Lolina Vintage Cafe

I'm currently sitting in a very sweet cafe in Malasaña updating my blog. Nestled in a flowerbox-adorned corner on Calle Espíritu Santo, their décor is kitsch and the food and drink is delicious.

Reasonably priced, fresh food including an excellent Spanish Tortilla with salad, toasts with different toppings including goats cheese and cranberry and they also serve very good fruit juices. 

I also recommend trying the Frappuccino with a ball of coffee ice cream on top.  

This is one of my favourite places to come in Malasaña if I need a few quiet moments, with my laptop, doing work for university, or updating my blog. 

Ginger

Situated on Plaza del Ángel just up the road from Sol. Stunning in the evening, very impressive at night, with the whole area lit up with lilac lights.

Traditional Mediterranean cuisine with a contemporary twist.

Astonishingly low prices for the prime location, luxurious art deco surroundings and gourmet menu. The meal was immaculately presented and delicious, the service polite and attentive and the bill wasn't too hefty either. 

Reservations are required, but there is a very quick turnover, so you won't be waiting long for a table. 

Recommendations:

Steak with mash and aubergine mousse

Artichoke salad with shavings of Jamón Iberico

Deep fried octopus in a crispy batter

Prawn Tempura 

Celicioso

This small bakery is a nice quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of nearby Gran Via. 

I've never tried Gluten free produce, but the outside of the Cake shop was so pretty I had to go in. 

We tried the strawberry cheesecake, which was lovely. Zingy strawberry, buttery crunch base, and bouncy cream cheese. 

The carrot cake and banoffee cake was also really nice, very moist and full of flavour. 

Usually I would expect to pay a higher price for such 'specialised' goods, but the prices are very reasonable here. 

https://www.facebook.com/Celicioso

Bykono

Sorry if these 'collage' images are annoying you, but i've just become obsessed with this app!

  

I've never really eaten a lot of Sushi, it kinda freaked me out a bit, but my more adventurous housemates introduced me to Handrolls. Which are called Temaki's in Japanese. 

They are wrapped up rice veg, meat or fish in a nori seeweed cone. And they are even served in a very sweet bamboo boat shaped container. 

Japanese fast food seems quite popular amongst young hipsters in Madrid. Bykono markets towards anyone that doesn't have time for a full meal, but wants a healthy fresh snack that boosts their energy levels.

Top 3 Temakis:

Prawn tempura with lettuce, and mayo

Chicken Teryaki with crispy onion bits

Salmon and Philidelphia

Year Abroad 2k13

Nostalgia

I've been feeling pretty nostalgic recently. I cannot believe my Year Abroad is nearly over. Weep. Blubber. THE WORST. I've met so many incredible people here, experienced so many fun memories, seen so many cool places. I've definitely got the travelling bug now. I have never travelled before, and spending time away from my family and friends at home has been difficult. Times have been hard, but I feel like I have really developed as a person here. I have a clearer outlook on what I want to do with my life, the people I want to spend my time with, the places I want to see. I will be incredibly sad when I leave Madrid, but for now I'm just going to make the most of the time I have left. I remember someone telling me before I went to Leeds Uni, that my University life will go past in a split second. And that exact thing has happened. Don't waste it doing things you don't enjoy. And say yes, to everything. 

Go Car

Go car is an innovative car hire company in Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon.  

I would love to say that it was completely my idea to hire out these cars, but I actually saw them on Geordie Shore. (no shame)

It cost us 24 euros each (including insurance) to use the cars for an hour, but you do have to pay a 300 euro deposit. The car has an inbuilt GPS system and the tour guide is a rather amusing woman, who tells you about the various sites as you pass them, 

It wasn't until we sped off from the starting point, that we realised that we may actually be risking our lives... I won't give details as I don't want to scare my mama, but all I'm going to say is that there were a few moments where we may not have got our 300 euro deposit back...The taxi drivers absolutely hated us, motorists laughed at us, and the pedestrians absolutely loved us. Chatwin and Mia were the designated drivers, whilst Sarah and I got bevvied (as the Scottish would say!)

We decided to take the most popular tour, which included Las Ramblas, Barrio Gótico and the beach. Las Ramblas was probably the most amusing, as we beeped at the pedestrians and waved to our adoring fans. There is an option to hire the cars for longer than an hour, but I think an hour was just enough time to see everything. 

If you want the ultimate sightseeing experience with a quick, fun filled tour of Barcelona then I would thoroughly recommend using Go Car.