WHERE TO NEXT?

Dear Traveler,

Madrid always delivers. 

Food, friends, fun. 

Also great shopping, nightlife, museums and weather (although yes a bit hot right now). 

Last weekend I chose to stay at the Madrid EDITION (photos below) because I love its central location, cool vibes and especially the rooftop pool when it’s 100+ degrees outside! Jessie stayed at her friend’s apartment, but they enjoyed an afternoon lounging in the sun at the EDITION pool. 

I think a pool is key when you are traveling in the summer heat – particularly with kids or teenagers. I saw a handful of kids, and quite a few families with teens and college kids at the hotel. Tip: the pool has an incredible view of the sun set – which doesn’t happen until well after 9p in the summer. One night I suggest having a cocktail on the pool terrace to watch the sunset and then going out for the very respectable Spanish dinner time of 10 or 10:30p. 

Another feature that is in every EDITION hotel, and is also good for teens, is a pool table, and often I saw teens playing late at night. 

I also did a site visit at the Thompson Hotel, and I really liked it. They have a rooftop pool too (not quite as big and without as many lounges) and are centrally located. The style is quite different. The EDITION is white white white and the Thompson has more of a darker, masculine décor. As much as I like the hotel, there is currently some construction going on right in front of it that eventually will be a city park on top of a parking garage. In the short term I’d be cautious to book it because of the potential for construction noise. But once it’s done, it will be a great option!

I did a quick visit to CR7, Christiano Ronaldo’s hotel, on Grand Via. I was eager to see it, and although they have a rooftop terrace bar (I love a great rooftop bar), it didn’t live up to the hype. There are so many other options I like better. 

As mentioned in last week’s articles, Madrid is having a moment (Skift article: Madrid Transforms Downtown to Attract Luxury Tourists as Five-Star Hotels Flourish). In my opinion the #1 most luxurious hotel is the new Four Seasons. It’s spectacular for so many reasons. But not everyone is looking for a big hotel experience, in which case there are several boutique luxury hotels that I love. 

As usual I spent a lot of time walking in Madrid, which is important for me because I love Spanish food so much. Spain is the only place that I’ve had a meal made of a singular tomato. One giant organic tomato cut in half drizzled with the best local Spanish olive oil, sea salt and thinly shaved onions. Delish! I had it twice - once at La Carmencita with some of my favorite Spanish partners. It is the second oldest restaurant in Madrid and serves such classic, traditional Spanish food in a setting that oozes old Spanish charm. And again at the restaurant highlighted below.

One afternoon I went shopping and bar hopping with a group of friends. In addition to buying two new pairs of Spanish sandals (Spain has best leather shoes!), we ended up at one of Spain’s oldest bars – Taberna de Angel Sierra (105+ years old), where they are known for their vermouth from the tap. It’s a very local Spanish experience and I highly recommend it to really feel immersed in contemporary Spanish culture. Again, another Spanish place that exudes charm. It is here I saw the sign below. 

The significance: The Spanish siesta laughs at the American dream. 

I can understand how they feel this way. Spaniards know how to enjoy life. Yes the siesta is a part of that, but also simply spending time with friends, lingering over a long meal, talking and dancing late into the night. 

Put this on repeat. 

They do it all of the time. 

This weekend I was one of them. On my last night I was at a friend's birthday party on his rooftop terrace, under a full moon, dancing, singing and talking until after 1a. Since I was departing for the airport the next morning at 5:45a, I was the first person to leave. Even at 5:45a the streets of Madrid were still full of (young) people out from the night before. And my daughter Jessie who had “set 10 alarms” so she’d be ready when my taxi picked her up at 6:10a, had overslept. 

Who could blame her? 

She had just arrived back at her friends’ apartment at 4:45a! Such is the life of a teenager in Spain. 

Yes Spanish kids tend to live with their parents throughout college and until they are 30+.  And it’s typical to have dinner reservations at 10:30p. Both of those seem odd from my American perspective. But I did willingly have dinner that late each night we were there. 

Many other things about the Spanish culture are appealing – including how close the families are. My friend's birthday party included his parents, his four siblings and their families, his wife’s brother and mom. They all live within a few minutes of each other. That is quite typical and they find it unusual how American families are spread out across huge distances around the US. 

As we often do, Jessie and I had many conversations about travels, including with the parents of her best friend. We are now all scheming for an adventure together next summer. No surprise, we have some ideas. 

We also talked about where we would live if we bought an apartment in Madrid (Jessie would like us to buy the apartment we rented when we lived there 4 years ago). It’s not happening anytime soon, but I could absolutely see living here for 1-3 months at a time once Trevor is in college. We did a lot of reminiscing about our favorite people and places. And twice ate at our favorite ice cream shop. 

We are now happily hiking in the Dolomites, but because I didn’t know how good my reception would be, I wrote this before we hopped on the helicopter to fly high into the mountains to begin our trek. Expect a more detailed report next week and follow along on my Instagram stories (presuming I have some cell service or wifi) if you want to keep up with our experiences. 

This week's curated list of travel articles includes the 50 most beautiful small towns in the world according to Architectural Digest, luxury resorts that deliver 5 star summer fun for kids and the 13 best hut-to-hut hikes in the world.

Also a Washington Post opinion piece on the travel secrets of a man who has flown 23 million miles. Heads up: it actually made me very envious.

I hope you are having a wonderful July 4th week with your family and friends!

Warmly,