Welcome to my story style travel blog, featuring my adventure through Spain and Portugal in the summer of 2025.
You can read the blog in order, or about whichever destination intrigues you! Within my stories, I’ll offer some recommendations and some tips and tricks for a smooth journey. When I travel, I mostly do group tours and the reasons are:
* As a solo woman traveler, it is much safer especially if traveling long distances or to countries that can be dangerous in certain areas
*The itineraries are amazing and usually include all of the things you’d want to see and do…and if not, there is free time to do as you wish
*You don’t have to worry about booking transport, finding hotels, etc. Sometimes that can contribute to the adventure, but it’s also nice to sit back and relax and let your Tour CEO be in charge
* And finally…the new people you meet on your tour become your family, and I’ve made lifelong friends in these journeys. For myself, this has equal importance with exploring new countries.
This time I used Expat Explore; the tour is called Spain and Portugal Explorer. It’s actually split into 2 parts….you could do either part, or do the whole thing so of course I did the whole thing! I’ll explain more about that along the way! This is my second time traveling with Expat, and their European itineraries are really awesome and not super expenisve. Also, transport is by coach bus which is nice because the buses offer air conditioning, comfy seats, WiFi and charging ports.
This morning I wake up to an email from the lost and found at Madrid airport, saying they have my suitcase and I can arrange a pickup or dropoff!!! Oh thank god.
I say goodbye to the hostel and head over to Corner Café. The hostel has paired up with this place to offer their guests a free breakfast. It’s located in a small square around the corner, and it’s still quiet and peaceful on this gorgeous Sunday morning.
The bells ring out from the church nearby, as I sit and wait for my breakfast. And wait. And wait some more. There is no urgency for anything here in Spain, as I will discover. As much as I would love to sit here for hours and hours, I need to get to my other hotel for the start of the tour!! I finally get my coffee and pastry but I have to take it to go. I order my Uber; it takes around half hour to drive to the hotel, and I get there a little bit late…but it’s not a problem, as everyone is still arriving and checking in. It is called Hotel Zentral, but it is far from zentral. Haha. It’s closer to the airport than the city center.
There are 25 of us, and only a few solo travelers which I find surprising. There are a lot of couples, 2 mom/daughter duos, and a group of 3 friends. Countries represented are USA, Australia, South Africa, UK and of course, Canada!!! My roomie is Lyn, a woman from Australia. There is a bit of an age gap between us, but she’s super cool so I’m happy. Our tour leader is Gustavo; he is from Portugal. He speaks Spanish, so I ask him to call the airport lost and found to confirm that they understand my request to have my bag delivered to this hotel by the end of the day(it’s here when we return back this evening!!!). Phew!!
Madrid, Spain’s capital, is a city that thrives on contrasts—historic and modern, royal and bohemian, traditional yet effortlessly cool. The city’s plazas are full of life, from the iconic Puerta del Sol to the grand Plaza Mayor, where café terraces spill into cobblestone squares. Food lovers can taste their way through Madrid with tapas crawls, churros at San Ginés, and gourmet bites at Mercado de San Miguel. For a breath of fresh air, Retiro Park offers leafy paths, fountains, and a peaceful lake, while the Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral showcase the city’s grandeur. As night falls, Madrid truly shines—with rooftop bars, and a nightlife scene famous for lasting until dawn. But I’ll get into more detail as we go further!!!
We hop aboard a bus that will take us to the city center where we will enjoy a walking tour of Madrid. As much as you can enjoy walking around in a blazing hot 40 degrees kind of day. Haha it is seriously so hot. We meet our hottie guide Isac, and we start in front of the Royal Palace and Cathedral(if I want to go inside either of these buildings, I’ll have to come back later).
A few things I learn…..the ceramic street tile signs on the sides of the buildings – like artistic visual storytellers, they turn the addresses into pieces of cultural memory. And made it easier for those who weren’t able to read!
