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As 2023 was winding down, my wife and I thought it would be a good time to leave the country for a while. We flew into Madrid after Christmas, stayed in Madrid through the New Year’s festivities, and then explored Barcelona for the first few days of 2024.
An international journey had been on our radar for years, and we zeroed in on Spain for several reasons. One, Madrid and Barcelona are vibrant European cities, which felt like the kind of experience we wanted. Two, Spain’s architecture, museums, food, and history all seemed interesting to us. Three, I’ve been studying Spanish a bit, so I thought it would be fun to visit a Spanish-speaking country to see how well I could navigate the language.
On the plane ride to Madrid, I finished the book España: A Brief History of Spain by Giles Tremlett. The book was a breezy introduction to the complex history of the country. It gave me a sense of historical bearings as we walked by the statues and perused the museums.
Madrid was a very walkable city. We stayed close to the Plaza Mayor in the center of the city. We were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go.
We walked to the Prado Museum on the first day we arrived. It took 20 minutes from the Plaza Mayor. The Prado holds a treasure trove of classic works of art, like those of the Spanish painter Francisco Goya.
My eyes were blurry from jet-lag fatigue by the end of our visit to the Prado. We used our final burst of energy for some tapas and a beer on the walk back to our lodgings.
I loved the parks in Madrid. Parque del Oeste and El Retiro are huge green spaces with walkways and mature trees and gardens and statues and fountains. A peaceful contrast to the buzzing energy of the city.
The streets of Madrid are lined with shops of all kinds. Bookstores. Bakeries. Coffee shops. Carnicerias. Bars and restaurants. The lower floors of many of the buildings hold commercial shops, while the top floors are residential apartments. The main thoroughfares were decorated with Christmas lights for the holidays.
The restaurants and bars were crowded, but there were so many of them that we usually found no problem getting seated and trying different types of foods and drinks. We enjoyed eating at the Mercados where you can buy from different vendors at the same location. “Tortillas” in Spain are this egg and potato casserole type thing. We also ate smoked salmon, different kinds of empanadas, and a squid sandwich that was recommended to us by our Airbnb host.
Another art museum we visited in Madrid was the Reina Sofía. We walked there at night. It’s billed as modern art, and it did have modern art, but it also included many rooms of older paintings from the early 1900s. It was a worthwhile counterpart to the classic displays at the Prado.
New Year’s Eve is celebrated in Madrid with a Times Square-style gathering at the Puerta del Sol, down the road from the Plaza Mayor. A crowd gathers around a huge Christmas tree and waits for a clock tower to strike midnight. At midnight, people try to eat 12 grapes – one per chime. We showed up to the outer edge of the crowd and found a seat at a bar that allowed us to watch the frenzy without getting trampled.
And then it was 2024.
Madrid is located smack dab in the center of the Iberian Peninsula. Barcelona is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
One thing that stood out to us right away in Barcelona was that more people spoke to us in English. When I would try to address people in Spanish in Barcelona, they would often answer in English.
In Barcelona we started to get confused about the restaurant culture. We already knew that tipping was basically nonexistent in Spain. We didn’t know that waiters and waitresses don’t bring you the check when you are finished eating. Apparently, because people like to take their time and socialize after meals, it is the norm to wait for customers to request the check or walk up to the counter to pay. We impatient American customers are usually in a hurry to hit the road; and American waiters are usually in a hurry to clear the table to maximize gratuity.
One of the museums I really enjoyed in Barcelona was the Picasso Museum. Picasso spent a lot of time in France, but he spent his formative years in Barcelona. So his family donated many of his paintings (and some of his works of pottery) to the city. Everyone is familiar with Picasso’s “cubism” style of paintings, but I was interested to see his earlier, more traditional work as well. The museum didn’t disappoint. The Picasso Museum takes you through the different stages of his career, with many examples of his work produced in each stage. It was inspiring to experience Picasso’s artistic evolution through the displays.
Of course, Barcelona is also known for the architecture of Antoni Gaudí. We walked to the Sagrada Familia – a massive palace of wonders – but there was a weeks-long backlog to get tickets inside, so we enjoyed the exterior. We did get tickets to the Park Güell – an oasis of interesting structures with fantastic views overlooking the city.
Barcelona was less walkable, but the public transportation system is simple and efficient. For the last two days in Barcelona, we used the Metro to bounce around to different sites. By that time our walking legs were pretty shot.
Even though it was winter, the beach was wonderful. We drank Sangria while watching this sunset:
My Spanish was usable for practical purposes. I can’t pick up on nuance, and I am often lost outside of predictable interactions like ordering at a coffee shop or asking informational questions. But it was fun to try. So far I’m finding that my motivation to study Spanish has increased since our return home.
I would definitely return to Madrid and Barcelona if given the chance. Or a bucket list item: Walking the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain.
Billy Robb 