Hawthorne by Pennyfarthing

Pennyfarthing Homes brings a stunning new development to Vancouver's West side. This amazing development will consist of 1-3 bedroom residences ranging from 680 sq ft to 1,433 sq ft over 7 storeys.

The Hawthorne is situated next to the lovely Queen Elizabeth park and just a short walk along Cambie will bring you to the Oakridge mall where you will satisfy all you shopping and dinning needs.

Pricing has not yet been determined.  Please register and join our VIP list to be one of the first to receive information

 

The post Hawthorne by Pennyfarthing appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Hawthorne by Pennyfarthing

Pennyfarthing Homes brings a stunning new development to Vancouver’s West side. This amazing development will consist of 1-3 bedroom residences ranging from 680 sq ft to 1,433 sq ft over 7 storeys.

The Hawthorne is situated next to the lovely Queen Elizabeth park and just a short walk along Cambie will bring you to the Oakridge mall where you will satisfy all you shopping and dinning needs.

Pricing has not yet been determined.  Please register and join our VIP list to be one of the first to receive information

 

The post Hawthorne by Pennyfarthing appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos http://ift.tt/2fxPwIh

A Pelagian Cruise Reveals Indonesia’s Underwater Riches

Luxurious land-based Wakatobi Dive Resort offers access to over 40 pristine dive sites. Guests can visit even more aboard the equally luxurious Pelagian. This 115-foot (35 m) luxury dive yacht cruises a broader area of the Wakatobi archipelago and the southern portion of Buton Island. These waters lie within the Coral Triangle, home to the highest coral-reef biodiversity in the world. Seven-day itineraries take in a diverse range of underwater environments. The areas from Wangi Wangi to the vast Kaledupa shoals offer everything from shallow reefs to offshore pinnacles and dramatic vertical drop offs. Buton’s Pasar Wajo Bay means exceptional muck diving.

Cruising on the Pelagian

The Pelagian offers more personalized service than a typical liveaboard vessel, as it’s set up to hold a maximum of just 10 divers in five spacious cabins. Divers will find accommodations akin to an upscale hotel room, with separate dressing areas and en suite bathrooms and showers. A crew of 12 includes an executive chef and stewards, adding fine dining and five-star service to the itinerary. Diving is conducted from a pair of custom-fabricated dive tenders, with the crew handling all gear management. One of Wakatobi’s guides will lead divers and provide in-water support when requested or needed. Guides are experts at locating rare marine subjects as well.

Because dives take place either on shallow-water muck sites or on structures with significant vertical reliefs that are ideal for multi-level profiles, bottoms times routinely exceed 70 minutes. The schedule allows for up to four dives a day, including night dives. With so much time spent in the water, Pelagian offers nitrox to appropriately certified divers.

Muck Diving

Unique to the Pelagian’s itinerary are the muck-diving opportunities not found at the resort. Pasar Wajo Bay, on the southeastern side of Buton Island, has a broad selection of sites. There are silt and rubble habitats, and white-sand bays with small coral gardens. Some of the best muck-diving sites include Cheeky Beach, Banana Beach and In Between. These sites feature very gradual slopes from the shoreline down to 100 feet. The desert-like bottom is comprised mostly of gray or brown sand and gravel. Avoid stirring up the light sediment cover with an errant fin by watching buoyancy carefully.

Neophyte muck divers might wonder what they’re doing on brown sandy slopes, devoid of coral. Until they begin to spot things. They might first see the mottled red face of a reptilian snake eel, protruding from the sand. Or perhaps they’ll see a wunderpus octopus, recognizable by its reddish-brown body with well-defined white bands. Closer looks will reveal Coleman shrimp, fire urchins and alien-like peacock mantis shrimp. Shrimp gobies keep house with their alpheid shrimp roommates, who seem to do all the work.Pelagian also visits three piers in Pasar Wajo Bay, each with its own attractions. Asphalt Pier is the island’s primary terminal for loading bitumen onto waiting cargo vessels. Weaving between pilings at depths from 15 to 45 feet, divers will find shrimp gobies, frogfish, leaf scorpionfish and pipefish.

As the name suggests, New Pier is the newest landing dock in Pasar Wajo Bay. Like Asphalt Pier, depth profiles run 15 to 35 feet around the base of the pilings, down to 45 feet out front in the sand. While the pilings are a great spot for finding blue ribbon eels, ringed pipefish and spiny devil scorpionfish, the adjacent debris field of cans and bottles is a good place to hunt for octopus and gobies.

