Tag Archives: August 2017

Ten things to do in Madrid, Spain for under €10

September 8, 2017 Beth 2 Comments

Madrid is a huge city. There are about 6 million people living here! There are, of course, some super luxurious things to do: dinner at the oldest restaurant in the world, Restaurante Botin, the opera at Teatro Real, drink a cocktail at the DRY Cosmopolitan Bar. If you are like me, successfully surviving on €80-€100 a day, these activities are out of your budget. But don’t fret! There are lots of cheap and free things to do in Madrid! Here are ten things to do in Madrid for under €10:

1) Have a meal at 100 Montaditos

This is a great chain restaurant. Ok, I won’t lie, I think it’s kind of a like a fast food-type place, but it is full of locals, it is SUPER cheap, and the food is actually good! The menu is made up of montaditos (little sandwiches), and everything is under €2, including the pints of tinto de verano and beer! My personal faves, are the Spanish omelette and brava sauce, and the cajun chicken, smoked bacon and barbecue sauce. Delish!

Cost: If you spend €10 here, you could have 7 sandwiches and two pints of tinto de verano…

2) Check out the rooftop of Circulo Belles des artes

If you’re looking for a beautiful view of Madrid, look no further than the rooftop of the Circulo Belles des Artes. This is a cool, old theatre in which you can catch a show! If you just want the view, you pay a whopping €2 and take the elevator to the roof. If you go around sunset, the line is a bit intimidating, but moves very quickly. Once at the top, there are multiple bars serving drinks, tables to sit at, and misters if the afternoon sun is too much to bare. (You can read a story about the day I went up to this rooftop here!)

Cost: €2 to go to the top, €5 for a glass of wine (but you don’t have to drink at the top!)

3) Indulge in some Churros and Chocolate at San Ginés Chocolateria

Ok, so you’ve been going through your whole life thinking, “I know dessert, I know how good hot chocolate is, I know how delicious a churro is…” Sorry friend, you have no idea how good it can be. At San Ginés Chocolateria, the hot chocolate they serve is a cup of out of this world melted chocolate. Their churros are not dipped in sugar, because they are absolutely delicious without it. You can also enjoy some perros, which are bigger, doughier churros (I preferred the churros).

Cost: €10 got us a plate of churros, a plate of perros, and two cups of hot chocolate.

4) Take a FREE walking tour

I have said it once, I will say it again, Sandeman’s New Europe free walking tours are the absolute best way to see and learn about a city (I proudly say this without any sort of compensation from the company). They offer free walking tours in 18 cities in Europe, and every time I have taken one (8 times!) I have been SO impressed by the guide, the route, and the information. It is called a free walking tour, but the guide works on a tip basis, so you pay what you think the tour was worth.

Cost: €10 (or if your guide was AMAZING and deserves more, go for it!)

5) Stroll through Retiro Park

Ok, there is so much to do in Retiro Park, it’s insane. To stay free, just go for a walk! There is a rose garden, beautiful fountains and water features, tons of green space, and a very instagrammable glass building (see below picture). You can also rent a row boat on the main water feature in the park (I did not do this because it was damn hot, and there was no shade, but the rental was under €10). I had a phenomenal nap in this park, so I have very fond memories of it.

Cost: FREE!

6) Head to El Buo for a Spanish omelette!

On the menu at El Buo is a Spanish omelette for €10. We ordered the candied onion and goat cheese omelette. Now, this is the biggest omelette you have ever seen (if it isn’t, PLEASE comment and tell me where you got a bigger one). This is absolutely one of those things you have to share. We shared between four people, and I couldn’t even finish my quarter piece. Between four of us, the omelette and some drinks each, we were up to €8 each.

Cost: €10 for an omelette (shared between four or more).

7) Check out a flea market on a Sunday

On El Rastro, every Sunday, there is a flea market! This is the kind of activity in which you decide how much you spend. It could be a free day! It could be an expensive day. How much stuff do you want to buy?! Here, you will find cheap AF clothes, accessories, souvenirs, art, and homewares. I bought a fanny pack (for a very specific reason), and a pair of vintage Levi’s jeans I ended up cutting off into super cool shorts. I spent €18.

