Benidorm!

After visiting the wonderful city of Madrid, we made our way to Benidorm, which is on the coast of Spain. Due to the unique skyline formed by its many tall hotels and apartment buildings it is sometimes called the “Manhattan of Spain.”

 I’m not sure I completely agree with that comparison. I would probably call it the “Myrtle Beach of Spain.” It was definitely a hopping place, with numerous restaurants, bars and clubs. Some parts were not the most classy, but other parts were quite lovely. Like this:

There was a large British population (mostly of retirement age). But it also appeared to be a popular destination for bachelor/bachelorette parties. So there was an interesting age dynamic. All around, I really enjoyed Benidorm... even its trashy tendencies.

Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be SUN

I bet you didn’t know that Madrid, Spain enjoys more cloudless days than almost any other city in Europe. During my time there, I definitely got to experience that wonderment. It was beautiful for 95% of my 12 days in Spain. I give you Exhibit A:

It does get hot midday (hence the wonderful invention of the siesta—I definitely took part in that as well. There’s nothing like having your largest meal at lunch with a glass of wine/sangria/beer and then taking a nap and staying out of the heat. Then you are refreshed and ready to go for the rest of the day.

Why don’t we have this in the U.S.? All those in favor of instating it, say I! I’ve been saying for months that there should be a nap room and sangria at my office. Why does no one listen…

SPAIN

Everyone should know by now that I love learning new things. Recently, I went on an adventure to Spain to visit a fabulous friend. And I learned tons. I will now take this opportunity to impart some of my Spanish wisdom through a series that I will call “FUN FACTS ABOUT SPAIN!”

I started out my trip in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. Upon first glance, it appears to be your average large city: hectic streets, busy-looking people, and constant noise. Like so:

But Madrid has a very rich history… leading me to my first FUN FACT ABOUT SPAIN!

The official symbol of Madrid is a bear on its hind legs, munching on berries from a tree. This is a metaphor for Madrid’s rapid growth and represents the possession and importance of wood, which is essential to build a strong country.

You can definitely feel the vibrancy of this city… I don’t really know where the berries fit in though. Maybe that represents the awesome Sangria that they drink. Is that a stretch? I think not.