Plaza Mayor in MadridA lot of people fly in or out of Madrid when they come to Spain, but it is often overlooked as a destination itself. I spent a few weeks there when I was in college and was excited to return. We were staying right in the center of town, near the Peurta del Sol. We arrived in the afternoon and after a short taxi ride, were settled into our hotel. We ventured out on foot and walked immediately into the Puerto del Sol a couple blocks away. By now it was early evening, and the plaza was packed! It really is the central gathering place for locals and tourists alike. It seemed especially crowded, and I was wondering if there was a special occasion. We later learned it was not, and it really is just that busy every night! Not only was the plaza busy, but all the streets that fed that plaza were packed with walkers as well. This is one of the things I love most about Spanish culture - the social gatherings in the evenings. People of all ages come out to walk and visit with friends and strangers alike. Whether they are out to shop, eat or simply be with people they take the time in the evenings to just relax, walk around and talk and laugh with their friends and family. We walked by the royal palace and the cathedral, through countless parks and plazas before settling in to a little corner bar for a glass of wine and a couple tapas. Eight euros later, we were full and happy and ready to turn in for the night.
We woke late the next morning but after a quick breakfast and cafe con leches, we headed off to the Reina Sofia Modern Art Museum. The museum was filled with famous modern art, including my two favorites artists, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picaso. The art was fascinating, and you could spend hours looking at each one of the pieces. The highlight of the museum is definitely Picaso’s Guernica, which is a very political piece that fills an entire wall of the museum. It depicts the small town of Guernica that was bombed during World War II. The sadness and destruction is shown through Picaso’s own style, and I suspect it will stay relevant for years to come.
The rest of our time in Madrid was just spent walking, eating tapas and drinking wine, then walking some more. I felt that we covered a lot of ground on foot in just a couple days. There is always more to see but the central part of Madrid is worth at least a couple days, and the perfect introduction to our two weeks in Spain.
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
7 hours ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
22 hours ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
5 days ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
6 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.