Cost: FREE (if you don’t buy anything).

8) Go to La Titi for wine

Right across the street from San Fernando market (which is another place to go in Madrid for under €10…bonus!) is a little wine bar called La Titi. We went at about 8pm on a Saturday night and the place was bustling! All locals, enjoying wine, chatting with friends and making new ones. We ended up having a hilarious conversation with two Madridians about Spain’s ludicrous history. The wine was cheap, the tapas were delicious (and of course, free with the drink). Highly recommend this cute, off the beaten path, wine bar!

Cost: €2-3 depending on the glass of wine you order. Tapas are free!

9) Have a beer in Dos de Mayo Plaza

Before….

After….

During the day, this is a lovely plaza for people watching, there are lots of shops nearby to peruse, and cafes surrounding, to wet your whistle! At night, people flock to this plaza to sit, drink, play guitar, and hang out with their friends. This is the cheapest night out you can possible have. It’s BYOB, and if you forgot to, you can buy a beer for €1 off the guys walking around selling. Don’t forget though, you aren’t technically allowed to drink in public, so if the police come, the square might clear right out…

Cost: FREE! If you buy a beer from the guys selling them, €1

10) Enjoy sunset at the Temple of Debod

After an easy walk up a hill either via stairs or the road, you will reach the beautiful temple of Debod. The temple was originally erected in Egypt, but was dismantled and rebuilt in Madrid. It’s a beautiful spot to go during the day, but with little shade at the site itself, can get really uncomfortable. If you go at night for sunset, it’s a total stunner. Bring a bottle of wine with you from a nearby grocery store and have a glass of wine as the sun goes down. Cheap AND romantic!

Cost: FREE (or with a €3 bottle of wine)

Heading to Valencia? Check out five things to do in Valencia for under €5 here!

Traveling to the north of Spain? Here are ten things you can do in the north!

Europe, Travel Stories

At La Tomatina, in Buñol, Spain.

August 31, 2017 Beth Leave a comment

Have you ever been in a food fight? Someone throws a spoonful of peas at someone sitting cross the table and then total chaos erupts in the school cafeteria leaving you wondering, “who the heck is going to clean that up?” At least that’s what happens in movies. Ladies and gentlemen, I, Beth, of Where the F is Beth, have never been in a food fight! I felt like I needed to check it off my never ending to do list, but I wasn’t going to settle for a spoonful of measly peas. When I do something, I like to do the best, the biggest, the MOST ridiculous. So, I journeyed to the small village of Buñol, Spain and took part in the world’s biggest food fight — La Tomatina.

Our day began at the crack of dawn. We were instructed to be at the Plaza de Tetuan at 6am, at which time the busses would leave and whisk us to Buñol! The bus ride was fast and easy, and when we arrived, we joined hoards of other busses. They say 22,000 people attend this festival, that’s a lot of busses! The crowd wandered through the village and down the hill, to the old town. We walked past the street where the fight would take place and saw that all the locals had covered their houses and balconies in tarps. To get us ready for the fight, Festivals All Around had a big pre-party with free sangria and live music.

After a few drinks in our bellies, we left the party and walked to where some of the festivities had begun. As we walked, the locals sprayed us with water! Water dumped off balconies, hoses sticking through the holes in the tarps and men on the streets, splashing buckets of water at us! The first part of La Tomatina is when the attendees try to climb a huge pole covered in grease, and snatch the jamón (ham) from the top. We stood in the crowd and watched as multiple soaking wet, sangria drunk men and women clambered on top of each other for their chance at La Tomatina glory. They say the tomato fight doesn’t begin until the jamón is claimed, but while we stood there and watched attempt after failed attempt, a local nearby said nobody has reached it in five years. We left the crowd and moved back up to the skinny street where the tomato trucks would be driving through.

