Madrid is one of those places that I did not have much expectations of but ended up falling in love with. Pierre and I visited the city twice in 2022—once for a site recce and another for an event where we stayed for over two weeks. Both times were for work. But we managed to see a good amount of the city, and I have to say I loved it much more than Barcelona. It’s vibrant and a little chaotic, but not to the point that it’s annoying. People were friendly, laid back, and dressed up well, which is another one of the things I liked. People-watching became one of our favorite things to do while walking around.

Honestly, it was a city that was never on our list of must-visits, but now that we have, we can’t wait to go back and we’re making a mental note to really do so sometime in the future.