Alcal� de Henares is conveniently located about 30 minutes outside of Madrid by train. We would go into Madrid to eat, go out, shop or just walk around. It’s a huge, beautiful city, and therefore has tons to explore.

First stop: Atocha; the main station of Madrid. It connects Madrid to most cities is Spain and some outside of the country as well. It also has a mini-jungle in it, which is baller. From Atocha, it is easy just to stroll around the city. The botanical gardens are right nearby as well at the Prado, Reina Sofia and of course beautiful fountains and sculptures at every round-about.

Anything you could ever need is in Madrid! But I’m partial to just wandering. My personal favorite part was the Barrio de las Letras. Which is the famous district of Spanish authors. Gongora,  Lope de Vega, Cervantes and Quevedo all lived mere blocks from each other.

Another must go is the Rastro, a large open air market held on Sunday mornings in Madrid. Leather, clothes, jewelry, decorations and even food can be found at the Rastro. Just watch your purse, because thieves love this market!

Last but not least: Madrid night life. Madrid is famous for la vida nocturnal. The clubs are normally at least 3, sometimes 5 or 6 stories high. So first you get some tapas, then the bars, then to the discotecas and finally to a churreria to wait for the trains to start running again. There is always something going on in Madrid. After a night in Madrid, I would normally get to my home-stay around 7 or 8 in the morning, then sleep FOREVER.

Location: Madrid, Spain