I started writing this blog (what feels like a very long time ago) partly because I couldn't find the kind of information I was looking for on the internet when I was planning my move to Madrid (although there are actually many other good blogs about moving to Spain too!). With that in mind and the benefit of hindsight now that I'm back in England and have a bit of perspective on things, here are some of the things you should not miss if going to Madrid (to live or for a holiday) as well as some things I would have done differently. I never understand those people who say they have no regrets. To me it just sounds like a lack of imagination! Let's get them out of the way first.
Regrets
Learning Spanish – there are a few things I could have done in order to learn more Spanish. I should have had classes but aside from that I suppose I think it was a mistake not to live with Spanish people. Having English friends is all well and good but I think if you lived with Spaniards you would learn a lot more day to day. I had the opportunity to move in with a Spanish-speaking Brazillian with only a little English when I was in my hostel but I passed it up.
Hours – For the first three months or so that I was in Spain, I didn't have nearly enough hours. I should have pushed for more from my agency or got more private classes through the internet. Private classes can actually be much more fun than agency ones because you can be more relaxed and do your own thing. If I'd have done that, I would have come out with a lot more money as well, rather than just about breaking even as I did in the end. Still, you can't complain, there is a global recession on after all.
Shopping Around for Apartments – Our apartment was pretty grotty, dark and in a area seemingly soley populated with people over the age of 65. I never did get the balcony that I wished for either. That said, €233 a month is very, very cheap and it was only a 10-minute walk from Plaza Mayor, and the recently completed park that runs by the Manznares river has made that area a lot nicer. With hindsight though, Lavapies would have been my ideal area to live in.
Segovia – I never went. The roman viaduct looked amazing.
There you go, nothing too major. And now the best bits...
Highlights
Roof Terraces – There are some great hidden roof terrazas in Madrid. Gaudeamus in Lavapies on top of the library on Calle Tribulete is great, and there's a super-secret one in a residential building on Tirso de Molina which you would never find unless someone took you up there. There's also a very swish (and probably expensive) one on top of the new market in Chueca which I only had a quick glimpse of. Also, many blocks of flats, including mine, have accesible roof terraces. Sitting up there watching the sunset, the palace and cathedral in the foreground, the mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama as the backdrop while the swallows swooped and screeched among the rooftops, was breathtaking and the perfect antidote to our dark and cramped flat.
Casa de Campo – Casa de Campo is the big forested area on the west of Madrid. It's huge and very easily accessible from the city, walking or by metro (Lago). One of my favourite moments in Madrid was cycling up the hill in Casa de Campo at dusk in Spring during a quite intense time with work and speeding back down, whislting through pockets of hot and cold air with the whole city out in front of me.Malasaña – a trip to Madrid is not a trip to Madrid without a Malasaña bar crawl in my book. It's Madrid's hipster district, always packed with people ducking in and out of it's countless bars and botellon-ing (sitting round in squares drinking) in the summer, the atmosphere is electric. Clubs around Plaza de España or Chueca are easy walking distance too.
Toledo – only half an hour from Atocha station by high speed train, if you were wondering where all the old building were in Madrid, this is it. Toledo was the capital of Spain before it was moved to Madrid 400 or so years ago. It's a beautiful old city, perched on a meadering bank of a river and is well worth a visit. Toledo goes to bed early so don't expect a party, but as a romantic weekend getaway, it's pretty ideal.
The Mountains – The greenery and scale of the Sierra de Guadarrama make an great break from the crowded, dry and hectic city. They are qutie spectacular too and the little mountain train from Cercedilla to Cotos gives you some fantastic views
The Rastro – The vast Sunday morning market that stretches across southern Old Madrid is a must see. You've never seen so much wonderful junk! Pay a visit to the old tosta shop, El Capricho Extremeño, at the bottom of the hill near Parque del Rastro and get traditional Madrid tostas (toasts) with different toppings, including the Madrid delicacy gulas – eel featuses.
So there you go. Those are just some of the best bits, but of course there were many more, more personal, great times (you'll have to read the rest of the blog for those). All in all, I had a great time in Madrid and it was a really good decision to go. I feel like I learned a lot about myself, turning up in a strange city not knowing anyone or even speaking the language. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's at that stage where they don't quite know what to do with themselves yet. Living abroad for a year gives you perspective on both your life and where you come from as well. Teaching English gives you some good working experience too, and looks good on a CV. It's the first proper 'business job' (where I've had to dress smart) I've had and has made me much more confident in an office environment.
It also made me appreciate how valuable my friends at home are to me though, and how important cultural connections can be. It can sometimes be very lonely living abroad. The thought of going to Barcelona and starting again from scratch, even with Kate this time, has seemed less and less appealing since coming back. Various friends we thought were going to be there now aren't either and so we decided, it's London instead! As soon as we'd made the decision, I felt a great sense of relief. I'd only ever planned to go away for a year and seeing everyone again just made me want to stay. It felt like I'd be drifting further out of people's lives if I did another year and it was beginning to feel more like exile. Maybe I'd go away for a year again later but straight after just felt like too much.
So I'm incredibly excited to be moving to London! I've never lived there before, and it seems like a natural next step, especially as almost all my friends from university are there as well as an increasing number from home too.
And so, I suppose, that brings me to the end of this blog's life. I've really enjoyed writing it and reading comments by people, please email me at barney.guiton@gmail.com if you have any questions or want any advice about Madrid. I'm planning on writing a few different things when I go to London, a bit more orignal than this blog, and I'll post them on here when they're up and running.
But until then, thanks for reading and hasta la proxima!
