I spent 9 hours in Madrid yesterday. I set out with the essentials: my Kindle, for reading on the train; my battery pack, since Google Maps drains my phone like no other; and sunscreen. I got bumped to first class on the way there and didn’t realize it, so I thought the entire train was just really nice.
First things first: I needed a faster way to get to the two main locations where La casa de papel / Money Heist was filmed, north of the main attractions. So I rented an electric scooter. (They’re ubiquitous here.) I checked the Puerta de Alcalá off my to-see list on my way to get vegan donuts. (Madrid has 3 vegan donut shops. 3!)
Full of sugar and excitement, I got back on my scooter and rode north toward the fake Bank of Spain. It was so big! It was hard to imagine how it looked when the series was filming, but it was definitely the same building. Tragically, my celebrity crush was nowhere in sight.
I walked about 15 minutes toward the fake Royal Mint, where the first 2 seasons of Money Heist took place. The plaza was closed for the weekend, which was a bummer, but a fellow fan took a picture of me as close as we could get. (It’s the white building with the columns in the background.)
I met up with friends at the Crystal Palace, took some more photos, and then a friend and I hopped on scooters and rode off to a vegan place for lunch. (Madrid has more than 30 vegan restaurants. Insane.) We ate fake chicken burgers on the steps down from Plaza Mayor, then went over and toured the royal palace. It was over-the-top. So extra, as the kids say.
We wanted to go see the Guernica, but the museum was closed, so we walked over to the Gran Vía, took a quick look around (we happened to be near the actual Bank of Spain), and hopped in a taxi back to the train station.
I love going to a new city with a plan and trying to squeeze everything in in a day. I’m convinced I’ll be back in Madrid — maybe even when the Reina Sofía Museum is open.