A trip to madrid

Hi! I have recently just returned form an absolutely fabulous trip to Madrid - and I'm definitely feeling the holiday blues. So I thought I'd do a post about my trip, what to see/do, and one of the outfits I wore! I went to Madrid for a festival called Mad Cool which was SO much fun . But I'm going to do a separate post all about that and what I thought about it and also what I wore - so stay tuned for that in the next week!

Because I spent 3 days at the festival (and the following day hungover) I definitely didn't get to explore as much as I would have liked to. But I definitely have some must have experiences to share with you. Madrid is a very cool city. I definitely have a love for cities that have beautiful architecture - Madrid was very similar in that sense to other cities I have visited such as Barcelona and Lisbon. The buildings are just so pretty, and I always end up coming home with a thousand pictures on my camera of different ones.

One of the things I loved most about my visit was the food! Oh my god - TAPAS AND SANGRIA - It's just a winning combination isn't it? I did a bit of research and found a restaurant called 'El MiniBAR' which was very highly rated. It was about 2 minutes away from Plaza Mayor in the centre of the city. When we arrived at around 7pm there was a queue at the door and I'm honestly not surprised. We didn't wait long for a table, but it would've been worth it even if we did because the food was to die for. One of their dishes was honestly one of the most amazing things I've ever ate - It was grilled goats cheese with tomato jam and coriander oil and it was delicious. As well as this the décor was so authentic and cute, and the prices were incredibly reasonable. If you're planning on visiting Madrid I have to insist you pay this place a visit.

Another highlight was Retiro Park/the botanical gardens - this beautiful place is just on the outside of the main centre but wasn't difficult to get to. Madrid has a metro system which makes it SO easy to get around, you can get to anywhere within 20 minutes and it's just so simple! If you visit I would highly recommend using the met for any journeys that are a little bit longer. Retiro park is stunning, it was so nice to walk around (even if it was 30 degree heat and I was sweating) and I was pleasantly surprised to find that you can go rowing on the lake! It was so affordable at 8 euros for 45 minutes and it was so much fun, I absolutely loved it and would definitely recommend. Rowing out to the middle of the lake and lying down in the boat whilst taking in the sun and the calming water and the beautiful surroundings was so relaxing.

Just round the corner is the Prado art gallery - which is really worth a visit if you're into museums and art. And also a gorgeous little tapas restaurant called 'Tinto Y Tapas' which is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat.

Top - Topshop

Shorts - Pop Boutique Vintage

If you have a bit of time left and you're a bit of thrill seeker - Madrid also have a theme park, which is open until midnight every day and has discounted entry if you go after 7pm, which is what we did. It was so much fun and had some really amazing rides including a log flume which gets you SOAKED and one of the scariest rollercoasters I've ever been on (honestly it was scary)

I would definitely return to Madrid as there is so much of the city I didn't see. Everything is so cheap which is always a bonus so you don't even need a big budget to have a good weekend away - if you're looking for a getaway this summer Madrid should be an option!

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OUTFIT - FEELING FRUITY

Now onto one of the outfits I wore for an evening out in the city! I wore this outfit to wander down into the centre to have food. I was worried it was going to be too hot in this outfit but it was actually really cool and comfortable - this is such an important thing for me when I go away to hot places, I get hot far too easily (and I get very aggy when I'm too hot.) So when I plan holiday outfits I always want to look sassy, but also not be uncomfortable the entire time - which means finding something which meets that criteria is always fab. This was definitely the perfect outfit for an evening of exploring and drinking - I felt the right amount of dressed up without looking too much!

Everyone has a colour they feel confident in, and for me, it's yellow - I just always tend to naturally gravitate towards items of that colour. It's just such an exciting and vibrant colour, and it makes me feel happy when I wear it. If you haven't already, I dare you to buy something yellow and have a go at mixing it into your wardrobe! even if its just something as small as a pair of socks - I guarantee it'll make you a little happier when you're getting dressed in the morning.

I bought this playsuit about a month ago and I saved it for this trip because I just thought it was such a perfect holiday outfit. The red and yellow colour combination is so summery and I thought it would be great for enhancing your tan.

Playsuit - Asos (and its in the sale!)

Bag - Monki

Shoes - Monki

Sunglasses (Similar) - Miss Pap

Earrings - Depop

The style of this playsuit is so different and I really loved that about it, I don't have anything in my wardrobe that is similar to it in any way. The frilly detail on the sleeves and the shorts is really cute and girly, but the tie front and the cut out midriff keep the outfit a little bit sexy. The only thing I have to say is that the material creases really easily (as you can probably see in these pics) so if you wanna get the perfect snap in it I suggest you take your pics before you sit down ha!

Fruit print is one of my favourite trends of this summer and I already have a few pieces which I am loving. My cherry earrings were obviously the perfect match for this playsuit! I kept the accessories simple but I really wanted to accessorise with ALL red, so I paired the outfit with my red monki bag, and a pair of red cat eye sunglasses I got for a steal in Primark for only £2! The only thing I wish about this outfit is that I had a pair of red sandals to complete it, maybe ill have to buy a pair!?

Let me know what you think of this outfit - and let me know if you enjoyed that I included a little bit of travel at the start of this post and that's what you'd like to see more of!

Chloe x