created by Frank Gehry 1987, the museum is a majestic ‘mess’ of steel. By mess, I mean that it appears to have no particular order, the building has parts the stick out and appears to have layer upon layer of titanium, aluminium and limestone.
We were so captivated by the building that we wandered around the entire museum site, before finding the entrance. It perches on the edge of Bilbao’s estuary, adjacent to a bridge. The arc of the bridge is a work by Daniel Buren, named Arcos Rojos.
We climbed up the stairs to peer down over the museum, spotting a café on a balcony and still unable to see the main entrance! You do get a great view of Bilbao though!
Outdoor sculptures surround the exterior including Tall Tree and the Eye by Anish Kapoor, who earlier in the year had an exhibition in Kensington Gardens, and Jeff Koons’ Tulips which reminded me of metallic balloons.
The main entrance is at the bottom of the stairs behind Jeff Koon’s Puppy, aka the massive floral dog!
My highlights included:
Since we only had an afternoon in Bilbao, the Guggenheim was the one and only thing at the top our list. To cap off our trip in Northern Spain, we sat down on the terrace to enjoy one final round of tapas and, although this looks like sangria, it’s actually Tinto de Verano – known as the ‘red wine of summer’. It has less alcohol than sangria but is very refreshing!
I’ve officially visited two Guggenheim museums, having also been to the New York City and I’m now making it my mission to visit all of them! Next…Berlin? Venice? Or perhaps Abu Dhabi?
Glampacker’s Tips for visiting the Guggenheim Bilbao:
In the city rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona, Madrid is the Melbourne and Barcelona is the Sydney. By that I meant that Madrid may not have the instant allure of beaches, major architectural sights like the La Sagrada Familia or epitomize the stereotypes of Spain…Madrid will instead blow you over with it’s culture – on the streets, in the city squares, the food and its people. It’s possible to do a lot in a one day in Madrid even on a tight budget – I barely spent 50 euro in a space of 12 hours!
My first impression of Madrid’s urban dwellers? Chic. The ladies know how to dress in Madrid and are always stylish and glamorous. They made wearing heels in 35 degree heat look comfortable! For me travelling in style in hot weather means wearing practical day time shoes like thongs/flip flops or sandals!
Stroll around in Parque el Retiro
The city’s biggest park stretches over 130 hectares. It was originally built in the 15th century by King Phillips IV as a retreat for the royal family and was home to the Real Sitio del Buen Retiro palace. Most of the palace was destroyed in the Napoleonic wars and now only parts remain, including what is now the army museum.Visitors can hire row boats and cruise along in the lake in the shadow of the King Alfonso II monument. Street musicians perform along the main paths. There’s many smaller gardens and nooks and crannies where many locals were asleep, finding respite from the heat!
Explore Madrid’s streets
I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the city. The little things surprised me, like the handpainted street signs, narrow laneways and laid back vibe. I was expecting more bustling, non-stop city traffic. There was a protest in Puerto del Sol – the ‘heart of the city’ so it was blocked off but nonetheless the city felt safe with policemen happy to help us with directions to the metro.
Gawk at the architecture
The historic city has many buildings from the Spanish Empire including the Royal Palace and Town Hall. Walking along the busiest street, Gran Via, is a great way to see the mix of old and new Madrid.
Visit the El Prado Museum
It’s free after 6pm! Madrid’s most well-known museum has thousands of artworks. The European collection ranges from 12th to 19th Century artworks and classic contemporary Spanish artworks. My Prado museum highlights included The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch and The Third of May: the Executions on Príncipe Pío by Goya.
Eat and drink outside in a plaza
Plaza Major is a bit touristy but it’s a great place for people-watching! There are many other smaller city squares with outdoor seating, including some which have cooling mist water spraying over you as you sip on sangria.
Eating tapas outside and watching the glow of sunset is a great way to end an evening in Madrid.
