Yet again, Saturday is nearly upon us (seems like only a week ago!) which leaves you with two options. Number 1) Turn off the alarm, sleep, sleep and sleep a bit more, and when you can sleep no more whack on the heating and a Christmas film and enjoy the rest of the day feeling festive with a hot drink. Number 2) Get up, seize the day, and explore Madrid (obviously after completing any outstanding homework activities set by your teachers at Inhispania…)! Don’t let the exclamation mark fool you; in my eyes, both options are great. However, if you do choose to go with option number 2, here are some ideas to help you kick-start your day.
1) Brunch. Everyone loves a bit of brunch, and if you plan it into your day you are simultaneously giving yourself a great excuse to enjoy a bit of a lie-in. Mmm_US serves a delicious brunch from 11.00-14.00 every day. Here you can order pastries, cereals, meats, tortilla: pretty much whatever you like! The food is made with good-quality, fresh ingredients and you won’t end up spending a fortune.
2) A little bit of culture. If you haven’t been to one of the many museums Madrid has to offer yet then why not take the plunge on Saturday? Opening times are the same on Saturdays so don’t think you need to get there early, just be aware that there are bound to be bigger crowds of tourists!
3) Churros and chocolate. Go, pay, eat, enjoy, collapse in a chocolatey food coma and swear you’ll never eat churros again.
4) A Christmas tour of Madrid. Now that the Christmas lights are officially on, why not spend Saturday evening wandering around the city to see the sights in lights? Not to be missed: the Christmas tree in Sol, the lights on Gran Vía, Calle Serrano and of course the Christmas market in Plaza Mayor.
5) A trip to the cinema. Everyone loves the cinema. After all, what’s not to like about sitting in front of a giant screen, watching (generally) pretty people act out something far more interesting than whatever you’ve done with your day whilst munching your way through enough popcorn to feed a family of 6 for a week? Recommendation: La vida de Pi, it was great!
6) Christmas shopping. Sol and Gran Vía are great areas to do a spot of Christmas shopping. Even if you’re going home for Christmas why not make the most of some foreign specialities and surprise your friends and family with traditional Spanish turrón and other delicious treats.
7) Go for a bike ride! Admittedly the current weather doesn’t exactly scream “outdoor activity”, but equally getting out in the cold, fresh air can be fun and refreshing. El Parque Madrid Río offers a very pretty landscape and for just 4 euros an hour you can enjoy it on a bike!
8) Visit an underground museum. The old, disused metro station Chamberí has been open to the public for four years and in that time has received 170,000 visitors. It was one of the first stations to be built on the first ever metro line so is definitely worth a look, and with trains whizzing past between Bilbao and Iglesia, it’ll definitely be a spooky experience!
9) A day trip. Buses to Toledo and Segovia (two very pretty towns between 1.5-2 hours from Madrid) run frequently and even if you book last minute you won’t be burdened with higher ticket prices.
10) Attack your bedroom with all things Christmas! Obviously take care if you are living in someone else’s house, a hostel or a hotel, but why not add a bit of festive spirit to your room? Seek out a mini Christmas tree, some tinsel and a few baubles and voilà! An instant mood-lifter!
photo via: http://www.petertsaiphotography.com/blog/2009/04/21/travel-photography-madrid-and-toledo-spain-2004/
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