MADRID...WHAT AN ADVENTURE!

And just like that… our Madrid adventure has come to an end! 🥹🇪🇸

What started with arriving in Madrid and thinking “let’s take it easy” quickly turned into walking, sightseeing, more walking, climbing, exploring, sweating, hydrating… and then walking some more!😂

We discovered very quickly that Madrid in August has only two temperatures: HOT and “ARE WE ACTUALLY MELTING?”🥵☀️

But the heat wasn't going to stop us!

Over our days in Madrid we explored an incredible amount — from the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor and Almudena Cathedral to the Royal Basilica of St. Francis, Sabatini Gardens and the beautiful views from the Mirador de la Cornisa.

We wandered through the Prado Museum, the Royal Botanical Garden, the Naval Museum, Banco de España, Palacio de Cibeles, Puerta de Alcalá and El Retiro. We discovered the vertical gardens, CaixaForum, Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid Río and Puente de Toledo.

And then there was our day trip to Segovia — where we saw the spectacular Roman Aqueduct, Casa de los Picos, Calle Real, Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, Jewish Quarter and the absolutely mesmerising Alcázar. We even climbed the Muralla de San Andrés and made our way to the Mirador de la Pradera.

Because apparently sightseeing wasn't enough… we also decided to walk ALL OVER THE PLACE!*😂

There were hydration stops everywhere. 💦

Water became a food group.

And our feet became our most vocal critics. 👣😂

We also discovered that Madrid has no shortage of beautiful squares, impressive buildings, hidden corners and places that make you stop and say, “Wow!”❤️

And, of course, we cannot forget our loyal travel companion:

🥪🍻 **100 MONTADITOS!**

At this point, I genuinely believe they should sponsor our next trip. 😂 We gave them enough business to deserve a loyalty card, a company car and possibly our own table!

Then came our final day.

We checked out at 10h00 and decided that after everything we'd packed into the previous days, we'd have a slow, relaxed last day.

We dropped our luggage into storage, headed back to Plaza de España for one last look and, naturally, more photos.

 Because apparently there is no such thing as “enough photos” when you're travelling! 😂

Then came one final lunch and drinks at 100 Montaditos — because why break tradition on the LAST DAY? 🤣

Eventually it was time to collect our luggage and head to the bus station.

And because every good adventure needs one final plot twist…

🚌 OUR BUS WAS A WHOLE HOUR LATE! 🤦‍♀️😂

Because apparently Madrid wasn't quite ready to let us go!

But eventually we were on our way back to Lisbon — very, very tired, with aching feet and enough memories, photos and stories to keep us going for a long time.❤️

Madrid, you've been absolutely brilliant.

You tested our legs, our stamina and our ability to find water. 😂 You gave us history, culture, stunning architecture, beautiful views, delicious food, plenty of laughs and memories we'll treasure forever.

We arrived as tourists…

We left as exhausted professionals! 😂😂

🇪🇸❤️ GOODBYE MADRID!

Thank you for the memories, the madness, the magnificent sights and even the heat.

We left very tired… but extremely happy.❤️

Until the next adventure…

Who knows where our feet will take us next! 🌍✈️🥾😂

☀️🇪🇸 Madrid Day 5 – Our Feet Have Officially Had Enough! 😂

And here we are again… another early start, another day of sightseeing, another LOT of walking, and, naturally, another day of asking ourselves: “Why exactly did we think this was a good idea?”🤣

Today’s cultural adventure started at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía 🎨. A lovely museum, a welcome escape from the heat, and proof that we can still appreciate culture even when our feet are screaming for mercy!

Next stop was CaixaForum Madrid, where we admired the spectacular vertical gardens 🌿. Very pretty… although at this stage we were mostly admiring anything that looked remotely cool and green! 😂

Then it was back outside into the Madrid furnace! 🥵☀️ We made our way to the Puente de Toledo, followed by a stroll through Madrid Río Park.

And yes… we walked. And walked. And walked some more. 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️

Our daily routine has now been perfected:

👣 Walk

☀️ Melt

💧 Hydrate

👣 Walk again

🥵 Complain about the heat

💧 Hydrate again

👣 Wonder how far we've walked

😂 Pretend we're still enjoying ourselves

👣 Keep walking anyway!

At this point, our feet have entered into formal negotiations with the rest of our bodies. They want immediate retirement. 😂😂

We've discovered that in Madrid, water isn't a drink anymore — it's survival equipment! 💧🤣

But despite the heat, the aching feet and the increasingly desperate hydration stops, we're still exploring, still laughing and still squeezing every last drop out of our Madrid adventure. ❤️🇪🇸

Tomorrow is our last day…

Our feet have already submitted a formal request for NO MORE WALKING.

Unfortunately, nobody has approved it. 🤣🤣

Madrid: 5

Our feet: 0

Our water bottles: Working overtime!💧😂🇪🇸

🇪🇸 MADRID – DAY 4

THE DAY WE DISCOVERED WE MAY ACTUALLY BE COOKING OURSELVES! 😂🔥

Once again, we got up bright and early — because apparently, when you're on holiday, sleeping in is simply not an option! 😂 — and hopped on the metro towards our first stop: the Prado Museum.

We arrived, waited a little, and eventually made it inside. Now, before anyone gets up in arms… 😜 this is just my personal opinion!

The Prado is a beautiful museum and undoubtedly a paradise for a true art connoisseur. 🎨 But if, like me, you appreciate art without necessarily wanting to have a serious conversation with every painting, I personally wouldn't recommend paying €15 for admission. There, I said it! 😂 Please don't come for me!

Next stop: the Royal Botanical Garden 🌿🌺 — absolutely lovely, but by now the temperature was climbing faster than our enthusiasm for walking!

Then it was off to the Naval Museum, although we only admired it from the outside, before continuing past the magnificent Palacio de Cibeles, Puerta de Alcalá, and into El Retiro Park.

And THIS is where Madrid decided to turn up the heat. 🔥🔥🔥

Walking around El Retiro felt less like sightseeing and more like being slowly roasted in a very large oven. 😂 We were doing our absolute best to stay hydrated, which meant numerous and very necessary pit stops along the way.

At this point, I'm beginning to think that beer and Coke might soon become scarce commodities in Madrid. 🍺🥤😂 We may have personally contributed to a national shortage!

We eventually made our way to Barrio de las Letras, soaking up the atmosphere before heading back home — tired, hot, slightly dehydrated despite our best efforts, but still somehow determined to squeeze in MORE walking. Because apparently we hadn't suffered enough. 😂

And because evenings in Madrid are clearly for walking rather than resting, we ventured out again around our area and discovered the absolutely beautiful and mesmerising Santa María del Silencio. ✨Will elaborate more on this one tomorrow. 

A perfect little evening discovery before we finally called it a day and headed to 100 Montaditos for some much-needed food and drinks.

And so ended another day in Madrid:

👣 countless kilometres walked

🔥 temperatures capable of frying an egg

🥤 Coke consumed in industrial quantities

🍺 beer treated as a hydration strategy

🎨 a cultural experience

⛪ a beautiful evening discovery

🍴 and finally… food!

Tomorrow is our second last day.

At this point, our feet have formally submitted their resignation. 😂😂😂