Madrid, Spain

For me, going to Madrid was more about seeing art than anything else. A friend of mine compared it to Milan: rather than a charming, European city feeling (though it's not lacking charm), it's more industrial, lived-in. The street fashion was inspiring (not too surprising considering Zara is headquartered there), and the food was excellent.

Some highlights:

We stayed at Totem Madrid, which is not super close to the museum triangle, but in a leafier neighborhood with lots of boutiques. The hotel itself has gorgeous interiors and the restaurant was delicious for every meal. 

San Miguel food market is a must! I'm guessing it is always packed with people, but for good reason: everything tastes as yummy as it looks. Lots of fun Spanish specialties to try, most of them in tapas-sized portions. And wine galore! As tempting as the blue-colored wine might be, I fell for the gimmick and don't do it, it's not good. The area around the market is one of the cuter areas to stroll around and see pretty architecture. Another interesting food market is Platea, close to Totem. Although it's not as delicious as San Miguel, it's a modern update of the market experience, and a fun, unique dinner out nonetheless. 

Museo Nacional del Prado is the biggest and most famous museum, and the one we opted for, although everyone says they are all worth seeing. Definitely get your tickets online beforehand to avoid the long lines, and for $9 more you get a nice book with every painting in the museum (beware, you'll have to carry it around for the rest of your trip though - all that history has some weight to it!).

Reina Sofia Museo is where you'll be able to see Picasso's Guernica (my bf sneakily snapped a pic, but it's forbidden). It's a smallish, modern museum that's easy to do in a few hours, and a break from the massive rooms at the Prado. There's a fabulous living wall at the nearby Caixa Forum, as a bonus.  

Below, links to a comfortable outfit for a day of walking around Madrid!