After moving into our apartment in Lavapies, which I am sharing with four other friends who also study photography at Coventry University, we began the long and lengthy process of shopping for the essentials we needed but were not able to bring with us. But of course, we experienced some Madrid culture along the way in our local areas, including: the best place for churros called ‘Chocolatería San Ginés’, Plaza Del Mayor, vintage shopping and El Rastro market! All of which, if you are going to visit Madrid are a must-visit.
The main reason of why we chose to live in Lavapies is due to it being central in the city, meaning we are only a few minutes’ walk away from a metro station and within walking distance to the main squares and the area of Sol. Living in central Madrid means that you are living amongst the liveliness of the city every day; you can hear people wining and dining into the late evening outside your window, you can get to near enough anywhere in Madrid being so close to a metro station and you have a very extensive choice of places to eat out and shop beyond your wildest desire!
As well as the area we live in being very eventful, I’m beginning to fall in love with Spain’s capital city all together. I absolutely love the hustle and bustle of it all. There is always something going on whether it is a metro’s ride away or a few minutes’ walk. For example, we recently visited a small market outside the Royal Botanical Gardens (just one metro ride away). The scenery there is absolutely beautiful, we enjoyed some authentic sangria, ‘pinchos’ (small Spanish snacks) and sun before browsing the stalls.