Almudena Cathedral has a traditional Neo-Gothic exterior, but a surprisingly modern interior. Many visitors had a very strong opinion of the cathedral. I loved the bright pops of color, but others disliked it. I even heard one man next to me say it looked tacky. Either way it is definitely a sight to behold and the grand scale of the cathedral will overwhelm your senses.

Buen Retiro Park is one of the largest parks in Madrid, and was my favorite place I visited while we were there. You could spend days getting lost among the beautiful trees, sculptures and monuments. Not only that, but there is also a lovely lake to walk around, go boat riding or simply sit by the water’s edge and soak up the sun.

I went to Mercado de San Miguel, which is an incredible tapas market located in the center of Madrid. Boy is this place incredible! yummm

There are many amazing day trips you can take while staying in Madrid. My friend and I chose to visit Toledo. Toledo is known as the City of Three Cultures, a place where Christians, Muslims and Jews coexisted for many years. We took a lovely train ride to this province.

Check out this incredible view as we are crossing over the bridge to the town. It looked this stunning everywhere we went!

This is one of many beautiful cathedrals in Toledo. We had the place all to ourselves and the deafening silence added to the magnificent feel of the place.

We wandered along small narrow streets, allowing ourselves to get lost among the beautiful  crumbling buildings and stunning architecture.

Toledo is up on a hill and is surrounded by water. We just sat at the bottom and enjoyed the sun and grand views. We had just climbed through every inch of that amazing city and what a journey it was.

I hope this blog has encouraged you to visit Madrid one day. I will never forget what an amazing time I had there.

Have you ever been to Madrid or a neighboring city? Share below! I would love to hear about your adventures.