Divers on the Pelagian talk most about Magic Pier. Other than being home to a menagerie of cephalopods, including cuttlefish and blue-ringed octopus, frogfish and nudibranchs, this site is loaded with mating mandarinfish. Each evening just before sunset, coral formations and rock piles around the base of the pier come alive as scores of mandarinfish emerge from their hiding places for their nightly ritual. Males gather to stage elaborate mating displays, and when they attract the attention of a willing female, the pair begins a spiraling dance toward the surface that culminates in the release of eggs and sperm.

Reefs, Walls and Pinnacles

A large part of the Pelagian’s itinerary targets the coral-rich shallows, slopes and steep drop-offs of the Karang Kaledupa reef system, which lies between Wakatobi Dive Resort and Buton Island. Profiles rise to within a few feet or meters of the surface, so divers can expect long, multi-level dives.

Off Wangi Wangi Island is a site aptly named Fishmarket for its abundance of schooling fish, including blackfin barracuda. The site features a brilliant wall with two deep ravines and a detached pinnacle rising to within 33 feet (10 m) of the surface.

The Karang Kaledupa area also includes a number of offshore pinnacles. Wanji seamount rises from deep water to a summit 13 feet (4 m) from the surface, then continues along a ridge at 60 feet (18 m) to meet a second mount with minimum depth of 33 feet (10 m). Crevices riddle the structure, and it’s rich in fan corals, soft corals and lush bushes of halimeda algae. In the open water surrounding the structure, divers may encounter schooling bigeye trevally, snappers, tuna and turtles. On the reef itself, divers can spot pygmy seahorses, mantis shrimp, orangutan crab, nudibranchs and other macro critters. The dive begins on the deeper of the seamount peaks and ends on the shallower pinnacle. Divers can see juvenile wrasse, leaf scorpionfish and false stonefish.

On the way to and from Wakatobi, Pelagian may stop at sites on the outer edge of day-boat range, such as the Blade seamounts. This unusual structure consists of a series of knife-edge pinnacles running in parallel lines. A lower ridge that gives the entire structure the appearance of a serrated-blade knife set on edge connects the pinnacles and gives the site its name.

These are just a few of the many memorable sites that divers can experience aboard Pelagian. Combine a cruise with a stay at Wakatobi Dive Resort for the best that Indonesia has to offer.

By guest author Walt Stearns

The post A Pelagian Cruise Reveals Indonesia’s Underwater Riches appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/2erhilu

A Pelagian Cruise Reveals Indonesia’s Underwater Riches

Luxurious land-based Wakatobi Dive Resort offers access to over 40 pristine dive sites. Guests can visit even more aboard the equally luxurious Pelagian. This 115-foot (35 m) luxury dive yacht cruises a broader area of the Wakatobi archipelago and the southern portion of Buton Island. These waters lie within the Coral Triangle, home to the highest coral-reef biodiversity in the world. Seven-day itineraries take in a diverse range of underwater environments. The areas from Wangi Wangi to the vast Kaledupa shoals offer everything from shallow reefs to offshore pinnacles and dramatic vertical drop offs. Buton's Pasar Wajo Bay means exceptional muck diving.

Cruising on the Pelagian

The Pelagian offers more personalized service than a typical liveaboard vessel, as it's set up to hold a maximum of just 10 divers in five spacious cabins. Divers will find accommodations akin to an upscale hotel room, with separate dressing areas and en suite bathrooms and showers. A crew of 12 includes an executive chef and stewards, adding fine dining and five-star service to the itinerary. Diving is conducted from a pair of custom-fabricated dive tenders, with the crew handling all gear management. One of Wakatobi's guides will lead divers and provide in-water support when requested or needed. Guides are experts at locating rare marine subjects as well.

Because dives take place either on shallow-water muck sites or on structures with significant vertical reliefs that are ideal for multi-level profiles, bottoms times routinely exceed 70 minutes. The schedule allows for up to four dives a day, including night dives. With so much time spent in the water, Pelagian offers nitrox to appropriately certified divers.

