Good morning good morning guys.
Greetings from Madrid, Spain.
Hello hello.
And this is a city we visited 2.5 years ago in the summer.
Yeah.
When it was sweltering hot, like over 40 degrees most days.
So it is wonderful to be back again in January when the temperatures are much much cooler
but the sun is still out.
It is pleasant.
Yeah.
Anyways, we're back with my parents this time and we're going to be here for just a few
days making a little travel guide so we hope you guys will join along.
Yeah but this one is going to be a little bit different because last time we were in
Madrid we ran around like crazy.
This is going to be a bit more chill.
Yep.
We're going to take it easy focus on the highlights.
Focus on food.
Delicious Spanish food.
So yeah, we hope you guys will enjoy our little tour of Madrid.
Let's get started.
Well our very first attraction here in Madrid.
What is it?
The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid).
That is right.
And it turns out it is actually closed.
We're not going to be able to go inside the palace.
Yeah.
But we didn't find out until we were already at the ticketing booth and they are like oh
yeah by the way you can only do the armoury today and the central courtyard.
And we had already gone through security which is quite the ordeal.
Yeah.
We were like let's get a ticket.
There was a man in front of us that had probably like 15 objects that had metal and he took
them out of his pocket one by one.
Oh my gosh.
Anyways we're inside the palace.
We paid 5 Euros which is half price of the normal entry fee.
And yeah, I overheard someone say that apparently the president is in town today because there
is some sort of official function happening inside the palace.
Well, so yeah that would be why we can't go inside.
Yeah, so we'll just enjoy the courtyard which is quite beautiful.
It is.
So let's give you a tour.
The armoury (Real Armería de Madrid) turned out to be a real highlight with weapons and
armour dating back from the 16th and 17th centuries.
And that’s basically all we had access to that day!
From there, we caught a quick glimpse at the Almudena Cathedral (Santa María la Real de
La Almudena), and then continued towards the Sabatini Gardens (Jardines de Sabatini), which
are located directly behind the palace and sit on the site of the former stables.
Okay so we just finished visiting the Royal Palace yes and just behind you have the Sabatini
Gardens here we are.
Just a lovely place to go for a stroll.
So chill.
A breath of fresh air.
Breath of fresh air.
Little bit of walking to you know earn our lunch.
To work up an appetite for lunch.
Yeah and we are getting pretty hungry already so I think that is going to be coming up rather
soon.
Yeah, it is almost 1 pm.
This is late.
What?
This is late by our standards.
We're normally eating by 12.
Alright so we've found lunch and as we had mentioned before we were in search of tapas
and we found just the place for that.
We're at Loredo Cerveceria.
Loredo.
Sorry.
Lorredo.
There you go.
And we've two sandwiches that we're going to share.
I think one is ham and cheese and the other is going to be cream cheese and salmon and
then we've got 3 tapas also to share so it should be a really good lunch.
Alright so what is really cool is we ordered a bunch of different dishes but they brought
us a complimentary Paella which is really awesome because we weren't planning to actually
have that until Valencia.
Which is our next destination.
Where it originates from.
But uh this is wonderful to have it as a starter.
Complimentary too.
Mmmmm.
Oh man those prawns are good.
Alright so the first of the tapas has arrived and my Dad is going to present them.
So we've got over here why don't you try one.
We've got chorizo in a vinegar sauce.
No in cider.
Oh in a cider sauce.
Sorry.
A cider sauce.
Take a bite of that.
Mmmm.
Is it good?
Very good.
A little bit spicy?
Very good.
Very spicy.
We've got one more for you to try down here we've got uh fries.
Patatas con.
Patatas bravas.
Which is basically fries in a spicy sauce.
Mmmmm.
Good stuff?
They go with each other.
They go with each other really well.
Alright guys so the last of the tapas arrived.
Oh my gosh so these are called Huevos Rotos.
Basically it is a bed of french fries we've got three fried eggs on top and some sausage
and yeah kind of like a Spanish poutine.
Hahaha.
Wouldn't you say?
Without the gravy.
So our we going to break the eggs?
Let's break an egg.
Why not.
Let's break it.
Let's get that yolk going all over the place.
Oh, that one is a bit harder.
Yeah.
How about this one?
French fries.
Fregg?
Fregg!
What is a fregg?
A fregg.
It's a fregg.
A fregg with french fries.
An egg with french fries and sausage.
Uh.
Oh man.
High calories I would say.
That is the end of our meal guys and I've just gotta say like for what we paid it only
came to 25 Euros for 4 people.
So basically 6.50 per person.
For what we paid that was outstanding value.
They gave us a lot of extras like extra bread.
They gave us the Paella.
Plus all of that food.
We didn't even show you the sandwiches that is how much food there was.
So this place was outstanding.
I'd highly recommend it.
After lunch, we took a little detour to visit the Temple of Debod (Templo de Debod).
This is ancient Egyptian temple that was given to Spain as a sign of gratitude for their
help in saving the Abu Simbel temples.
It dates back to the 2nd century BC and it’s one of the few works of ancient Egyptian architecture
that can be seen outside of Egypt.
Well good morning good morning.
Good morning guys.
It is our second day yep here in Madrid.
And we have come to Plaza Mayor (Plaza Mayor de Madrid).
Yep.
This is our first stop of the day and I really like this square because all of the buildings
are painted like a terracotta red.
Yeah.
But there is one building that is extra special.
It has got like these hand painted figurines and we're going to show you that one next.
Plaza Mayor is the main square in Madrid.
