Mack & Madrid Pride

I come to my blog to quickly get you all up to date in very high spirits, as it’s been about two weeks of non-stop enjoyment! My new flat is lovely, the weather has been getting slowly warmer, and I have been eating a lot of ice cream. The newly warm air means that I have been staying up later to escape trying to sleep during the intense heat, and so lots of siestas and nighttime wandering – including a trip down to the Matadero cultural centre to explore it’s eerie and unique nighttime lighting…

I also headed out for an evening of beers and great Spanish food with two of my new flatmates, and we wound up at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the river at the west of the city. A few beers, fried squid and huevos rotos (chips with lightly done eggs and cured ham) later, we headed for the five minute walk home and ended up eating ice cream until 1am in the 38° heat…

But now I divulge from delicious evening meals on a terrace to the arrival of an ex-semi-flatmate all the way from New Zealand no less! I have been absolutely delighted to welcome my friend Mackenzie to the city, as she is stopping by with her dad during a wine tour of pretty much the whole of Spain!

After a catch up meal and lots of chatting, we headed down to the big event dominating Madrid this past week – Orgullo, or Pride Madrid! Naturally I had to buy myself a flag (and I ended up with a fan too) and get involved in watching the parade go by. Firstly though, I went for an amble through the gay district Chueca, taking photos and getting the opportunity to get involved with my fellow community – and the party atmosphere was amazing!

The main fun to be had however was down at Paseo de la Castellana and Cibeles, where the parade floats were passing by and the processions were in full swing. Me, Mack and her dad Clive spent an hour or so revelling in the atmosphere, flying the rainbow flag and dancing along to the music – generally having a big happy celebration!

Waving my rainbow cape, we made our way back up to Sol in the centre of the city and found a stage erected with crows of people joining in with some live pop music, and I somehow managed to catch a moment where the front of the Real Casa de Correos (one of the most iconic buildings in the city) was free for a pic…

After it was all over it was time for some margaritas at my favourite Mexican joint before heading on the picturesque walk back home – a walk on which I took this lovely photo of the warm sunset just a few days ago! I hope to see Mack again this evening before her and her dad head back home to New Zealand during the night, and I shall be sure to report back shortly with even more updates as I begin to conclude my time here in Madrid – just over three weeks left to go now!