Muck Diving

Unique to the Pelagian's itinerary are the muck-diving opportunities not found at the resort. Pasar Wajo Bay, on the southeastern side of Buton Island, has a broad selection of sites. There are silt and rubble habitats, and white-sand bays with small coral gardens. Some of the best muck-diving sites include Cheeky Beach, Banana Beach and In Between. These sites feature very gradual slopes from the shoreline down to 100 feet. The desert-like bottom is comprised mostly of gray or brown sand and gravel. Avoid stirring up the light sediment cover with an errant fin by watching buoyancy carefully.

Neophyte muck divers might wonder what they're doing on brown sandy slopes, devoid of coral. Until they begin to spot things. They might first see the mottled red face of a reptilian snake eel, protruding from the sand. Or perhaps they'll see a wunderpus octopus, recognizable by its reddish-brown body with well-defined white bands. Closer looks will reveal Coleman shrimp, fire urchins and alien-like peacock mantis shrimp. Shrimp gobies keep house with their alpheid shrimp roommates, who seem to do all the work.Pelagian also visits three piers in Pasar Wajo Bay, each with its own attractions. Asphalt Pier is the island's primary terminal for loading bitumen onto waiting cargo vessels. Weaving between pilings at depths from 15 to 45 feet, divers will find shrimp gobies, frogfish, leaf scorpionfish and pipefish.

As the name suggests, New Pier is the newest landing dock in Pasar Wajo Bay. Like Asphalt Pier, depth profiles run 15 to 35 feet around the base of the pilings, down to 45 feet out front in the sand. While the pilings are a great spot for finding blue ribbon eels, ringed pipefish and spiny devil scorpionfish, the adjacent debris field of cans and bottles is a good place to hunt for octopus and gobies.

Divers on the Pelagian talk most about Magic Pier. Other than being home to a menagerie of cephalopods, including cuttlefish and blue-ringed octopus, frogfish and nudibranchs, this site is loaded with mating mandarinfish. Each evening just before sunset, coral formations and rock piles around the base of the pier come alive as scores of mandarinfish emerge from their hiding places for their nightly ritual. Males gather to stage elaborate mating displays, and when they attract the attention of a willing female, the pair begins a spiraling dance toward the surface that culminates in the release of eggs and sperm.

Reefs, Walls and Pinnacles

A large part of the Pelagian's itinerary targets the coral-rich shallows, slopes and steep drop-offs of the Karang Kaledupa reef system, which lies between Wakatobi Dive Resort and Buton Island. Profiles rise to within a few feet or meters of the surface, so divers can expect long, multi-level dives.

Off Wangi Wangi Island is a site aptly named Fishmarket for its abundance of schooling fish, including blackfin barracuda. The site features a brilliant wall with two deep ravines and a detached pinnacle rising to within 33 feet (10 m) of the surface.

The Karang Kaledupa area also includes a number of offshore pinnacles. Wanji seamount rises from deep water to a summit 13 feet (4 m) from the surface, then continues along a ridge at 60 feet (18 m) to meet a second mount with minimum depth of 33 feet (10 m). Crevices riddle the structure, and it's rich in fan corals, soft corals and lush bushes of halimeda algae. In the open water surrounding the structure, divers may encounter schooling bigeye trevally, snappers, tuna and turtles. On the reef itself, divers can spot pygmy seahorses, mantis shrimp, orangutan crab, nudibranchs and other macro critters. The dive begins on the deeper of the seamount peaks and ends on the shallower pinnacle. Divers can see juvenile wrasse, leaf scorpionfish and false stonefish.

On the way to and from Wakatobi, Pelagian may stop at sites on the outer edge of day-boat range, such as the Blade seamounts. This unusual structure consists of a series of knife-edge pinnacles running in parallel lines. A lower ridge that gives the entire structure the appearance of a serrated-blade knife set on edge connects the pinnacles and gives the site its name.

These are just a few of the many memorable sites that divers can experience aboard Pelagian. Combine a cruise with a stay at Wakatobi Dive Resort for the best that Indonesia has to offer.

