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"Madrid: I will return..." a Madrid Travel Page by virtualpatrick

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"Madrid: I will return..." a Madrid Travel Page by virtualpatrick

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virtualpatrick   
The journey is the destination / Accept it... Don't change it... / "Sometimes I feel like I'm in Barcelona"


Real Name: Patrick (@pjbsays on Twitter)
Lives In: New Jersey, US
Member Since: Jan 19, 2003
VT Rank: 1759

 

Page Views: 6,741            Last Visit to Madrid: February, 2004      

Madrid: I will return...

by virtualpatrick - last update: Mar 6, 2007

Near Sol and Gran Via
I've visited Spain 3 times and have always enjoyed using Madrid as the hub of my visits. Although better architecture can be found in other Spanish cities, nothing beats the museums, hustle and bustle, nightlife of Madrid. Kinda reminds me of the NYC area.

My Jan/Feb 2004 visit took me to Madrid to participate as a volunteer conversationalist in a week-long English immersion program run by Vaughan Systems see www.vausys.com

After the program, a handful of the volunteer "Anglos" stayed in Madrid to experience the nightlife with some of the Spaniards we have met.

Not knowing where to put a majority of the candid photos from the week, I just put them in the section called "Local Customs" travel tips down below (there are around 30 photos in there).

Other pictures I have from this recent trip can be found in my El Barco de Avila and Segovia pages.

For a nice, compact guide to the city, download the .pdf file for the major cities in Spain at Maribel's Guides.

NOTE about the Englishtown program: In 2006, the "Englishtown" concept has been split up into 2 separate competing companies. Pueblo Ingles (www.puebloingles.com) has spun off from Vaughan Systems and continues on with the program I attended. While Richard Vaughan starts fresh with VaughanTown (www.vaughantown.com).

I highly recommend English speaking people to partake and volunteer for either "Englishtown" program. I've met the staff running both programs and can assure you they are committed to bringing a rich cultural experience to their Spanish/Italian clients and English speaking volunteers. So check out both programs and see which one suits your taste.

La Marcha...

from one bar to the next for 4 nights of never-ending goodbyes to Madrid...

This photo was from O'Neils, an Irish pub.
Click on the picture to see the caption.
This group photo was from O'Connors, another Irish pub.

I've created a Gredos Slideshow of some of the candid photos from Barco de Avila and Madrid. It's set to a background music to a medley of Gipsy Kings songs to give a flavor to the good times had at the Vaughan Systems English immersion program. The music can be turned off by clicking on the "speaker" button at the lower right of the slideshow.

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virtualpatrick's Madrid Travel Tips

OverviewThings to Do
 
RestaurantsHotels & Accommodations
Tips: 4 - Photos: 5
 
Nightlife
Tips: 4 - Photos: 4
Off The Beaten Path
 
Tourist TrapsWarnings Or Dangers
 
Transportation
Tips: 3 - Photos: 3
Local Customs
Tips: 31 - Photos: 31
 
Packing ListsShopping
 
Sports TravelGeneral Tips
Tips: 12 - Photos: 12

virtualpatrick's Madrid Travelogues
Title [Click to view]Travel YearPictures
Ceramic Tile Walls of Los GabrielesJanuary, 2004 5

Comments for virtualpatrick about Madrid
lostgabrieles Sun Sep 27, 2009 19:28 UTC
 so grateful for Los Gabrieles pics (I was there sept 04) Did you know it's been closed for years now and it sounds like walls are bare? What a sin ... just thought I'd thank you for recording the beauty of the place
boudie Thu Apr 12, 2007 17:38 UTC
 o'connells bar is amazing!!english football, all sports on as many tvs as u could handle in the day and at nightime it fills up with mix english/spanish with lots of music and drinks.the staff are quality,danny,jasmin etc awesome!! this place is a must!!!
rexvaughan Sun Feb 25, 2007 22:20 UTC
 Glad to see how much you enjoy Madrid. Have you been back to VaughanTown lately? We loved it and will go again but not sure when.
EDavis Mon Feb 23, 2004 03:04 UTC
 Patrick, Maybe the flashes were from the Flaming Lambourghinni (bad, Mayte, bad!).
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