O segundo dia do nosso "fim-de-semana" foi numa segunda-feira, e começou por irmos tomar o pequeno almoço a um café que eu queria conhecer, mas não o estávamos a encontrar até que percebemos qual era, mas estava fechado, porque pelos vistos, muitos cafés ou snack bars em Madrid, ou pelo menos naquela zona, fecham às segundas. No entanto, eu tinha outras opções na minha lista, porque eu sou daquelas maníacas que quando vê uma foto no Instagram tira print e depois guarda o sítio, seja, um café, restaurante, uma rua, praias, monumentos ou hotéis, nas notas do telemóvel, para quando for visitar esses países/cidades saber o que fazer, onde ir ou ficar e os melhores spots para tirar umas fotografias engraçadas. Ou então, também, quando algumas páginas de revistas ou blogs no facebook partilham algo do género "As 20 melhores praias do mundo" ou "Os melhores restaurantes do Porto/Lisboa", eu partilho isso para uma mensagem privada para mim própria para ficar guardado sempre que eu quiser ir ver (xD). Para além disso (que já é uma lista interminável), umas semanas antes da viagem faço uma pesquisa no Google, Pinterest e Instagram dos locais mais conhecidos e das zonas mais bonitas a visitar, o que resulta numa lista, neste caso específico de Madrid, de perto de 100 restaurantes/cafés/bairros/ruas/monumentos, etc. para conhecer. Como fomos poucos dias, não deu para visitar tudo o que tínhamos em mente, mas assim temos mais uma desculpa para visitar Madrid que tanto gostámos.
Continuando, depois desta confissão, acabamos por ir ao La Bicicleta café a 700m da Gran Via, que tem uma opção de pequeno-almoço muito agradável ao paladar, à vista (porque eu sou uma pessoa que também come muito com os olhos), o que resulta numa boa fotografia de comida para as redes sociais (xD). Depois durante a tarde fomos ao Bairro Chueca e também passamos pelo Bairro Malasaña, que são dois bairros com uma arquitetura engraçada e cheios de cafés cool e lojas trendy para conhecer. A partir da estação Chueca apanhamos um metro - que foi uma aventura, porque nós nunca tínhamos andado sem ter ninguém a indicar-nos por onde ir, mas lá acabamos por perceber como é que aquilo funcionava - e fomos para o Retiro, conhecer o tão conhecido parque e o Palácio de Cristal. No fim do passeio pelo parque, que é enorme, fomos ao rooftop do Círculo de Bellas Artes contemplar a vista e acabamos por almoçar lá num restaurante chamado La Pecera onde comemos muito bem. No fim do almoço tardio, fomos ao Bairro de Salamanca conhecido por ser uma zona de compras, que tem a rua Serrano, onde habitam as lojas das marcas topo que toda a gente conhece. Estivemos só um bocado lá, porque aquilo é bom, mas é para compras e nós não estávamos com essa intenção, então fomos lanchar para a zona da Gran Via na tão conhecida pelos seus churros e chocolate quente, a Chocolateira San Ginés, e foi delicioso, apesar a fila gigantesca para fazer o pedido, vale a pena. No fim, fomos descansar um bocado para o hotel e à noite fomos jantar a mais um restaurante da minha lista (como é óbvio xD) lá na Gran Via, o restaurante Oven, acho que era um restaurante com pratos típico italianos, e que as pizzas são deliciosas.
No dia seguinte, fomos embora de manhã cedo (depois do nosso Starbucks que não podíamos prescindir) e já a falar da próxima vez que iríamos voltar!
xx, IFV.
The second day of our "weekend" was on a Monday, and we were going to have breakfast at a cafe that I wanted to meet, but it was closed. I think, many cafes or snack bars in Madrid, or at least in that area, are closed on Mondays. However, I had other options on my list, because I am one of those maniacs that when you see a photo on Instagram I screenshot it and then save the place, perhaps a cafe, a restaurant, a street, beaches, monuments or hotels, in the notes of the mobile phone, for when to visit those countries/cities know what to do, where to go or stay and the best spots to take some great pictures. Or also, when some pages of magazines or blogs on facebook share something like "The 20 best beaches in the world" or "The best restaurants in Porto/Lisbon", I share this for a private message for myself to keep forever that I want to go see and take notes (xD). In addition to this (which is already an endless list), a few weeks before the trip I do a search on Google, Pinterest and Instagram of the most known places and the most beautiful areas to visit, which results in a list, in this specific case of Madrid, close to 100 restaurants/cafes/neighborhoods/streets/monuments, etc. to visit. As we were only a few days, we couldn't visit everything we had in mind, but so we have another excuse to visit Madrid, which we loved a lot.