By guest author Walt Stearns

The post A Pelagian Cruise Reveals Indonesia's Underwater Riches appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/2erhilu

5 things about your hotel’s website that will scare guests away

October is always full of fright, and you might be incorporating ghosts, ghouls and goblins into your hotel decor this month. Save your tricks and treats for the lobby, and keep these five scary web design tactics away from your hotel’s website.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eTbIJw

5 things about your hotel’s website that will scare guests away

October is always full of fright, and you might be incorporating ghosts, ghouls and goblins into your hotel decor this month. Save your tricks and treats for the lobby, and keep these five scary web design tactics away from your hotel's website.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eTbIJw

Expedia plans to build Facebook advertising to ‘Google-like levels’

It’s never smart for companies to get over-dependent on a third-party platform, and with that kind of thinking, Expedia is hoping to reduce its reliance on advertising through Google by building up its participation in Facebook and other social platforms.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eqmqGU

Airbnb faces worldwide opposition as city authorities clamp down

The company's phenomenal growth is proving to be its greatest liability. Authorities in cities around the world fear the impact it is having on their communities and are now seeking to arrest Airbnb’s near unfettered expansion.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2dUurHT

How travel chatbots work better than travel apps

VentureBeat’s John Brandon tests the travel messaging app Mezi to book a trip to Las Vegas. Here's what he learned and why is not going back to his usual travel app Expedia.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eqmZAo

Hyatt to launch new global loyalty program with more attainable, varied rewards

The company's new global loyalty program - World of Hyatt - will launch on March 1, 2017, and is all about building community and engaging with high-end travelers.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2dUuHGy

Four Seasons provides testing ground for guest experience in playful workspace

Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is encouraging experimentation, customization and attention to detail in a hands-on workshop facility at its global headquarters in Toronto.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eqo0IR

Travel faces crackdown on non-refundable deposits

Travel companies face the prospect of being forced to abandon strict rules surrounding non-refundable deposits following intervention by the UK competitions regulator. Firms that refuse to refund payments could be breaking the law, the Competition and Markets Authority warned.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2dUt8bI

The four booking behaviors driving travelers

Men spend less time booking trips than women. Younger travelers tend to start their planning later. And 59% of travelers begin researching their next trip between one and three months before departure.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eqqMO1

Expedia plans to build Facebook advertising to ‘Google-like levels’

It's never smart for companies to get over-dependent on a third-party platform, and with that kind of thinking, Expedia is hoping to reduce its reliance on advertising through Google by building up its participation in Facebook and other social platforms.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eqmqGU

Airbnb faces worldwide opposition as city authorities clamp down

The company's phenomenal growth is proving to be its greatest liability. Authorities in cities around the world fear the impact it is having on their communities and are now seeking to arrest Airbnb's near unfettered expansion.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2dUurHT

How travel chatbots work better than travel apps

VentureBeat's John Brandon tests the travel messaging app Mezi to book a trip to Las Vegas. Here's what he learned and why is not going back to his usual travel app Expedia.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eqmZAo

Hyatt to launch new global loyalty program with more attainable, varied rewards

The company's new global loyalty program - World of Hyatt - will launch on March 1, 2017, and is all about building community and engaging with high-end travelers.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2dUuHGy

Four Seasons provides testing ground for guest experience in playful workspace

Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is encouraging experimentation, customization and attention to detail in a hands-on workshop facility at its global headquarters in Toronto.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eqo0IR

Travel faces crackdown on non-refundable deposits

Travel companies face the prospect of being forced to abandon strict rules surrounding non-refundable deposits following intervention by the UK competitions regulator. Firms that refuse to refund payments could be breaking the law, the Competition and Markets Authority warned.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2dUt8bI

The four booking behaviors driving travelers

Men spend less time booking trips than women. Younger travelers tend to start their planning later. And 59% of travelers begin researching their next trip between one and three months before departure.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/2eqqMO1

Global Warming Destroys Tasmanian Kelp Forests

The Great Barrier Reef isn’t Australia’s only underwater environment to suffer as a result of global warming. The Great Southern Reef is quietly slipping toward destruction with little fanfare. Stretching from just below Brisbane on the east coast to Kalbarri on the west coast, this life-giving ecosystem is made up of rocky, temperate reefs and characterized by once-vast forests of giant kelp. Today, Tasmanian kelp forests are on the brink of disappearing forever. This island state to the south of mainland Australia was particularly well-known for its rich submarine jungles. But early in October, well-known Tasmanian dive operator Mick Baron reported that the last patch of kelp on the island’s east coast was gone. Baron, who runs Tasmania’s Eaglehawk Dive Center, went to Munro Bight searching for the patch, only to find that a recent storm had ripped from its roots.

