As our whirlwind through Spain neared its final chapter, Madrid swept us back in with open arms and a final flurry of unforgettable moments. Late-night tapas crawls, vintage treasures at the flea market, and a celebration dinner that felt like a curtain call. This wasn’t just the end of a trip, it was the kind of finale you plan your next adventure around.
Let’s set the scene.
Three teams, divided only in name, head out on a fantastic adventure in the heart of Madrid to take on three different unique Tapas bars. Each led by their tour guide, they embarked on an unforgettable quest. Laughing, tasting and soaking up the spirit of Madrid one delicious bite at a time.
Our specific team – TEAM POTATAS POSSE! And our tour guide? Jason from our day in Toledo!
Three different tapas bars with three totally different vibes and three different tapas selections at each spot for us to try. It was fantastic and a great way for us to experience such a fabulous Spanish tradition.
Upon finishing at our last spot we reunited with the entire group right in front of a Madrid nightclub which ended up being a great spot to duck into for a quick look at the scene and then head back to our hotel after such an amazing day.
Our last full day in Madrid started with another fabulous breakfast at Dani Brasserie and then we were off to El Rastro. El Rastro is Madrid’s legendary open-air flea market, sprawling through the La Latina neighborhood every Sunday and some holidays. It’s a colorful maze of stalls where you can find everything from vintage treasures and antiques to quirky trinkets, art prints, leather goods, and the occasional unexpected gem. El Rastro is a full blown experience and even though we had read about it, it still blew us away.
Imagine a massive Estate Sale, Garage Sale, Round Top allllll rolled into one. So many fantastic antiques but also stalls that looked like they belonged in the middle of a mall in a kiosk! We had a great time exploring and came home with a couple of small paintings, a beautiful crystal and the pièce de résistance – an antique lion door-knocker that we cannot wait to install!
We found a historic hole in the wall restaurant to grab some tapas and then headed back to Mercado de San Miguel for some churros and hot chocolate (ridiculous) and the final vermut of the trip.
It was now time to get all ready for the finale, and one that was quite worthy of that title! The CEO club group boarded a bus for Aldea Santillana, a 19th century palatial estate in the picturesque village of Magiròn. (Another great venue for anyone searching for a fabulous wedding or party destination – call me 😉 HA)
As the golden light began to settle over the hills, we gathered on a terrace overlooking the serene lake and cypress dotted countryside, cocktails in hand, as an acoustic guitar wove melodies into the breeze. Tapas arrived like little love letters to Spain’s culinary brilliance, each bite made more magical by the setting sun. We lingered in that moment before being ushered into a grand, multi-course dinner that felt like the perfect exclamation point on our journey. Elegant and unforgettable.
It was time to say our good-byes to our friends as well as to this beautiful country. The silver lining of the end to any trip is knowing we are heading home to our kids, and that alone can fuel my efficient packing – HA!
One last beautiful breakfast to enjoy and then off to the Madrid airport for our return flight, which I will spare you the details of that. Let’s just say that we now are very well acquainted with two different Dallas American Airlines lounges and travel that takes over 24 hours is for the birds… (but all worth it ten fold – I’ll be a bird any day!)
Just like that, our fabulous journey through Spain came to an end. From sun soaked rooftops and seaside sips to candlelit cellars and straciatella hunts, every moment felt like a scene from a movie we didn’t want to stop filming. Each city gave us something different: Barcelona’s buzz, Tossa’s adventures, Begur’s flavors, stones from Cadaques, Girona’s sights, Toledo’s wonder, and Madrid’s grand finale. It was beauty, joy, and connection in the most delicious, soul filling ways.
We’ll be dreaming of the Straciatella these memories for a long time!
Peace, Love and Fabulous!
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