Delegation to Madrid

View across Puerta del Sol in Madrid's centre

Three weeks time in downtown Madrid. My work place was located a bit more north, in Tres Cantos, so just around the corner. That offered some time to explore the city's beauty. And the metro station was in 1 minute walking distance from the hotel in the capital's north. Excellent!

Catedral de la Almudena at night

Madrid itself is famous for its nightlife. People are going out to the restaurants, bars, clubs or lounges on every day of the week. Quite an impulsive life, in Madrid. As soon as the clubs close, the first bakeries and cafes open up already. And where every you go to have lunch or dinner, almost everything is worth trying. Taps, burgers, fish, just to name a few. A three course lunch menu always comes with a good red vine, if you allow yourself to have a glass or two.

View north-east from the hotel at sunset

One thing Spain is famous for: The ham! Stores can be found across the whole city, supermarkets are selling and almost every restaurant is offering the air dryed delicatesse. So I bought one of those 5 kg ham things and brought it home to have something for dinner.

Heaps of stores selling ham, so called "Jamon", in the city

I got some visitors, too. Jouni, from Finland, spent a weekend with me there. So did Antje during the last days and we strolled around, joining the Sandeman guided tours which took us through the cities' history.
In Madrid's north, you can find the hiking paradise "La Pedriza". Manzanares el Real is a good starting point to hit one of the numerous hiking trails, or to have a coffee.

Manzanares el Real and La Pedriza in the background