Spain 2015-16: BCN > Madrid > BCN

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I split these cities up, for a special reason.*

I went to Barcelona first for a couple days, then bused it through the countryside to Madrid for a day and a night, then back to Barcelona in time to celebrate my birthday with all the BCN NYE hoopla in the main square with fireworks and a live band.

First, Madrid was grand, in a word. Things are larger here and the styles are also slightly more grand than Barcelona and Lisbon. The roadways and layout are quite large, so I could sense that way back in the day when there were horses instead of cars, there was plenty of room to allow for a bustling, metropolitan city.

I absolutely loved the giant Buen Retiro Park where I spent many hours wandering and admiring. There was even a crystal palace with the most romantic of settings. In the front, there was a large pond with geese and sucks, a fountain in the center, a waterfall off to one side and a average-sized well-manicured lawn surrounding it all. That was maybe the closest to fairy tale I’ve been yet! You can tell someone had a vision and now we get to enjoy it.

For my day in Madrid, I had some excellent espressos and a perfect light dinner.

Finally, Barcelona.

Ah, Barcelona. This is my favorite city in Europe. I debated with myself over coming back a second time, and decided that since it was my birthday, and if I went to see Madrid, then it was a good plan. I love the food, the weather, the place where I stay, the neighborhood that I now know so well, the liberty you feel there. Dancing at 4am under the Arc de Triomf... =)

I get the best sleep in Europe when I am in Spain 😉

I frequented a few of my favorite places from the year before and it is nice to see things haven’t changed much in a year. I really do feel like I have another home in Barcelona.

I LOVE YOU, BARCELONA!!!

*feel free to ask me why…

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