August 27, 2021
Again, I stop at La Boqueria for some juice, and then Ocana for a 2 Euro café con leche because I’m feeling bougie. Then I rest on the Kabul rooftop.
I need some actual food and it’s lunch time so I decide to eat at Rossini in the Plaça. I got the lunch deal on their website by asking for it, but they weren’t advertising it because it’s summer and they want more money. It was worth it for the lunch deal, but it would have been pricy without it (about 1.5x as much).
My last stop in Barcelona is going to be Montjuic. I meant to meet a friend here but he canceled, so I decided not to take the cable car. I ended up just exploring the nearby gardens, which was really nice. I walked all the way home because I had the time, and saw some important sites on the way. I got pizza again and then headed to the train station.
I take the train from Barcelona-Sants to Atocha, and then the metro to Tirso de Molina. Then I head to Cats Party Hostel Sol. This place is fun and I know it would be even better in non-COVID times. The dorms are pretty nice and the bathroom situation is good. You can’t bring in outside food even though I think they have a refrigerator, which is a bummer.
It’s late, but I have to explore my old stomping grounds. I chose this hostel because it looked good, but also because it’s right in Sol. I walked through Puerta del Sol, Calle de Arenal, and Plaza Mayor.
I snapped a picture of my old apartment, and a guy approached me asking why. We ended up having a heated conversation about politics somehow, which was almost certainly because he was drunk. He invited me home and I politely declined. Thankfully, he didn’t try to follow me when I left.
Lastly, I get ice cream at Helados Patagonia Artesenal near the hostel, which was really good. There’s some people outside when I come back who I chat with, but then I head to bed.
August 28, 2021
I’m here to see the things I missed in Madrid last time, but also to reminisce a bit. I go to Mimi’s Creperie for a strawberry and Nutella crepe, and it doesn’t disappoint. Then I go to Mercado de San Miguel for mango and orange juice, because it’s just not the same anywhere else.
Then I head to Parque Retiro because the top thing that I need to do is go inside the Palacio Cristal. It’s free, which is great. I take some photos inside which are cool. I need to come back when there are less tourists to get even better ones.
After exploring more of Parque Retiro I head to Gran Via to do some shopping. I immediately find a bunch of things I like, so I don’t regret taking some of my precious time in Madrid to shop. Everything here is my style.
I’ve worked up an appetite, so of course I’m heading to Takos al Pastor. I’m sad to say they had to increase the pastor tacos to 1.5 Euros, but it’s even better than I remember so I’m happy.
Again, I work up the courage to introduce myself to people at Cats Bar. The people I meet have been here for a while and they’ve already been on the pub crawl and say it’s not worth it. I imagine the nightlife won’t stand up to what existed while I studied abroad, so I also pass on the pub crawl. Instead, we start out in the Cave (the secret Cats bar), and then lead our own Anti-Bar Crawl Bar Crawl. Somehow we end up with like 20 people on our bar crawl and have to deliver on our promises (we kept saying we would find something cheaper and more fun than the bar crawl). We negotiate a discounted entry at a small discoteca named Tho. It wasn’t really worth it to go in, so I left after awhile.
August 29, 2021
It’s Sunday so I’m heading to El Rastro, an artisan market. It was nice, but I didn’t find anything worth buying. Then I head to Mercado de San Miguel for juice again, and to introduce my new friend to all the options there. Lastly we go to San Gines to share some churros, which is good because I can’t eat an entire serving on my own.
Next I head to the Royal Palace of Madrid solo because that’s the other main thing I missed when I lived here. It’s actually really impressive, so I’m glad I got to do it. I went to Rodilla for matcha, because they have the best matcha.
Lastly I meet up with some people for Takos al Pastor. Then I stop at Lidl to get some snacks for the journey home. Again we lead the Anti-Bar Crawl Bar Crawl, but we don’t do much this time because people take too long to leave the hostel. We end up at a bar named Enbaba but just get a beer and then leave.
I take the night bus to the airport, which is a first for me because I always took the metro when I lived here. Besides the fact that it only picks up at a few places, it is pretty convenient. It’s actually more direct than the metro but I still prefer the metro because there’s always a nearby stop.
August 30, 2021
When I got to the airport I had to take a rapid test (as required by the US). Thankfully I passed, and I wasn’t too worried because I took one not that long ago and I haven’t felt sick. Then I board my flight to Munich.
In Munich I spend way too long waiting in customs and way too much money on a sandwich, but I need to eat something before the long flight home. I get an aisle seat, which is better than a middle seat, and it’s just close enough to the bathroom. The people in my row keep using the bathroom so I decide it’s time to break the seal. I used an airplane bathroom for the first time (and survived)!
I made it home and somehow seem to have skipped any jet lag that might have been by just staying up all night and then sleeping on the flight.
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