LOST AND FOUND IN MADRID: PART II

Malasaña, where else?

–

“Whether you want something exciting, something cool and artistic, or just anything random
like a shopaholic adventure, Madrid has it ALL”

Ed’s note:
This is the second installment of Maja’s “Lost and Found in Madrid” three-part series. The first part was a great success and if you haven’t read it yet, here’s your quick access.
Enjoy!

<<<<<>>>>>

by Maja Jakic

–

PLACES

What makes Madrid so great is the fact that it has numerous places where you can go and enjoy yourself. It is like a bottomless barrel.

Malasaña 

The incredible ambiance of Malasaña nightlife/Flickr

Whether you want something exciting, something cool and artistic, or just anything random like a shopaholic adventure, Madrid has it ALL.

Vintage shops, bars, centenary and avant-garde restaurants . . . They’re all here/Flickr

One of my favorite places to wander around in was Malasaña, the barrio famous for its cute vintage shops and bohemian ambiance. During the night it becomes one of the most crowded nightlife scenes of Madrid, where most of the student population goes and hangs out in bars and clubs.

Record albums anyone?/M. Jakic

Eclectic Malasaña, a.k.a. “the hipster neighborhood”, has a variety of bars and clubs. It’s a place where you can expect anything. It’s the road to the unknown. A magnet for milling crowds.

What might amaze you the most about Malasana is its cultural and artistic vibe, especially the numerous small vintage shops where you can travel back in time. Old jeans from the 90s, cocktail dresses from the 50s, record albums or Harry Potter card collection. It’s all there!

Metro Sol/Flickr

Puerta del Sol

Puerta del Sol, the geographic center of Spain/Flickr

Besides that, there is the very centre of Madrid, Puerta del Sol. The square itself is lovely and every time I got off the Metro and stood under a sign of the Sol station, a strange feeling of tranquility took over. Like the sol (sun) gave me the energy to start a new adventure.

The Retiro Park

See the lake behind me?/M. Jakic

Another favourite place of mine is definitely magical Retiro, the enormous park near Atocha train station. It has a lake Madrid’s and monument and, lastly but by no means the least, the beautiful and astonishing Crystal Palace. It’s a place where a lot of picnics were enjoyed, lots of laughs were had, good conversations were shared and new friendships were born. It was the alpha and omega of my experience, the first place I visited and the last place where I said goodbye to this wonderful adventure and my international friends.

The Crystal Palace/M.Jakic

That magnificent and astonishing park full of sculptures and monuments became our daily oasis. The exquisite lake next to the monument of Alfonso XII offers you an entrance into another world. It is like a whisper that reminds you that everything is okay with the world and life itself.

El Rastro

Whatever strikes your fancy: theatrical masks among millions of other stuff/Flickr

El Rastro, the Flea Market of Madrid,  was my favourite place to be on Sunday mornings. Every weekend, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., part of the Embajadores neighbourhood becomes a flea market where you can find vintage furniture, funky clothes, artisanal jewelry and whatever else you can imagine at bargain prices.

For a bohemian like me, who gives much importance to creativity, that exact place was my personal playground where I spent hours exploring and admiring the variety of supplies.

Rooftops

Rooftops viewed from the Circulo de Bellas Artes’ azotea/Flickr

Finally, the most captivating thing about Madrid are the rooftops, such as Círculo de Bellas Artes.

There, you can drink coffee, eat lunch or have breakfast while admiring a great view. It is like Madrid is inviting you to see the world from various perspectives. We deserve to look at the world from the highest point, to give ourselves the importance that we deserve, don’t we?

Rooftop bar of the Room Mate Oscar hotel in the Chueca neighborhood/Flickr

———

Images (Flickr)
>Featured image by Roger Casa-Alatriste, CC BY-ND2.0
>Outdoor terrace at night, Malasaña, by Nicolas Vigier, PD
>Malasaña (red doors) by Andrea Benassi, CC BY2.0
>Sol station by Tomas Fano, CC BY-SA2.0
>Puerta del Sol by Stacy, CC BY-SA2.0
>Masks by Leticia Ayuso, CC BY-ND2.0
>View from the Circulo rooftop by Alvaro Milan, CC BY-ND2.0
>Room Mate hotel rooftop bar by JasonParis, CC BY2.0