We got into Madrid late Friday night after a long day that included catching a 5 AM train to Marrakesh and having a close call involving check-in at the airport there. Thankfully the subway system was easy to figure out, and we found our hostel in no time - although we had to venture through a very punk rock neighborhood to get there! The hostel was very clean, with a few common areas, a kitchen (which provided a basic free breakfast in the mornings), and a mini-bar. We were able to share a 4-person dorm together, which had two sets of bunk beds and a bathroom. The best meal I think I had our whole trip was from the restaurant we visited that very first night based off of a recommendation by our hostel receptionist - we shared tapas and sangria at 11:30 PM, which is considered normal for dinner there!
Saturday got to a lazy start but we still managed to make the most of the day - we visited a museum on the history of Madrid that we had walked by the night before, ate at 100 Montaditos (montaditos = tapas-like mini sandwiches) for lunch, walked around Buen Retiro Park for a while (Madrid seems to be mostly well-known for its plazas and parks), and found a cute restaurant on the way home where we shared two bottles of wine and ate real salads (!!).
Sunday we had more of a game-plan: we were going to visit Museo Reina Sofia that day because there was supposed to be free admission, but upon our arrival in the morning we saw that free admission didn't start until 1:30 PM. Instead we went to El Rastro, a huge outdoor flea market (said to be the largest in Europe) that occurs every Sunday where everything from incense to clothing to souvenirs are sold. We shopped for a bit before meeting at an Indian restaurant for lunch - I missed chicken tikka masala! Afterwards we headed back to Museo Reina Sofia, where we saw Picasso's Guernica depicting the horrors of war as well as other revolutionary paintings from mid 20th-century. We returned to the hostel for a siesta mid-afternoon and took turns going out before we reconvened for one final dinner together in Spain. Unfortunately I was a little sick for this part of the trip and couldn't fully enjoy it!
We still had a little time Monday morning before our flight. I snuck out of the hostel a little early to find churros and hot chocolate as well as to enjoy our last few moments here before we left for the airport around midday.
Upon arrival in Stuttgart we encountered steady rain for the first time in months. The airport there is smaller and easier to navigate but the subway system was actually a little harder to figure out - we enlisted the help of a kind, older German woman who was so concerned with assisting us that she actually told us to get off the train we determined to be right (and we did because she insisted so much!). This set us back by almost a half hour due to the infrequent trains. We were in no rush though, and when we finally arrived at our station Ursula (our Airbnb host) was there to pick us up. Ursula's home is a 15-minute walk from the nearest subway station, in a nice neighborhood. She led us up to the top floor, where we would be staying - the balcony had a beautiful view, and our room was very cozy with fresh towels and cute chocolates (mine was a ladybug). She even baked us brownies! Her hospitality and helpfulness definitely made up for a bad first Airbnb experience in Tangier last summer.
I woke up Tuesday to one of the cats curled between my legs on my bed - a very pleasant surprise! We took a bit to get ready but that was okay because all we had planned to do was explore Stuttgart for the day. We started at Schlossgarten in the middle of the city and grabbed lunch right off the bat at the Biergarten there. I had Weisswurst for the first time which I liked! Then we walked around the garden for a bit - Cat and I played a game of chess with the giant plastic pieces available at the park, then we tried to go on a seesaw with hilarious results. While the others took a nap by the pond, I walked back to try to find Neues Schloss, a palace built to rival Versailles that now functions as a government building, then walked around the commercial district for a bit on my own and met up with the group at one of the many H&Ms around later. We later found a great Thai/sushi place for dinner - the Pad Thai definitely beat the one we had in Rabat - and visited Sky Beach, a rooftop "beach" in the commercial district complete with sand, lounge chairs, and a beautiful view of the moon.
Wednesday we opted to start the day with breakfast from Ursula, which was a treat - we had fresh pastries and pretzel rolls, melon, yogurt, cereal, and meats and cheeses. We devoted most of the day to the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the international wine festival happening downtown. Both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have their main offices in Stuttgart, and learning about the history of the former was fascinating - apparently the "Mercedes" part of the name comes from the daughter of a devoted client in the early days when the two companies were separate and named after their founders (Daimler and Benz). The client requested of Daimler that a car named after her be made. We then returned to the city center to visit the festival. We stopped at one of the first booths to grab lunch - for me that was pulled pork (yum) and wine. Afterwards we got small bottles to carry around as we surveyed the rest of the festival, and a strawberry sangria-like drink right after. At that point it was a time for a break and Spaghettieis, or ice cream that looks like spaghetti! We returned for a little bit later, and I got to try Currywurst (bratwurst doused in curry sauce) for the first time (also delicious), but then we headed back early for a traditional dinner by Ursula and sleep.
Thursday was an early day, since we had a day trip to Munich planned! We took a taxi to the bus depot around 3:30 AM; all of us slept for the 2.5 hour bus ride. Upon our arrival, we took the subway directly to Marienplatz, the main square and gazed in awe at Neues Rathaus (the new town hall) for a while before finding a bite to eat for breakfast. Then we visited all of the major churches in that area as well as the toy museum in Altes Rathaus. Englischer Garten was the next stop - we found the Chinescher Turm where the oldest beer garden in Munich is located, and of course grabbed lunch there (Currywurst and potatoes for me, as well as some beer). Our last big venture of the day was to Dachau, the first concentration camp in Germany right outside of Munich. It was strange and so sad to be there, but it's important to learn about the past and remember in order to avoid the same tragedies. We then headed back to Marienplatz for some souvenir shopping and a final Bavarian dinner before we wound up taking the train home around 10:50 PM.
Friday we enjoyed one last breakfast prepared by Ursula (with waffles and fresh fruit salad!) before leaving for the airport - we had a double flight day ahead of us. I got some Ritter chocolate there though to cheer us up! I wish we had had more time, as we still had three days of break remaining when we returned, but it has been nice to take some time to chill and get settled in our new apartment. Overall, I'm lucky to have been able to visit Europe for the second time - and this time with friends!