Souvenir Alert!! – you can buy replicas of these street signs…it was so hard to choose, but I go with this one
There are also entrance tiles set into the ground -usually in front of businesses as a sort of advertisement. Customers would literally step onto the brand when they entered!! And they are often a last surviving trace of businesses that no longer exist.
We head over to the Plaza de la Villa, a small historic square with its medieval and Renaissance buildings still intact.
Then we walk past the statue called The Curious Neighbor. He leans against a rail that surrounds the archeological remains of Madrid’s earliest church.
It’s a popular photo spot; tourists and locals often rub the man’s butt for good luck…as you can see the area is worn down from repeat violations.
We continue on to Plaza Mayor, where the walking tour ends and we have some free time for lunch and more exploration. I decide to go off by myself, and I end up at a small shop called Bartolomeo for an Iberico ham and cheese sandwich. The ham comes from a native breed of pig and is considered one of the finest hams in the world. I will agree with that, it’s a must try!!
I’m still hungry and I’d like to find a spot in the shade. I decide to go try one of Spain’s most beloved treats….churros!!
Chocolateria San Ginés is one of the best places to try the authentic churros with chocolate sauce for dipping. Never mind, the chocolate is so good I also drink it right from the cup. Haha.
I sit here for an hour, getting in some much needed people watching time. And if you have a late night craving for churros don’t worry….this chocolateria is open 24 hours!
I make my way towards a shop I want to check out, and I run into Vicky, a Filipina- American lady from the tour. We decide to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring together! The shop we visit is called Caganer.
A caganer is a figure/character from Catalonian Christmas nativity scenes. It is traditionally a male peasant who is squatting, pants down, taking a poop!! Haha! When I found out this exists, I HAD to get one for myself. The figurines symbolize fertilizing and harvests, and is also for good luck. The tradition has expanded to figurines of celebrities and other famous characters.
I buy this one:
We make our way back to Almudena Cathedral, and go inside. It is Madrid’s main cathedral and is a striking mix of architectural styles – neoclassical and neo-gothic.
Because it’s so hot outside, it’s a nice break to come in here; we stay for around an hour, just relaxing and taking in the peaceful beauty.
We have had a ton of free time this afternoon, almost too much time. We walk over to the Royal Palace, but decide not to go inside.
It’s a little pricey, and at this point I’m not feeling great – probably a bit of heat exhaustion. But it’s pretty from the outside, and massive! This is the official residence of Spain’s royal family, but it’s mainly used for state ceremonies.
Fun Fact: the palace has over 3400 rooms and is the largest in Europe – even bigger than Versailles!!
Before dinner, we want to make one more stop at the crypts of the cathedral, but it doesn’t open for another half hour and I can’t wait….I need to get into a cool room with fresh water and ice cubes.
Pro Tip: if you’re feeling overheated, hydration and rest is key…but I find the ice cube trick helps….I rub ice cubes all over my arms and back of my neck, and pop a few cubes down my shirt. Sounds crazy, but it totally works!!
We are having dinner at a historic place called Casa Ciriaco, a classic old tavern with traditional cuisine.
It’s been open since 1897, and was often a gathering place for journalists, bullfighters and intellectuals.
Fun Fact: it’s on the same street that saw the assassination attempt of King Alfonso XIII in 1906, during his wedding procession. The owners of the tavern were witness to the event.
This is an included dinner with the tour, and it is a 4 course meal. We start with croquettes, followed by a chicken soup. The waiter keeps trying to fill up my bowl with more soup, no idea why. Does he think I look hungry? Is he flirting? Does he just have way too much soup? Haha. Luckily I still have room for the giant plate of boiled meats, potatoes and veggies.
And finally a flan for dessert.
And of course, a glass of tinto de verano!
After dinner they take us on an exclusive tour of the basement wine cellar, where they would also hold special private dinners.
Some of the wines are really old, so that’s cool to see.
It is lovely getting to know all of my new friends, excited for the journey we are about to experience together.
We are picked up by our coach bus and returned to the hotel for a quiet evening as we get ready to hit the road tomorrow!!!
Everywhere On Earth With Erin 