FLAMENCO AND SOCCER – MADRID IS FULL OF PASSION!

Madrileños are a passionate people and this is on full display in Madrid’s flamenco and soccer culture. One cannot visit this vibrant Spanish metropolis without experiencing the intense and dramatic dance that is flamenco or hear the chanting and roar of the Real Madrid fans. Our final days in Madrid took us to the world famous Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and the Cardamomo Flamenco Madrid Theater.

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

Being a huge soccer fan, there was absolutely no way I was going to visit Madrid and not attend a Real Madrid game. At the very least I wanted to tour their legendary stadium. Mother Nature had a huge role in making the decision for us. We had been monitoring the weather ever since we arrived to Madrid and had to switch our plans around due to rain moving in our direction. Our intention was to watch Real Madrid vs Getafe in Getafe (about 30 minutes away) the Sunday we went on the Avila and Segovia tour. We had to switch days to take advantage of the perfect weather.

I had to scratch “watch Real Madrid play in Spain” off my travel bucket list. A tour of this soccer cathedral would have to do. We bought our stadium tour tickets on their website and the process was fairly simple. After paying you get sent a bar code for each ticket purchased and you save them on your phone for scanning later. You can purchase match tickets and merchandise as well from their site.

The stadium is located just north of downtown Madrid and is only a 17 minute drive from Puerta del Sol. We took 2 taxis to get there because of our odd number traveling party , there were 5 of us. We had to take separate ones. It wasn’t a big deal as we were following each other and got there at the same time. Once the stadium came into view we were excited to get inside and see it up close.

Under Construction

We were aware that the stadium was being renovated prior to our visit so we weren’t bothered by all the construction. The remodeling had started in 2019 when that season had ended and renovation works had been ongoing since then. The work is expected to be finished by the end of 2022 so if you’re planning to watch a game there or take a tour, keep that in mind.

Until that time, only limited tours like the one we took are offered. Full tours let you walk into the locker rooms and more importantly, take you to the field where you can hang out on the sidelines! But that would have to wait for us. We made our way to the section below the “cheap seats” (Yeah there is nothing cheap about this place 🤣) and took our seats. It was super neat sitting there and looking at the manicured field. I mean it was flawless. Have a look.

Real Madrid C.F. Museum

Part of this limited tour is the Real Madrid C.F. Museum. This was actually a pretty cool part. You walk through the museum, which houses all sorts of memorabilia, including this super long trophy case. I mean this thing was huge. Do you know how many tournaments and championships this team has won!? They had these interactive video machines that we enjoyed using along with other touch screens that went over just about everything Real Madrid. They ranged from current players, past players, and different team pictures and videos to … well you get the idea.

Towards the end of the tour they have these options to take pictures with holograms of your favorite RM players. We all declined and took a family pic instead. It ain’t that serious for us, lol. And of course, what is a tour without a visit to the gift shop? The whole tour is designed to prime you up and get you ready to spend. They do a hell of a job I tell ya.

The Gift Shop

Okay I’m not going to lie, the gift shop is legit and has some unique merchandise that isn’t available back home. I wasn’t expecting to spend what I did in the store that day. For starters, my wife and daughters have never even seen a Real Madrid game. I had assumed that they would pick out something small as a souvenir and be done with it. Nope, not these women. Jerseys, pull overs, and hoodies were the order of the day. When I told them that they don’t even know any Real Madrid players, they responded with “we know the good looking one, Ronaldo”. “He doesn’t even play for them anymore!” I objected. But it was a losing battle. I shook my head and paid the bill.

Drinking with your kids 😂

After the stadium tour, we had lunch and went back to our apartment to rest up. We decided that on this particular evening we would all go Tapas and Wine restaurant/bar hopping. Even 15 would be allowed to partake and have a couple of beers or wine accompanied by us, her parents. No harm right? We all got ready and headed out around 10 pm.

I should have known from the very first restaurant we went to that this night would be a wild and silly one. At stop one, my 21 yr old son was drinking his beers pretty fast and my wife and I told him to slow down because we had several more places to make stops at. Our plan was a drink & tapa at each place and keep it moving. Stop two was more of the same. My son was now feeling good and telling us “don’t worry dad, I outlast all of my friends in drinking” and “I’m always the last one standing” and talking all kinds of funny shit.

My daughters 20 and 15 were drinking much slower and were starting to get their buzz on. So far, so good. We were all having a great time and everything felt perfect. I was completely happy at how the evening was going. “Y’all ready to check out the next place?” I asked them. “Yes, let’s do it” was all I heard.

Kind Old Man

Restaurant bar 3 was such a fun stop. Here we decided to stay for a while. The vibe was just right, it was located at a busy intersection so there was plenty of action going on all around and we were all now feeling good. I hadn’t laughed like we did that night in a while and we were just carrying on without a care in the world or aware if anyone was watching, but there actually was someone watching.

The kind old man (as my kids labeled him) was sitting at a table alone near us. Glass of red wine in front of him, he looked like a retiree just enjoying the beautiful crisp night. To be honest, no one even noticed him or paid him no mind. Sometime during our sitting, when we were just about to order another round, our waitress was there with a fresh round. “This one is on the gentleman in the wheelchair over there” she politely said.

Surprised and also curious as to what brought on this generosity, we turned to him and said thank you and asked him to join us. We widened our circle at the table and made room for him to maneuver his wheelchair in place. And after introductions, it was almost like he was reading our minds, “you’re probably wondering why I bought you this round?” be began.

You remind me of my family

He told us that hearing us laughing and enjoying each other’s company reminded him of the family that he used to have and it made him happy. One of my kids asked what happened and my wife was quick to shoot an unapproving glance to the question. “They’re no longer here” was his simple response. We all quickly pivoted to more pleasant conversation and before you knew it, he was part of our crew for that stop.

