Travel Diary: Madrid and Beyond
Wednesday, October 29
Yuni contacted me wanting to travel for various reasons. Out of the blue? If you want to go, then let's go!
My husband has a business trip to the U.S. for 11 nights and 13 days in November, and Chini has to go to school, so it will just be the two of us.
This year, Yuni decided to take some vacation days early, so we planned a trip for 9 nights and 11 days. A trip to Asia seems too short, and Europe feels a bit rushed, but we found suitable flight dates and chose warm southern Spain.
Thursday, October 30
Booked flights to Madrid with Korean Air.
Went to the library to borrow some books about Spain.
Yuni, being efficient, has already drafted a rough travel schedule.
Friday, October 31
Yuni booked our train from Madrid to Seville and Granada back to Madrid. I took care of the easier parts.
Confirmed a day tour from Seville to Granada through My Real Trip.
Purchased a 1+1 audio tour for Madrid.
Saturday, November 1
Reserved tickets for the Alhambra Palace on the official website (a must).
Booked tickets for the three major art museums in Madrid (Paseo del Arte Pass) on the official site (20% discount).
Made hotel reservations for 3 nights in Madrid via Hotels.com and 2 nights in Seville and 3 nights in Granada via Agoda.
Yuni sent the detailed itinerary using a triple.
Sunday, November 2
Reserved the Incheon Airport bus.
Joined travel insurance with My Bank.
The euro has risen significantly, around 1650 won. Fortunately, I have some leftover euros from last year and a bit of cash.
Ready to go?
<Day 1 - Departure>
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Yuni had her interview the day before and is leaving for the trip right after.
Yuni was too busy preparing for her interview to study Spanish, and I wondered why I was going on a trip with so little preparation.
Met Yuni at the airport, checked in our luggage, and passed through security smoothly (I always feel anxious due to my fingerprint registration issue). Excited about the new Morning Calm voucher, we queued at the Martina Lounge. However, we were redirected to the Morning Calm Lounge near Gate 253.
After enduring a grueling 15-hour flight, we landed at Madrid Airport. The immigration process was quick, but the Movistar SIM card I bought in Korea was acting up.
After several attempts to troubleshoot, we found ourselves struggling while our luggage was the only one left spinning around on the carousel.
Despite my fear of stepping outside the unfamiliar Madrid airport without internet, I was relieved to find taxis lined up right outside. We took a fixed-rate taxi to our hotel on Atocha Street for 33 euros. The hotel had Wi-Fi, but I was too flustered to take any pictures.
I could only sleep for two hours due to anxiety and worry. Fortunately, a kind and smart friend offered comfort.
<Day 2 - Prado Museum>
Monday, November 24, 2025
After a restless night, I ventured out to a 24-hour Carrefour at 5:30 AM. Madrid seemed safe with so many tourists, but I was hungry, and cafes opened late.
Before 9 AM, I received a message from the local carrier about a system failure, indicating they would refund me for the faulty SIM card. I needed a quick solution.
I decided to head to the Orange phone store located 8 minutes away at Puerta del Sol. Arriving at 9 AM, the streets were dark, cold, and messy, filled with people. After scanning our passports at the kiosk, we bought two 20-euro SIM cards. The staff quickly helped us switch SIMs, and suddenly we had 300GB of data!
Feeling relieved, we opened Google Maps and headed to the Prado Museum.
We arrived just before the 10 AM opening, exchanged our Paseo del Arte Pass for actual tickets, and entered at 10:10 AM.
After checking in Yuni's coat, we rented a Korean audio guide for 5 euros. Photography is prohibited in the Prado, creating a pleasant atmosphere for focused viewing.
We spent 2.5 hours on the ground floor, admiring works by Hieronymus Bosch, Goya, and Velázquez, among others. We took a break for lunch at the museum's restaurant.
After a tiring day, we returned to the hotel, exhausted but satisfied with our art-filled adventure.
We stayed at the Catalonia Plaza Mayor Hotel for three nights. While it was decent, the heater was too loud for my sensitive ears, so I had to sleep with earplugs. I recommend the nearby Catalonia Atocha, where we stayed on our last night-it was cheaper and had no drawbacks.
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