Spain 2020: Diary – Day 6

NOTE -> This trip occurred pre-COVID-19 and feels like 100 years ago

The day started relatively early for us. We needed to get our last few things packed for the next stop on our trip in Madrid. The kids were a bit reluctant, but also excited to explore a new city.

We made our way downstairs to check out and checked the bill. I thought we had booked a prepaid rate, but apparently it was a non-refundable rate, but we didn’t have to pay until we checked out. In any case, the rate was what we expected for both of the rooms.. I paid the bill and we headed outside to flag down a taxi. It took a few minutes but one eventually stopped for us and we loaded up.

Well, at least we tried to load up. Only one of our big suitcases fit in the back, but the second one wouldn’t because the car was so small. We also fit our backpacks in the back but had to sit with the suitcase on our laps in the back seat. Fortunately it was only a few minutes to the train station.

Express Train to Madrid

We arrived about an hour before our train was scheduled to leave so we found a cafe to get a bite of breakfast. We had left before breakfast started at the hotel. After eating we visited one of the shops that was open. It was a chain we had visited near the beach on our first day in Valencia. They have a lot of neat and really cheap gadgets and souvenirs. The boys felt like they needed to touch everything in sight!

By the time we were out of the store our train had been assigned a boarding platform so we went through security (i.e. putting our bags through the X-ray) and found our seats.

The train was very similar to the one from Barcelona to Valencia, though there wasn’t quite as much legroom. That said it was still much more than you’d get on a plane. The train departed on time and it was a short 2 hours to Madrid where we arrived within 5 minutes of the scheduled arrival time. This train reached speeds of 300km/hour and felt faster than the one to Valencia which “only” topped out at 250km/hour.

In Madrid we followed the signs to the taxi stand where there was a long line of people. The line moved quickly and there were plenty of taxis. There was just traffic gridlock of taxis waiting at a stoplight trying to leave the station which delayed the next wave of taxis. We finally got our ride after about 10 minutes of waiting which wasn’t bad considering the length of the line.

Hyatt Centric Gran Via

It was another 10 minutes to arrive at our hotel, the Hyatt Centric Gran Via. It was right on the Main Street with lots of shopping and nearby restaurants. It was in the center of all the action which is where we prefer to be!

We found the small lobby and were quickly greeted by an agent who checked us in. We were happy to hear that our room was ready so we’d have a place to drop our luggage before heading out to explore the city. The agent was very friendly and helpful, explaining about the hotel and providing a map of the area and highlighting the points of interest.

We headed up to our room and were immediately happy we upgraded the room to a suite! The room was massive and they had already set up the Murphy bed which was a queen size mattress. There were two bathrooms and amazing views of the street area. The design and decor was modern yet functional with a desk, multiple seating areas, a dining table, and plentiful outlets and USB charging ports. It was better than what we had hoped for and I was immediately happy to have opted for the suite upgrade.

Exploring Downtown

After dropping our stuff off we headed out to explore the city. The main downtown areas we wanted to visit were a short 10 minute walk away. We checked out the Mercado de San Miguel, which is a central market like the ones we had visited in both Barcelona and Valencia. This one was smaller and had more prepared foods but we all found something interesting to try. The only disappointment was that we didn’t find a place with a strawberry pineapple smoothie to compare against the other markets.

Afterwards we wandered around the area and found Plaza Mayor which is a large open plaza with shops and cafes. We wandered down other streets and alleys taking in the signs and ambiance until the boys decided they wanted some churros. We found a nearby place that looked promising and went inside to get some fresh churros with chocolate for dipping. They passed the test.

Back at the hotel we rested for a bit while watching some documentaries on TV. We then headed to a nearby Parque de El Retiro. It is a massive park with lots of open space and things to do. We rented a rowboat like we did in Barcelona. It was cheaper and the time to use it was longer giving the boys more of a chance to get their energy out.

Back at the hotel we ventured to the hotel restaurant/bar that had a TV replaying a soccer game from the previous night. They ordered some drinks and light snacks while they watched. Once it was done we returned to the room to decide what we’d do for dinner.

Dinner Time

Tomatico found an Argentinian restaurant steps from the hotel. He really likes empanadas, which are popular in Argentina, so he wanted to check that place out. We discovered the restaurant is in the same building as the hotel, just with an external entrance. Checking the menu we all found something we wanted to try so we went in to get a table. The restaurant was a tiny room with only a few tables, but we were early enough that there was only a couple other parties.

They had popcorn on the table as an appetizer and the boys loved that. My wife ordered an appetizer dish that consisted of melted cheese and jamon (ham) topped with tomatoes and olive oil. I ended up getting a steak. Tomatico ordered an empanada as an appetizer and both boys got a burger.

The food ended up being mostly amazing. Tomatico wasn’t thrilled with his empanada, but it was good enough that he finished it. He loved my wife’s dish and his burger. My steak was a flank steak, a cut that is usually find somewhat tough and dry, but it came out juicy and tender despite being slightly overcooked. Honestly, it was one of the better steaks I’ve had! I expect we’ll be heading back!

After dinner my wife took the boys to the fitness center while I caught up with work in the room. The machines were in working condition and Tomatico was excited to finally be able to get a workout in. It had been a busy day and we all went to bed when they got back from the gym.