I really like Spain after being to the two very different but awesome cities of Madrid and Barcelona.
Madrid is an older city than Barcelona and tells of the older past of Spain as being the capital of Spain, it was where decisions were made for the ruling of the country. Stories of the Habsburg dynasty, Spanish Inquisition, the oldest restaurant in the world, etc. There is a very rustic charm that you feel in this place, and you will definitely encounter less tourists than in Barcelona. And of course there is bull fighting in Madrid which is as Spanish as it can get.
Food in Madrid has a lesser variety of International Food compared to Barcelona but that is good isn't it? Because you get to really embrace the local food culture and I really dig the food in Madrid with the awesome Paella (pronounce 'll' as 'y') and Tapas. And its cheaper too! ( you can get sandwich for 1 Euro)
Barcelona on the other hand is this really modern city that is the 4th most visited city in Europe after Paris, London and Rome. It feels kinda like Singapore especially at Las Ramblas which is so packed with tourists and shopping places (ZARA is cheaper in Spain and Portugal btw). It is more easy for a non-Spanish person to assimilate in Barcelona as it is just so international. Something that the walking tour guide said that I like very much is that on one of the most busy streets of Barcelona, you realise that even though you are smack in the centre of the city, you look down the road on one side and you see trees and mountains, you turn around and look the other side and its the sea. This is Barcelona.
Regarding Nightlife, I didn't get to enjoy any during this trip round, because I was afraid that I would not be able to function properly the next day after partying the night away and by 'night' I really mean the entire night because apparently in Spain they only start after midnight and the party don't stop until like 7am (maybe exaggerating a bit haha but comparatively in UK most people are done by 2am.) You get the feelling that people really know how to party in Spain and we haven't been to IBIZA yet.
In terms of art, Madrid has really good and highly rated museums like El Prado and Reina Sofia, whereas Barcelona has the awe-inspiring architecture of Gaudi (I hope to see the Sagrada Familia finish in my lifetime!)
Events wise I feel that Barcelona is more able to support better events as it has better infrastructure being a modern city and also having held the Olympics in 1992. I attended the X Games Barcelona which was a first time it was held in Europe and it was an amazing spectacle to see the motorcycles and motorcyclist fly in the air and perform tricks.
ARRGH there is so much more that I enjoyed in Spain, the language, the Sun, the shopping, etc. and I can't wait to be back again. Next time I will explore the other places like Seville and Granada which I have held awesome reviews about :) Hasta Luego!
MADRID:
 |
| Bull Fighting in Las Ventas |
 |
| A traditional blood sport of Spain. |
 |
| Ate the tapas too fast! |
 |
| The literiture street |
 |
| A very common feature of palaces in Madrid is the red bricks and white bricks on the RHS of picture. |
 |
| Image depicting the Spanish Inquisition of the treatment of non-catholics. |
 |
| Inside the oldest restaurant in the world - Botin |
 |
| The old city walls and stories of the Kingdom of Spain told by our lively tour guide |
 |
| The Palacio Real. |
 |
| It's San Isidro Day and we caught some nice traditional dance that are very flamenco like. |
 |
| San Isidro Parade which are widely enjoyed by the old people mainly. |
 |
| Getting some tapas with our Japanese friend Jun Pei |
 |
| The Dali Exhibition at Reina Sofia |
 |
| El Retiro Park is huge |
 |
| El Prado museum which showcases the art by Spanish artist and the church beside it |
 |
| Not a very impressive stadium but nevertheless housing one of the best football clubs in the world |
BARCELONA:
 |
| Las Ramblas - has the orchard road vibe ya |
 |
| Super excited to be at the X Games |
 |
| Barcelona at night |
 |
| A day trip to Montserrat - Beautiful mountain scenery and monasteries. |
 |
| Catalunya Paella - Lots of Seafood |
 |
| The beach of Barcelona |
 |
| Casa Batllo - Nicknames 'House of Bones' and 'House of Yawn' |
 |
| La Pedrera which has a apartment for rent for 15000 a month and a 8 year waiting list! |
 |
| Sagrada Familia. One of the most amazing piece of architecture ever. Even when unfinished. Kinda like a dark fairy tale castle don't you think? |