Continuing, after this confession, we ended up going to La Bicicleta café 700m from Gran Via, which has a very nice breakfast option for the palate, the eyes (because I am a person who also eats a lot with my eyes), which results in good photography of food for social networks (xD). Later in the afternoon we went to Chueca Neighborhood and also passed through Malasaña Neighborhood, which are two zones with a funny architecture and full of cool cafes and trendy shops to know. From the Chueca station we took a subway - which was an adventure, because we had never walked that without having anyone to tell us where to go, but we realized how it worked - and we went to the Retiro, known for its park and the Crystal Palace. At the end of the walk through the park, which is huge, we went to the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes to contemplate the view and ended up having lunch there in a restaurant called La Pecera where we ate very well. At the end of the late lunch, we went to Salamanca Neighborhood known by its shopping area, which has Serrano Street, where are some of the top brand stores that everyone knows. We were just a bit there, because that's good, but it's for shopping and we were not with that intention, so we went to Gran Via to eat in the well known for its churros and hot chocolate, the Chocolatería San Ginés, and it was delicious despite the gigantic queue to place the order, it's worth it. In the end we went to rest to the hotel for a while and at night we had dinner at another restaurant of my list (of course xD) on Gran Via, the Oven restaurant, I think it was a restaurant with typical Italian dishes, and the pizzas are delicious.
The next day, we left early in the morning (after our Starbucks we couldn't do without) and already talking about the next time we would return!
xx, IFV.
The second day of our "weekend" was on a Monday, and we were going to have breakfast at a cafe that I wanted to meet, but it was closed. I think, many cafes or snack bars in Madrid, or at least in that area, are closed on Mondays. However, I had other options on my list, because I am one of those maniacs that when you see a photo on Instagram I screenshot it and then save the place, perhaps a cafe, a restaurant, a street, beaches, monuments or hotels, in the notes of the mobile phone, for when to visit those countries/cities know what to do, where to go or stay and the best spots to take some great pictures. Or also, when some pages of magazines or blogs on facebook share something like "The 20 best beaches in the world" or "The best restaurants in Porto/Lisbon", I share this for a private message for myself to keep forever that I want to go see and take notes (xD). In addition to this (which is already an endless list), a few weeks before the trip I do a search on Google, Pinterest and Instagram of the most known places and the most beautiful areas to visit, which results in a list, in this specific case of Madrid, close to 100 restaurants/cafes/neighborhoods/streets/monuments, etc. to visit. As we were only a few days, we couldn't visit everything we had in mind, but so we have another excuse to visit Madrid, which we loved a lot.
Continuing, after this confession, we ended up going to La Bicicleta café 700m from Gran Via, which has a very nice breakfast option for the palate, the eyes (because I am a person who also eats a lot with my eyes), which results in good photography of food for social networks (xD). Later in the afternoon we went to Chueca Neighborhood and also passed through Malasaña Neighborhood, which are two zones with a funny architecture and full of cool cafes and trendy shops to know. From the Chueca station we took a subway - which was an adventure, because we had never walked that without having anyone to tell us where to go, but we realized how it worked - and we went to the Retiro, known for its park and the Crystal Palace. At the end of the walk through the park, which is huge, we went to the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes to contemplate the view and ended up having lunch there in a restaurant called La Pecera where we ate very well. At the end of the late lunch, we went to Salamanca Neighborhood known by its shopping area, which has Serrano Street, where are some of the top brand stores that everyone knows. We were just a bit there, because that's good, but it's for shopping and we were not with that intention, so we went to Gran Via to eat in the well known for its churros and hot chocolate, the Chocolatería San Ginés, and it was delicious despite the gigantic queue to place the order, it's worth it. In the end we went to rest to the hotel for a while and at night we had dinner at another restaurant of my list (of course xD) on Gran Via, the Oven restaurant, I think it was a restaurant with typical Italian dishes, and the pizzas are delicious.
The next day, we left early in the morning (after our Starbucks we couldn't do without) and already talking about the next time we would return!
xx, IFV.
La Bicicleta cafe
Chueca Neighborhood
El Retiro Park - Crystal Palace
Alcalá Street, Gran Via
Serrano Street, Salamanca
Oven Restaurant
Hers: Sweatshirt dress - Stradivarius | Jacket - Zara | Boots - Mango | Bag - Guess
His: Suit - Zara | Turtleneck sweater - Zara | Sneakers - Vans | Shades - Gucci | Gloves - Asos | Bandana - Primark
