My Ideal Day Off in Madrid

As an auxiliares de conversación in the Community of Madrid, I work a part-time schedule and have 3-day weekends. Prior to arriving in Spain, some of my friends in the program were able to get in contact with their schools and let them know whether they preferred to have Fridays or Mondays off, but my school automatically assigned me Mondays. I have enjoyed this schedule because it’s cheaper for traveling and all my roommates work on Mondays, so I have the apartment to myself. I have been using this day to regroup from the weekend and prepare for the upcoming week; a Sunday 2.0 if you will. Here is what my ideal (potentially mundane, but realistic) day off in Madrid looks like: 

First, I would sleep in for longer than a school day, but still wake-up with enough time to do some light cleaning around the apartment while my roommates are at work and start a load of laundry. In Spain, and in most of Europe, apartments do not have dryers, so having to wash and air dry your clothes can be an all day ordeal. This is definitely an adjustment I’ve had to combat and be strategic about, especially with my limited number of clothes I was able to bring over with me. 

Next, I like to have coffee and eat a big breakfast at home before leaving my apartment for the day. Espresso is the most popular coffee in Spain, and my apartment luckily came with a Nespresso machine, so I’ve made the switch over from my usual drip coffee at home in the States. In the morning I may pick up a few groceries if needed. In my neighborhood, there are Lidl and Carrefour grocery stores. We have a few Lidls at home, but I had never been to one until moving here. They’re similar to Aldis, both German discount supermarket chains. I tend to prefer the French chain Carrefour, which is more comparable to a Harris Teeter, Kroger, or Lowes Foods. The shopping experience is smoother because it’s easy to locate products and they have a wider selection of household goods and sundries. 

I’ve been trying to visit all the different Madrid parks and museums, so once I’m ready to hit the town one of these would be on the top of my to-do list. My favorite museum so far has been the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. Home to loads of famous 20th-century artwork, including works by Gris, Dali, and Picasso, I have learned so much about Spanish history, culture, and politics. Teachers are granted free admission to the museum as long as you bring a form of identification and a copy of your contract. 

The odds of me going to a nail salon on my day off are pretty high. In Madrid, a gel manicure costs me €15 and at home in North Carolina, one would cost me minimum $35 before tipping. I’ll go ahead and save you the trouble of trying to convert the currencies, for our purposes the euro and the dollar are equivalent. Needless to say, I am on the longest consistent stretch of my life of having my nails manicured. And it’s pretty sweet, if I do say so myself. My personal salon recommendations include Lina Uñas in the fabulous Justicia neighborhood and if you’re looking for English speakers, Lisa’s Nails & Beauty which is a little further east in the city. 

Now that I’m dolled up, I’d be heading over to a yoga class that I booked through a ClassPass subscription. I would recommend to anyone moving to any new city in search of a new workout routine, and it’s worked wonderfully here in Madrid. In addition to allowing me to figure out my preferred style of workout, I have also been more immersed in the Spanish language during classes because I have to actively listen to and follow specific instructions. My favorite yoga studios include More Yoga Madrid in the center of the city, and for a more intimate class Prevalece el Yoga in Malasaña.

At this point in my day I’m ready to continue my love affair with the 5 Metro line, make my way home, cook dinner, and review my lesson plans for the upcoming week at school. A perfect day off wouldn’t be complete without watching a movie. Since being abroad, not very many of my streaming services work. However, HBO Max has remained loyal and reliable, so I would pick a movie from there to add the cherry on top of my ideal day off. 

I hope a peak into my realistic day off in Madrid was informative and maybe entertaining! (Side note: I wanted to title this blog "Sarah Baker's Day Off" but I didn't think it would get much traction. It's just important to me you know the thought was there.) See you soon!