Spain | Madrid: A Night in Madrid (7)

Near Madrid is a little town called Toledo, about an hour away by coach. It has a rich history and was once the capital of Spain. Walking into Toledo feels like traveling back to the Middle Ages. The town is full of winding cobblestone lanes, sometimes so narrow that even two people walking side by side feel squeezed. You can also see traces of Christian, Islamic, and Jewish cultures intertwined here, earning it the name “City of Three Cultures”—something pretty rare.

While wandering around the town, I stumbled across an oil painting shop with plenty of personality. Outside were a few classical portraits featuring animals dressed as people, painted in a style that was both pretty abstract and pretty funny. The subjects were all dogs and cats, but every one of them was dressed to the nines—some in lavish outfits with collars like Henry VIII’s, some wearing Napoleonic bicorne hats, and even some as Baroque aristocrats sporting curly wigs. Honestly, mixing that solemn royal-court vibe with adorably goofy pets creates a very subtle deadpan humor. Looking at their utterly serious expressions, you’d almost believe these cats and dogs really had ruled Europe at some point. Pretty amusing.

The town isn’t big, and two or three hours is enough to see most of it. Before leaving, we spotted a shop devoted entirely to little ducks, packed with all sorts of them. They looked so cute. Coming across such a playful little shop amid Toledo’s old-world surroundings was a real breath of fresh air.

After exploring Toledo, we returned to central Madrid in the afternoon and happened to see a group of kids playing football in the street. Honestly, they were pretty good. One little boy spotted us and actually called out “Ni hao” to me. To be honest, I was really surprised—I hadn’t expected to hear such a familiar greeting here, hahaha.

Oh, and the Riu hotel in Madrid supposedly offers a panoramic view of the city, but if you’re not staying there, it costs 10 euros per person. We went up, and honestly, unless you’re going to have a drink on the rooftop, I really wouldn’t recommend it. Looking at photos online feels like a better option. It’s terrible value for money.

That evening, we planned to head into central Madrid. I was on the metro, looking down at my phone, when a “singer” casually appeared right in front of me, unhurriedly took out a guitar, and just started playing. They kept going until I got off. I was honestly a bit thrown by the whole thing. I looked into it afterward and found out that performers are actually allowed to do this on the metro here. To be fair, it does create a pretty distinctive atmosphere.

Walking through central Madrid, we even spotted a CoCo. There were quite a few people lining up outside, and business looked pretty brisk. But one glance at the menu showed that the prices weren’t quite so lovely—considerably more expensive than back in China, hahaha.

The buildings in central Madrid really are pretty impressive. Each one has its own unique “special effects,” and they look pretty dazzling.

Still, along those bustling streets, we also saw quite a few people who appeared to be begging. There was even what might have been a married couple begging together by the roadside (I do wonder how they managed to find wives). Honestly, seeing that against all the elegant buildings around them made for quite a stark contrast.

Of course, we had to stop by Madrid’s iconic “Bear and Strawberry Tree” statue.

When we went looking for somewhere to eat that evening, we realized it was already pretty late, and lots of places had closed. In the end, we had to settle for a Sichuan restaurant. Honestly, that meal made my heart ache a little: three dishes and a bottle of local sangria came to nearly 600 yuan. The food tasted decent, but the prices really were so much higher than back in China. Oh well, I’ll just count it as a reward for all that running around Madrid that day.