Be awesome. Be Madridista. ‘Madridista’ is usually used for fans of the royal Madrid football club, Real Madrid. However, ‘Madridista’ also indicates the spirit of Madrid, the beguiling ‘heart’ capital chosen by Filipe II when he decided to move his court seat to the middle of the ‘body’ of the Kingdom of Spain. Madrid is the largest city in the country and just like any other capital, it has a special symbolism that is particularly attractive for tourists to visit. The Weller family, with two adults, a 15-year-old daughter Jane and a 13-year-old son Kurt who come from Vietnam, has chosen to go to Madrid on their two-week summer trip in order to get to know a totally different culture from what they have known for all their lives but still fulfil everyone’s wants: sport, wine tasting and architecture. While people usually consider the difference between living costs of the destination, their income and living costs of where they live, Mr and Mrs Weller, as founders of the social networking website Blindtext, can afford any kind of luxurious travel but prioritize how the trip can be meaningful to their children and the whole family. Although there are a few drawbacks, one can easily identify limitlessly fascinating aspects to discover in the fifth largest city in Europe.
Since the parents’ prime concern is the effect of the trip, studying the negative points of Madrid helps them prepare for unfavourable situations. Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country, bordering Cambodia, China, Laos, the Gulf of Thailand, the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea. Spain is a Southwest European country, bordering France, Portugal, the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Biscay. Because of approximately seven thousand miles between the two countries, there is a large gap of six hours’ difference, but thanks to Daylight Saving Time, that of summer, there are only five when this family intends to visit. However, it will take no less than a couple of hours for all members to adapt to a new time zone, especially after a 19-hour flight including being in transit at Charles de Gaulle airport. Fortunately, by virtue of the nature of their job, a protracted flight is not a vast problem and yet has an impact on both teenagers, who have never travelled out of Southeast Asia. However, the children are so excited that thinking about everything they could enjoy in Madrid makes up for the long and tiring flight. Besides, language is also an issue the Weller family has to deal with. Even though all family members can communicate quite well in English, the official language in Madrid is Spanish, which is the second most popular language in the world after Mandarin Chinese. Despite the fact that Spain is the second most visited country in Europe, there are fewer people speaking English than in most other European countries. Nevertheless, that does not mean none speaks English and the family also prepares themselves by learning some most used phrases and using technology, which is an everyday routine for them. Finally, they managed all difficulties so there is no reason that could make them hesitate about the trip.
Like all other most visited cities, Madrid provides more than a thousand tourist accommodations with all kinds of options with a wide range of prices from hostels, motels and even campsites to star-rated hotels. Opened in May 1972 and renovated in 2007, standing on the Paseo de la Castellana is the spacious luxury Hotel Villa Magna. The Wellers decide to choose Castellana Suite as it is optimal with two bedrooms with king beds or twin beds depending on guests’ needs and a large independent living room where the whole family can gather and enjoy. Moreover, Castellana provides everything a family may need such as entertainment, internet access and a lot of wonderful services. Apparently, the main purpose of the journey is to experience but with the family’s typical lifestyle, they demand a lot and it is obviously better if they keep living how they normally do. In addition, with the review from Luis Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil, “It has been a pleasure to come back to Madrid and find the marvellous Hotel Villa Magna”, the parents are totally convinced of its exquisite hospitality and looking forward to enjoying their stay.
In order to explore customs, local food is a must. One cannot ignore cocido a la Madrileña which is known as not only a speciality but also as a national dish. Cocido is a hearty stew with noodle broth and many accompaniments such as carrots, chicken, chickpeas, morcilla (beef blood sausage) and some others depending on each person’s taste. Madrid citizens love cocido so much that they always wonder why nowhere else on the Earth provides it. An alternative speciality is churros con chocolate. What could be more delicious for supper than a deep-fried crispy stick dipped in melted chocolate?. The answer would be literally nothing. More than that, churros is also a fantastic afternoon snack or a light breakfast and no young people can say “no” to the satisfying feeling when biting churros. Even though the capital has its own specialities, it is open to new trends of gastronomy and accepts new types of cooking because a lot of people want to move to Madrid to have a better future. Nevertheless, Madridleños are proud of their cuisine and try to make those dishes become “madrileño” over time. Equally important, the gastronomic market of San Miguel, known as the oldest one in the city, never disappoints anyone with its amazing atmosphere, its beautiful view and full of tasty food and drink at a very affordable price. Vermouth, beer, sherry or oysters, chocolate, caviar, the market of San Miguel has every dish a person could find in the city.
“Madrid is in some ways exactly how you imagine a European city to look and feel. Or better yet, the way you remember Europe as it was, decades before H&M, smartphones, and Starbucks”. History is one of the greatest interests which always makes the family curious. What is included in the city history that is so impressive? It is not necessary to visit every specific museum to understand the story behind Madrid, since every single feature of the city is visible with every step one takes. Puerta del Sol is the symbol of the city, just like the Eiffel Tower is of Paris. In other words, not going to Puerta del Sol means never having been to Madrid. The central square has perfect architecture itself, very suitable for the Wellers. It is not a square like the others as its fame stems from the garden, salon, academy and a lot more. The Royal Palace could be considered one of the finest palaces in Europe. It has a very long history, built in the ninth century, destroyed by fire in 1734 and the new one was established 30 years later. Even in photos, its view is still impressive, especially during the night. As for wine tasting, the family does not hesitate to spend money to have a private wine tour at La Mancha, the largest natural region of Spain and the largest surface of vineyard in the world, so as to have carefully designed services according to their special needs. In order to make sure there will be no mistakes, this wealthy family needs to fill out the request form. Furthermore, as the most loyal Madridistas, Jane and Kurt will never miss this opportunity to visit the place they have always been dreaming of, Santiago Bernabéu – Real Madrid’s stadium. Not only the stadium, the two children also have the chance to have a look at the changing room where the footballers gather before and after the match and where all the trophies the club has won, particularly eleven trophies of UEFA Champions League, the most honourable award for European football clubs. There is no doubt why Real Madrid is often considered the best club of the 20th century. More than a dream, Jane and Kurt will be able to watch a match the first time not through a screen but directly at the stadium. What is better than the fact that this match is a Madrid derby with Real Madrid against the football club from the same city, Atlético Madrid, at the final UEFA Super Cup? Every member’s desires are attended to and the journey to Madrid seems to be created for the family to spend the best two weeks ever together.
In conclusion, it is clear that there are both pros and cons of this two-week summer trip to the capital of Spain, Madrid. However, one can easily notice that the gains exceed the losses. Despite the fact that the four-member family has to suffer a long flight along with different time zones and language barriers, they have their solutions to improve the efficiency of the holidays. Madrid gives the Wellers everything they desire, from home-like accommodation at Hotel Villa Magna, cultural gastronomy with local specialities, to interesting activities such as visiting attractions and an exciting wine tour at La Mancha. It is really convincing that all members will have the most wonderful time to prepare for the next working period. All in all, Madrid is turning out to be the optimal destination for them to reach their purpose: exploring a new culture, that of the Madridista.
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