The old man had lived some life, I remember. He had traveled all over the world due to him being in the military when he was young and we traded traveling stories. It really felt like we knew him longer than what we did. He was charming and charismatic and a very good story teller.

My son excused himself during this time to use the restroom. He asked for the apartment keys because “he had to go and needed privacy”. We were slightly concerned because the dude had been pounding his beers but the apartment was literally on the same street half a block down. Off he went.

Madrid 3 My Kids 0

We continued conversating with the kind old man for a good while when 15 and 20 excused themselves to head to the restroom. This was the beginning of the end to their night. Upon returning 15 sat down and then told me “I think I’m going to throw up”. “Wait, go back to the restroom!” my wife said frantically. Too late. I was able to position an empty wine glass under her mouth and then another. I did my best to avoid the full on mess on the floor and mostly succeeded.

It was time to take them back to the apartment. Our new friend insisted on picking up our entire tab. We protested but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Not only had we reminded him of family but he also had another story to add to his life experience, lol. And we had one as well. He is now part of our family’s Madrid vacation memories.

They can’t hang 😂

Back at the apartment when we turned on the lights we were surprised to find someone laying on the sofa! It was Mr. “I can out drink all my buddies”. We had forgotten that he came back to use the restroom. He woke up and said he felt good now. Boy go back to sleep, his mom told him. 15 went straight to bed and then we heard 20 crying. “What’s a matter baby”, we asked her. The old man’s story is so sad. He was so nice and he has no family she sobbed.

After calming her down and putting her to sleep, my wife and I still had some energy and went to a few more bars across the street. It had been some night. We had one pass out asleep, one throw up, and one get emotional. That night still makes me laugh and I find my self smiling as I think back on it. These kids couldn’t handle Madrid.

Rain Rain Go Away

The following day, our good luck with the weather finally ran out. Forecast called for 2 straight days of rain and it was a much needed break. It was cold, windy, and wet the majority of the day and we took advantage. We woke up late, stayed in our pajamas and watched Netflix. We napped and also read with the steady rain as our backdrop.

My wife and I did go out before the rain started to come down to buy some souvenirs in Puerta del Sol and covid tests from the pharmacy. We paid and scheduled a doctor to watch us take the at home test the following day. More on that experience later in this post.

It seemed that everyone in Madrid had the same idea and tried to get all their shopping in before the next round of storms.

Other things to do in Madrid when it’s a rainout.

Make it a museum day. Madrid is world famous for its art museums. The Museo del Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza are all located here. Spanish art of the past 500 years – Goya, El Greco and Velázquez art can be found in these museums. Links to each is below.

• Museo del Prado
• Reina Sofia
• Thyssen-Bornemisza

Catch a movie or play. Madrid has many movie theaters, art houses, and even Broadway shows.

Plan the next day’s activities. For us that would be booking our tickets to watch a flamenco show!

Flamenco Day💃- Last Night in Madrid

Our vacation would be ending on a high note. My wife researched the best Flamenco theaters and shows in Madrid and the consensus was that the Cardamomo Flamenco Madrid was one of the best, so we booked there. We had never been to one of these shows and didn’t know what to expect. We were definitely not prepared for the amazing performances we were about to see live.

One of the things I loved about staying near Puerta del Sol is you can pretty much walk everywhere you need to go. The Cardamomo Flamenco Madrid was a short walk from there and along the way we stopped to have dinner before the show. It sprinkled on us the whole way there but we all were prepared with umbrellas. Pro tip – Always take a small umbrella with you on your trips.

We arrived early and hung out in the waiting area. There is plenty of wine for you to drink while you wait and some Ipads to keep you entertained as well. Our first impressions of the theater was that it was small and cozy. This makes the experience that much more personal and intimate when you’re up close. As the show start time approached, everyone was seated and the waiters really started pouring the wine. You get one free glass of wine with your entrance fee. After that, you’re on your own.

The Performances

Intense and Dramatic are the first words that pop into my mind to describe flamenco. It is fiery and emotional and the dancers perfectly convey this passion in their movements and facial expressions. Combined with the rhythmic gypsy beats, chanting, and guitar players who fervidly matched the emotions of the dancers, it all comes together in a powerful and sensational manner.

For our show there were 3 dancers and each had separate solo sets. Then they all dance together at the end for a fitting and grand finale. The singers, chanters, and instrument players also had their own set. The whole show was well put together and we couldn’t have been happier with this production. I highly recommend this place and promise you won’t be disappointed.

Last Call in Madrid – Prepping to go back home

Walking back to our apartment after watching that incredible show, it was great listening to our kids talk excitedly about what they saw. They were all still pretty hype about it and went on about what parts were their favorites. I felt like a proud dad. My life long dream of taking all of my family to Europe had been fulfilled. Mission accomplished. We left our kids at the apartment with instructions to pack and be ready to go in the morning. It was time to leave Madrid.

My wife and I decided to have a last call. Why not? We hit a couple of pubs that were close by and enjoyed our last night. Our 7 days here were quite eventful and we covered a lot of ground. The memories and family bonding were priceless. Until next time Madrid!

The End

In conclusion, 7 days in Madrid is the perfect amount of days if you want to hit all the highlights. However if you have more time, there is still plenty to do that I didn’t get to in our week here. I will be putting together a Madrid travel guide that summarizes all 4 of my posts down to just the basic information and suggestions. If you are new to my travel blog and this is the first post you are reading and want to read about the beginning of this trip, here are the links. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog to get the latest travel posts as soon as they are released. And thanks for the support!

• Days 1 & 2
• Day 3
• Day 4