Finally, we heard a truck horn! They’re coming! The tomatoes are coming! The trucks drove down the dangerously skinny streets and we were pushed up right against the tarps to allow them to pass. I reached into my fanny pack and took out my swim goggles. I’m ready. People stood in the backs of the trucks, throwing tomatoes down on to the streets. Chaos ensued. Pick up a tomato, squish the tomato in your hand, throw the tomato at a total stranger, repeat…until the next truck blares its horn, drives around the corner, and empties its contents onto the street. Six trucks went by. I think. Maybe seven. It’s all a blur — tomatoes flying past me, pulp showering me from all sides. The fight continued for an hour. I didn’t stop laughing for a second.

The streets ran red with tomato juice. I stood ankle deep in the mush. Tomato puree dripped off my head, into my ears, down my back, and into unmentionable places. My throat hurt from being pelted with an unripe tomato, my knees hurt from falling onto the tomato-wet pavement, my face hurt from smiling too much. Best. Day. Ever.

Europe, Travel Stories

Hiking to the Schweinfurter Hütte in Tirol, Austria

August 3, 2017 Beth 5 Comments

Holy moly! The second day of our three-day hut hike through Tirol, Austria was a big day. The first day was pretty easy: we arrived at the hut around noon, drank a bunch of beer to pass the time, and went to sleep around 9pm. Day two was a much bigger and more taxing day. I wish I had known that before drinking a bunch of beer…

We woke up abruptly when Michael’s iPhone alarm went off at 7am and it almost vibrated itself off the shelf. We quickly made ourselves ready for the day — it’s easy to be fast when you just wear the same thing as yesterday — and went upstairs to the dining area. Being the cheapskates we are, we did not pay for the Halfboard at this refuge hut (when you pay for “Halfboard” you get a bed to sleep in, plus dinner and breakfast). We only paid for a bed and figured we would just eat our own food for breakfast. We brought out our bread, pre-boiled eggs, cheese, and mayo, and made a few lovely open-faced sandwiches. People at tables nearby looked at us funny, but we didn’t care. It feels too good to be a cheapskate to care what anyone thinks.

Our day two hike would take us to Schweinfurter Hütte (part of what makes these Austrian hut hikes so fun is the names of the huts). We began our hike under thick cloud cover, through some misty rain. We climbed up a huge hill, to the bottom of a man-made dam, and stopped for a rest. Turns out having a bunch of beers the night before a big hike can really dehydrate you! We stopped and drank a bunch of water before continuing. The sky began to clear just as we reached the top of the dam. It was absolutely beautiful! The water was so blue, the sun was peeking through clouds, and the view down to the valley was lovely.

We walked along the water, and then reached the real climb. We scrambled up shale and we climbed over boulders. I used my arms to balance my body when my exhausted legs shook; it really was straight up. And just when I thought we were so badass for hiking up this crazy wall-like trail, a few mountain bikers passed us going the opposite way, biking DOWN this crazy wall-like trail! I felt less badass in that moment.

We reached the notch (that’s cool hiking lingo for the top of the pass), and had to stop, mostly because our legs were so tired they needed a break, but also because the view was magnificent!! What better snack to eat at the top of a mountain that an apple with some Nutella?

The hike down felt fast. We walked through pastures on a very scenic trail along a fast flowing creek. We walked past some sheep who mistook us for shepherds and followed us for a while. We came to a precipice and from where we stood, we could see the length of the whole valley, and under us, the Schweinfurter Hütte! We decided to hang out at this perfect lookout point and enjoy lunch.

We finished eating and walked the rest of the way down. My thighs were shaking, my feet were aching, and my knees were about ready to give up! We checked into the hut and headed right back outside to the creek that runs alongside the building. We took off our shoes and socks, pulled up our pant legs, and dipped our swollen feet into the ice cold glacial water. There’s nothing better than a post-hike glacial creek foot soak! Thanks for the best day ever, Austria!