Alas, we've come to the last post :( Our last two stops in Spain were Cordoba and Madrid. Tomorrow we drive back to Barcelona's El Prat airport for our flight back to Atlanta, connecting overnight in Paris. It's been an amazing two and half months. We're sad that it's finally come to an end but definitely excited to start the next adventure in Philly! And plan the next trip post Wharton :)
Alright, enough fluff, onto our Spanish cities. Cordoba is extra hot. Apparently everyone knows this but us because it had the least amount of tourists we'd seen in Spain yet excluding tiny Arcos. Our short stop in Cordoba allowed us to see the major attractions that seem to be defaults in Spanish Andalusian cities: really old cathedral (that used to be a mosque in the Moorish times), really old picturesque bridge all light up at night, historic river, and the all important "main square" that's now filled with over-priced food that only tourists will pay for. This may sound negative but all these things make for a fun stay!
Madrid seems to be buzzing at all times of the day. With the siestas being reduced in frequency and length, you see people out and about all day and night. There's enough infrastructure with the metro that it doesn't feel too packed like other large cities. And the food's pretty good too, though slightly more expensive than Andalusia.
Here's a quick summary of what we did, followed by some advice if you visit, fun facts, and a summary of our favorite pictures.
Corodoba
Madrid
Alright, enough fluff, onto our Spanish cities. Cordoba is extra hot. Apparently everyone knows this but us because it had the least amount of tourists we'd seen in Spain yet excluding tiny Arcos. Our short stop in Cordoba allowed us to see the major attractions that seem to be defaults in Spanish Andalusian cities: really old cathedral (that used to be a mosque in the Moorish times), really old picturesque bridge all light up at night, historic river, and the all important "main square" that's now filled with over-priced food that only tourists will pay for. This may sound negative but all these things make for a fun stay!
Madrid seems to be buzzing at all times of the day. With the siestas being reduced in frequency and length, you see people out and about all day and night. There's enough infrastructure with the metro that it doesn't feel too packed like other large cities. And the food's pretty good too, though slightly more expensive than Andalusia.
Here's a quick summary of what we did, followed by some advice if you visit, fun facts, and a summary of our favorite pictures.
Corodoba
- Stayed at AC Cordoba
- Jewish Quarter
- Old Town walking
- Best meal: Taberna Gongora (must get oxtail stew)
Madrid
- Stayed at the Westin Palace
- Old Town / City Center walking
- The "eclectic" and real neighborhood Lavapies
- Palacio Real
- Parque del Retiro
- Museo del Prado
- Best meals: Taberna Alhambra & El Azul del Fucar
Advice if you visit
- Read the scams that are popular in Barcelona on WikiTravel. They are spot on. Someone tried to petition scam us in a park in Madrid. Although we just walked away, the three youngsters went to another tourist family. Five minutes later we saw the police escort the youth to the police car.
- Museo del Prado in Madrid offers free entry from 6-8pm Mon - Sat. They have a huge collection and we even got to see a Picasso exhibit. Definitely worth the visit.
- Underground parking in Madrid is expensive. Our hotel charges 39 euros/day. We found a public lot near the hotel and still had to pay 31 euro/day. Not much in terms of advice in finding parking lots but just keep parking costs in mind if you decide to road trip in Spain. We will pay ~125 euro for 10 days.
Fun facts
- Youth rap battles can be witnessed in the parks of Cordoba.
- 80% of Spain's GDP comes from Madrid. Although the previous statement is totally fabricated, its what you will feel when you come to Madrid after ten days in Andalusia. We actually saw people wearing suits and going to work here!
- Apart from Madrid, if you'd like to get a feel for the summer Andalusian lifestyle, just stay at home and sleep in on a Sunday :)
- Spain has taught us a new drink: tinto de verano = summer wine. Just take any cheap red wine and add Fanta/Sprite/Sparkling Lemonade. 50/50 proportions and some ice. Super refreshing in the summer heat. Oh and for the wine snobs out there, chill out, it's delicious.
- All of Europe's restaurants are serviced by a single waiter. No wonder the unemployment rates are so high in Spain. The area that a waiter covers in Spain is usually two or three times the size of most American restaurants. And yes, the service can be painfully slow.
- 2,312 kilometers driven!
- Fate took Mohit to the Lavapies neighborhood and that may have been too much character for Mohit :).
Summary of pictures
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| Taberna Gongora introduced us to fried eggplant with molasses |
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| Cordoba, we will be back when you're not trying to give us a heat stroke! |
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| Wee Mohit |
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| The art exhibition included a Bedouin serving tea, where is that tears crying emoji |
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| Mohit truly appreciated broccoli |
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| Not the best pic but this smoked fish tapa was truly memorable |
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| Historical Westin |
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| We could get used to churros and chocolate every afternoon |
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| Amazing urban park |
Very interesting post... I must say it was a great tip come to an end. Corodoba is really beautiful after that Madrid... I am also planning a road trip in Spain and your tips are very helpful.
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