City getaway – A weekend in Madrid.
Last weekend a few friends and I hopped on a plane destined for Madrid for a last minute city break.
Arriving late on Friday night we were unsure what to expect but our research informed us that the city comes to life by night. After a day of travelling from Cornwall to the capital of Spain we were exhausted and wanted to take it easy so after checking into the Jardines Des Sabatini and freshening up, and of course a quick outfit change (I chose to wear our Kantha Printed Maxi Dress with flat sandals), we were ready to hit the streets off Madrid and explore our neighbourhood for the weekend, we soon found a little café/bar nestled in a backstreet just off the beaten tourist track but not so much so that we were unable to watch the locals and tourists going about their evening whilst we sat back and enjoyed some delicious authentic tapas.
We woke to blistering sunshine and intense heat on Saturday morning and luckily the girls who are super organised had planned a busy itinerary that morning to make sure that during our short stay we managed to take in the majority of the cultural sights the city has to offer, and what better way to do this than by Segway. We were told that suitable footwear was needed prior to leaving the UK to prevent us turning up in sky high wedges or heels! Our tour took us all over the city winding up cobbled back streets dodging pedestrians and through beautiful parks with an abundance of colourful flowers and perfect topiary. We ended the tour at the Plaza De Orinete a square in front of the Royal Palace which was a bustling with tourist all taking in the opulence of the Palace and formal gardens.
After the Segway tour we headed to El Corte Inglés a café gourmet dining hall on the 9th floor of Plaza De Callao http://aptcsupermercado.elcorteingles.es/gourmet-experience it is situated at the top of a shopping mall, which pleased us all! After browsing the department store Elcorte Ingles few purchases we headed up to the terrace where the terrace the views were spectacularly breath taking and we all sat back in the sunshine and enjoyed lunch from the wonderful selection of various cuisines the hall had to offer.
We all went our separate ways on the Saturday afternoon some of us shopping (myself included!) and some for a siesta. From quaint boutiques to expansive shopping malls Madrid has something for everyone, as we were limited on time we only explored the Chueca district. The multipurpose lifestyle store Isolee was a great find a one stop shop for the style conscious selling everything from fashion to stylish books and gourmet oils. Uzma Bozai is currently not available in Madrid and as sales manager I am always on the lookout for potential partnerships so as usual work was not too far from mind! I think that Uzma Bozai would go down well in the Capital particularly as I received so many compliments whilst wearing our pieces.
Saturday night was spent on the roof terrace of our hotel eating tapas and watching the sunset over the 18th century Royal Palace of Madrid, I wore our AW14 Pana Sequin Dress with sky high heels which I felt suited the glamorous ambience of the evening. I retired relatively early that evening whilst my friends went on out to party till the early hours but I had a 6am start the following morning as I had a train to catch through Spain and onto Bordeaux in France to meet up with my family for a week long holiday relaxing and taking it easy in preparation for what is gearing up to be a very busy SS15 sales season on my return to the UK!
What I packed –
1. Uzma Bozai Kantha Maxi , 2. Uzma Bozai Mani Necklace , 3.Flat sandals- I packed Ancient Greek sandals from My Wardrobe,
For a touch of evening glam, I packed new AW14 collection Uzma Bozai Pana Sequin dress- the perfect little black dress in hot climes!
Must see places in Madrid –
Royal Palace – In my opinion one of Madrid’s most beautiful building and the largest palace in Western Europe
Peurta Sol – Madrid’s central square
Gran Via – Famous central street
Plaza De Oriente – Stunning Square located in front of the Royal Palace
Templo de Debod – 2nd Century BC Egyptian Temple donated in 1968 by the Egyptian government
Shopping Madrid–
Chueca District –
El Corte Ingles – visit the café located at the top of the building for a coffee whilst taking in breath taking views of the capital
El Rastro – The City’s flea markets unfortunately I did not get the time to visit as I had to head off early on the Sunday morning but apparently it is amazing so thought I should include them, next time I will definitely visit
I would recommend Madrid to anyone looking for a culture rich city break with shopping, delicious tapas and laid back glamour all in glorious sunshine.
AC XXX
