As if a week of horseback riding in Catalonia wasn’t enough for her, my mom continued her Spanish travels while I returned to Germany. We met up again in Madrid, her final stop in Europe before heading back to the States (but not yet home, mind you!).

Between our landlord, who was born and raised in Madrid, and our Air Force friends who now live and work in Madrid, we had a huge list of tips and “must-dos”! We came nowhere near accomplishing everything on their combined lists and this post is nowhere near everything the three of us did in Madrid…only the favorites!!

Las Ventas – The Plaza de Toros or bullfighting ring. This sculpture of a torero is nowhere near accurate in terms of how tight the bullfighters’ pants really are!

We went to a bull-themed restaurant to eat on our first night. The walls were covered in pictures of crazy happenings at the bullfights over the years, including one guy with a horn through his thigh! Thankfully, they hung that one close to the bathrooms and not near the eating tables!

Retiro Park – We went rowing around the Monument to Alfonso XII before the heat of the day kicked in. Between the marine biologist, ocean baby, and Midwesterner, we managed to stay afloat! Guess who the best rower was?! Mom…the Chicagolander!

Círculo de Bellas Artes – This was a great place to recharge, enjoy some sangria/tinto de verano, and see amazing views of the city before heading to the Prado Museum. Loved it!

Tapas Tour – Our Air Force friend recommended that we take a Tapas Tour with her. Despite all the things we have eaten over the years, we have never taken a tour that centered around food! I keep asking myself why we haven’t made food-tours the number one priority during all of our travels?! Best. Discovery. Ever.

During the tour we stopped at four different locations. It was fantastic because we never would have eaten at any of these places if we were on our own, and definitely wouldn’t have known the best things to order. Madrid is filled with tiny eateries that have so much history and interesting behind-the-scenes action. Each stop had a different drink to go with the numerous tapas options. It was so much fun!

The one in the middle was my absolute favorite of the night! Iberico ham over Spanish bread dipped in egg yolk (think French toast that isn’t sweet) which was swimming in gazpacho.

At the third location, we drank cider which was made in-house. The bartender would fill each glass with the bottle over his head and the glass near his knees. You can’t even see the glass in the first picture because he is holding it so low! To top it off: he never looked at the bottle or the glass!

Mom, Joe and I got a chance to pour our own glasses! I took a video of Joe, so I only have this one picture. Despite the look on his face, he poured himself a hefty serving! Mom looks scared, but she is near-professional level! I gave the bartender the side-ways eye, just to prove I wasn’t cheating!!

Sadly, we had to part ways with Mom at the airport. She has been traveling strong for weeks up to that point…and still had destinations to go! Thanks for the fun, Mom!

About a year ago I discovered an organization that facilitates “riding holidays” all around the world. It became a “must do” on my travel list.

Luckily, I have a mother who is happy to join me on adventures involving lots of four-legged transportation:

Cows in Switzerland

Mules in the Grand Canyon

Horses in Costa Rica

I am also blessed to have a wonderful family friend, Patti, who has served as a “2^nd mother” to me since I was young. She is also horse-crazy and brave enough to join the adventure!

The three of us spent about a month deciding exactly which “riding holiday” was going to be the perfect fit. Catalonia, Spain became the destination of choice! Click below to follow our journey, fast-forward to the interesting parts, or skip it all together!

• The Babes in Barcelona (pre-ride fun!)
• Meet the Mounts (5 ladies + 7 guys = “Where’s my line?!”)
• Tally Ho! Here We Go! (through hill and dale, city and sea)
• Daily Siesta (picnicking never looked so good)
• Our Journey in Selfies (if you don’t like my mug…don’t click here)
• Après-ride (wine cork towers and “pre-lashing”)

Next goal: get my sisters to ride along!