It’s October, so I guess it’s about time to recap our trip in August…. Time is in short supply lately, but we are about to go on another trip, so I better get to recapping this one before I forget everything! Traveling back in time, we went to Spain for a belated 40th birthday celebration for Steve. He chose Spain because it was the shortest non-stop flight to a warm location. We flew in and out of Madrid and went to Barcelona to meet up with friends in between. We decided to have Quinn stay with his grandparents in NY and just brought Rhys. It was great to be able to give Rhys our undivided attention for a bit. We visited Madrid briefly in 2021 as part of my maternity leave farewell tour with Quinn, but felt that we still had a lot of ground to cover. As I’ve said many times, Europe in August is not for everyone- it’s hot and crowded, but it’s the best time for Steve to get away from work. Madrid just happened to go through a heat wave when we were there. It was HOT!
WHERE TO EAT:
Wolfox Coffee was on the main touristy drag, but had excellent coffee and a nice atmosphere. It fueled us up after the overnight flight. After we rested and fueled, we wandered around for food and stumbled upon Brunch Club. Let me say one more thing about Europe in the summer. They don’t seem to believe in A/C the way we do and I melt. This was a super cute little cafe, but it was toasty inside. I got over it quickly though because they had gluten free toast and it was GOOD.
Coco House: We stopped in here to cool off and it hit the spot. They had these delicious drinks made of coconut milk and coconut water, almost like a healthier milkshake.
I went back and read my old blog post just now and look! I actually went somewhere from my “if I ever come back here, I’d eat here” list. We went to El Imparcial on our anniversary for dinner and it was quite good.
Grosso Napotelano: Probably one of the best gluten free pizzas I’ve ever had. It tasted just like the real deal. They had all sorts of gluten free foods that I’ve never seen back home. I wish I could take it all back with me! There are locations all over Madrid and Barcelona, but Steve thought it was overkill to visit more than once…
Osom Coffee: Our hotel concierge recommended this spot and it was so tasty we went back again for coffees to go and then a third time to buy a mug. They had incredible gluten free vegan pancakes and a variety of unique coffee drinks. When the drinks arrived, I noticed the mug looked just like one I saw way back on our first trip to Lisbon. I had taken a picture of the ceramics after that trip and reached out to the maker about ordering and shipping to the U.S. They said they don’t ship the U.S. and that was that. Turns out this mug was the same maker and they sold the cups in the shop. It was a must have souvenir all these years later!
Natif: Located right next door to Osom Coffee and just as charming. We had excellent coffees and gluten free toast here. Rhys missed out and slept through the whole thing.
San Miguel Market: Excellent tapas and small portions so you can try everything. We got a small paella and tried many different stuffed olives. I’m sure there’s a more official name for them, but it was an entire stand of tiny skewers of olives and accoutrements with no labels. A surprise with each bite!
San Ildefonso Market: A more trendy food hall with multiple levels. We had gigantic arepas bigger than I’ve ever seen. Just writing about it is making me hungry.
We made a quick stop in Honest Greens, a healthy quick option with locations in both Portugal and Spain.
Here are some we didn’t make it to (recommended by Steve’s colleague who lives here) but wanted to go:
Ficus Cocktail Bar
Sala De Despiece
Gluten free spots didn’t make it to but wanted to go:
Sana Locura bakery
LAIB Bakery
Pastelería La Oriental
Celicioso
La Lina
WHERE TO STAY:
On the front end of our trip, we stayed at the Thompson Hotel. Our room was enormous! You never know what you’re going to get when traveling with a baby, but there was plenty of space to have their pack n play on the other side of the room. The hotel was so kind in bringing a baby bath, baby toiletries, towels, blanket, and toy for Rhys. We used Amex to book which meant we got a $100 credit to spend on-site. They had a really nice rooftop restaurant and pool that we took full advantage of. Steve and I took turns while Rhys napped to get some relaxation in too. Breakfast was also included and it was an epic spread. Rhys enjoyed some food, which was exciting for this new eater!
On the backend of our trip, we stayed at Hotel Montera. It was actually one block up from the Thompson Hotel right on the main drag. Thankfully it was sound proof so we didn’t hear all the late night revelers. The room was much smaller than the first, but our stay was very brief here. We booked it through Amex, so again we got the $100 credit. It went to cheese and charcuterie by the rooftop pool. They had little cabana beds which made for an ideal lounge spot with Rhys safely in the middle. I could get used to this life! Another plug for using the Amex hotel booking portal- they really go above and beyond with guests. The first hotel took great care of Rhys and this hotel paid attention when we asked about coffee shops. They delivered a gift of coffee beans to our room along with a thank you note when we left!
WHAT TO DO:
Retiro Park: The hotel concierge suggested visiting at sunset, but we instead went early in the morning before the heat set in. It was beautiful and peaceful with plenty of people out getting their exercise, admiring the fountains, and paddling in the little lake.
Prado Museum: self proclaimed “most important art gallery in Spain”. You could be here for hours seeing many famous paintings. We also learned where the term for the galaxy Milky Way came from. You learn something new every day!
Naval Museum: We didn’t make it here, but our neighbor whose son lives in Madrid suggested it.
And now for misc photos and a little side bar: I have a small collection of coffee mugs from our travels with cats meowing on them in different languages. Very niche, but I had to snap this photo of a Spanish “meow”.
Now that we’ve covered Madrid, I’ll try to recap Barcelona soon…or maybe just before 2025 at this rate!