Pintxos is like tapas with a slight twist. I like to call it tapas, buffet style. In Basque country, the beachside city of San Sebastian is well-known for taking tapas very seriously. San Sebastian is full of big and little pintxos bars in Old Town. It’s so difficult to choose what to eat and which bar to go to – so bar-hopping and sampling lots of food is a must!
How to eat pintxos in San Sebastian best bars?
There’s a first time for everything and in Menorca I experienced driving on the right side of the road. In Australia we drive on the left so everything from changing gears to reaching for the seatbelt completely threw me off! After struggling with the gear changes and accelerator I finally got my rhythm and in my little hire car drove around the Balearic island of Menorca to get a better glimpse of the Mediteranean lifestyle.
El Torro
The highest point of the island also houses the church of the Virgin Mary. The steep drive to the top, which may or may not have involved stalling our hire car a couple of times, provides panoramic views over Menorca including the nearby town of Forells.
Forells
This small seaside town is very laid back. It has many white buildings, cafes and restaurants and even small shops selling handmade leather shoes. I bought a light pair of black leather wedges for 30 euro.
Alcator
It’s very residential in Alcator so tourists are really only tolerated. Being respectful of the neighbours, we drove slowly down the narrow streets and were pleasantly surprised by the rocky cliffs, coves and the nearby lighthouse.
Binesqua
I developed a small crush on Binesqua, where the yachts are docked immediately outside the holiday villas. Greek-styled villas are all white with balconies and terraces looking out over the water. Maybe one day I’ll have my own villa there…
Cava Ex Xoir
This cave bar is set into the cliffside and is an incredibly popular place judging from the packed carpark and line to get inside. The 7.50 euro entrance fee gets you a coffee/tea or soft drink or beer. At night a club opens from 11pm. The views over the cliffside are quietly breathtaking.
All the above towns are possible to visit in just one day of driving around Menorca. My secret car parking tip – during seista time from 2pm – 5.30pm street parking is completely free!
The oldest castle in Palma, Castell de Bellver, is well worth a visit if you’re looking for the best view of the city.
Skip the tourist bus and climb up the steps where the locals regularly exercise their dogs or walk up the steps for fun. It may be a little tough in hot weather but makes the view feel even more well earnt when you’ve reached the top! There’s even a quaint little chapel halfway up the hill.
The castle was built in the 14th Century fo King James II of Mallorca and is one of the rare circular castles in Europe. However it was rarely inhabited for long periods. It now houses the historical museum of Palma providing an interesting insight into the island which has been conquered by Arabs and Greek settlers.
It’s only 2.50 Euro to enter and wander around the site. The open-air amphitheatre in the centre of the castle hosts concerts during summer.
The priceless view over Palma, Mallorca
From the castle, it’s only a short walk to the harbourside to see the billionaire yachts.
Palma Mallorca doesn’t have to be an over expensive holiday destination. You can still have sun, surf and sand without the billionaire expenses of a yacht when you’re travelling in Spain on a budget. There’s lots of things to do on budget in Palma, Mallorca. Even though I may have been dreaming I was on a fancy yacht with a ridiculous name like Captain Jack Sparrow, visiting Palma was a little more than just idyllic.
Stay: Stay in true budget travel style in a harbourside resort with sea views, a pool and preferably a furnicular (cable car) to avoid having to climb the steep hill
Fresh orange juice near the hotel pool!
Shop: the Spanish department store Cortes des Ingles has big name brands, and if you’re lucky, often has summer sales. Whilst visiting they had 10% off all perfume and cosmetics. Lots of other boutiques selling clothes, shoes and accessories line the main streets.
Things to do:
Eat: Fresh seafood and tapas of course! If you’re lucky you may even be cheesily serenaded by a quattro of guitar-playing Spaniards.
Get around: When you’re glampacking, save money for your day spa and get the bus – Palma may not have a metro system but is well serviced by public buses which get you anywhere around the island for 1.20 euro!
Palma, Mallorca at dusk when the sun has set and the harbour is lit up.