It is lined with shops and cafes under its porticoes, but clearly things are much livelier
if you visit later in the day and also during the warmer months.
Okay guys time for another plaza.
So we just finished visiting Plaza Mayor and now we're at Plaza de la Villa and this would
have been the main square during Medieval times here in Madrid.
So it has a very different look and feel.
More stone and brick and you have these incredibly massive doors with like really ornate detailing.
So yeah it is really cool.
I'm glad we're getting to see both plazas.
Just to get a bit of contrast going on.
And from there, it was just a skip over to one of the most popular food markets with
visitors.
Okay Sam where are we now?
So right now we're at San Miguel Market (Mercado de San Miguel).
Mmmhmm.
This is a pretty cool market.
It is very upscale kind of hipster.
Lots of gourmet food.
Yeah.
And yeah you can just walk around and get all kinds of different things.
There is beer stalls, there is like wine.
Sangria.
Yeah, there is Sangria and you can get some really good wine.
Great looking seafood.
Also meat bites.
Lots of deli slices and different things.
Little desserts.
Tapas.
Lots of tapas. Little dessert bites.
So yeah this is like if you're hungry this is the right place to come for sure.
Good morning good morning guys.
It is day 3 here in Madrid.
And I'm on a bit of a solo mission with my parents this morning.
Audrey is staying back home doing a little bit of work.
But I'm going to be showing you guys the Retiro area of Madrid and it is beautiful.
Right now we're visiting the park and there is so many different things you can do here.
We're just going to kind of wander around and show you some of the different attractions
within the park itself.
Buen Retiro (Parque del Buen Retiro) is a large park located at the edge of the city
centre.
It belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century, when it became a public
park, and it’s home to various gardens, sculptures, monuments, small palaces that
have been turned into galleries and even a large pond, where you can take out rowboats.
One of the most iconic buildings found within the park is the Crystal Palace (Palacio de
Cristal), made of glass and iron, which is used for art exhibits throughout the year.
Guys so Retiro Park here in Madrid is definitely my favorite free attraction in the city.
You can easily spend a half day up to full day here.
It is just a lovely escape from the hustle and bustle of the downtown core.
After visiting the park, we walked back to the apartment to pick up Audrey for an outing
she was sure to love!
Alright guys there is one thing you have to try when you come to Madrid.
That is right.
You've got to get the churros with hot chocolate (churros con chocolate).
And we're also getting something that is like grand churros.
Big churros.
Grand churros.
It is called Porras.
So yeah you've got to try the churros, porras and hot chocolate.
Yes.
And we are at one of the most famous places.
Yes.
It is what open 24 / 7?
Yeah, 24 hours a day every single day.
Crazy.
In a good way.
Day of the year.
In a great way.
This place is called Chocolateria San Gines.
Yeah.
We were here yesterday and we got a little taste of what they have to offer and this
time we're back with an appetite.
We're going to be having churros, hot chocolate and porras for lunch.
Let's do it.
This cafe will make you feel like you’ve been transported back to the late nineteenth
century.
The walls are covered in mirrors and wood panelling, the tables are of white marble,
the chairs and banquettes are deep green in colour, and if you go down to the basement,
you’ll find yourself in a cozy little cave.
So we are sharing the churros and porras with Sam's parents.
So half the portion has vanished.
Yes.
To the other side of the table.
Enjoying it guys?
Hahaha.
So we each got a hot chocolate.
We have churros.
We have porras and they had carrot cake with cream cheese icing.
Mmmm.
So can never say no to that.
A little bit of everything and yeah we're just going to begin.
So first up let's start with the classic.
The churro which is much smaller than the porras.
Yeah, hold them up really close to each other.
Tada.
The porras is like a churro on steroids.
Haha.
Yeah, but the porra is actually lighter.
It is a lot fluffier.
Yeah.
It has more air.
It does.
The churro is more dense and it has a ridged exterior.
Oh la lah.
Oh wow.
Here we go.
Check it out.
Life changing?
Mmmmm.
Just as good as yesterday.
Hahaha.
Alright time for me to try it.
So I will try the churros.
Sorry the porras before the churros.
Actually let's do it at the same time.
Boom.
Lalala.
That sounds like Jaws music.
Haha.
Dun dun dun.
Mmmmm.
Now this one really absorbs the chocolate.
Like this is like a sponge.
Look at that.
Hahaha.
Wow.
So that might be the better of the two.
Yeah, for absorbing the chocolate.
Mmmhmm.
But I kind of like the churros more because they are a bit crispier.
Mmmhmm.
A little easier to handle.
Alright so I'm full.
Like that hot chocolate is so rich and filling.
And it is time for price point.
Yeah.
So basically you have two different options for the churros or the porras.
You order six churros and a hot chocolate and that is 4 Euros or you can get 2 large
porras and a hot chocolate also for 4 Euros.
So it is really good value.
It is not expensive and yeah you can actually feel pretty full after having that to be honest.
Yeah, we're stuffed right now.
I thought I was going to go back home and have like some deli meats and cheeses but
no I'm just going to have a siesta.
So that is it.
Anyways yeah that was a lot of fun and if you are visiting Madrid definitely check out
this place.
Last but not least, we finished off our visit with an evening stroll through Madrid, and
that pretty much wraps our trip!
The city clearly has much more to offer than we were able to cover in just 3 days, but
we hope this Madrid travel guide gave you a few ideas of what you can do with a short
break in the city.
Wishing you happy travels and we’ll see you in the next video as we continue our travels
through Spain!