Will the Tasmanian kelp forests disappear forever?

Tasmania has lost 95 percent of its giant kelp forests over the last 80 years because of global warming. Patches on the island’s east coast may one day grow back, but it is far more likely that the disappearance of the Munro Bight patch means the end of an ecosystem that has inhabited Tasmania’s east coast for tens of thousands of years. According to Dr. Thomas Wernberg from the University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute, losing the Great Southern Reef would be as catastrophic as losing the Great Barrier Reef.

Why is this happening?

When Baron first started diving on Tasmania’s east coast almost 45 years ago, he could not navigate the thick kelp forests by boat. Now, even though the plant can grow up to two feet (60 cm) per day, those forests are a thing of the past. Rapidly rising sea temperatures, caused by Tasmania’s unique geographical location, are to blame.

Historically the warm East Australian Current moved southward along the Australian mainland, then veered eastward long before reaching Tasmania. But global changes have altered the current’s course, and its warm, nitrogen-deficient waters now veer ever-closer to Tasmania. As a result, sea temperatures around the island are increasing up to three times faster than the global average. Such rapid changes mean the cool-water kelp cannot possibly successfully adapt in time.

In the past, when winter storms ripped the last of the summer season’s kelp from the seafloor, its exceptional growth rate allowed it to quickly regenerate. Now, stressed by increased temperatures and starved of the nitrogen it needs to grow, the kelp cannot recover. To make matters worse, higher water temperatures have created optimum conditions for the long-spined sea urchin. This invasive species preys on new kelp shoots. Overfishing compounds the problem by removing populations of rock lobster, the sea urchins’ natural predator. As a result, depleted kelp beds have become lifeless deserts, grazed into extinction by the urchins.

What’s next?

If the kelp forests of the Great Southern Reef disappear, the world will lose more than just the plants themselves. The kelp ecosystem supports a huge variety of marine life, including several endemic species. Scientists estimate that 30 percent of the Great Southern Reef’s fish species are endemic (including the iconic weedy seadragon). Up to 80 percent of its seaweed species are exclusive to that area as well. Many Australian fisheries depend on the health of this unique ecosystem, which generates approximately $10 billion every year.

Unfortunately, the future looks grim for the remaining Tasmanian kelp forests on the island’s other coasts. Kelp forests elsewhere on the Great Southern Reef are in similar dire straits. The East Australian Current hasn’t rounded Tasmania’s most southerly point yet, but if global warming continues unchecked, it is only a matter of time. Dr. Wernberg’s model predicts that giant kelp may be extinct in Australia by the end of the century.

 

The post Global Warming Destroys Tasmanian Kelp Forests appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/2f2dR5X

Global Warming Destroys Tasmanian Kelp Forests

The Great Barrier Reef isn't Australia's only underwater environment to suffer as a result of global warming. The Great Southern Reef is quietly slipping toward destruction with little fanfare. Stretching from just below Brisbane on the east coast to Kalbarri on the west coast, this life-giving ecosystem is made up of rocky, temperate reefs and characterized by once-vast forests of giant kelp. Today, Tasmanian kelp forests are on the brink of disappearing forever. This island state to the south of mainland Australia was particularly well-known for its rich submarine jungles. But early in October, well-known Tasmanian dive operator Mick Baron reported that the last patch of kelp on the island's east coast was gone. Baron, who runs Tasmania's Eaglehawk Dive Center, went to Munro Bight searching for the patch, only to find that a recent storm had ripped from its roots.

Will the Tasmanian kelp forests disappear forever?

Tasmania has lost 95 percent of its giant kelp forests over the last 80 years because of global warming. Patches on the island's east coast may one day grow back, but it is far more likely that the disappearance of the Munro Bight patch means the end of an ecosystem that has inhabited Tasmania's east coast for tens of thousands of years. According to Dr. Thomas Wernberg from the University of Western Australia's Oceans Institute, losing the Great Southern Reef would be as catastrophic as losing the Great Barrier Reef.

Why is this happening?

When Baron first started diving on Tasmania's east coast almost 45 years ago, he could not navigate the thick kelp forests by boat. Now, even though the plant can grow up to two feet (60 cm) per day, those forests are a thing of the past. Rapidly rising sea temperatures, caused by Tasmania's unique geographical location, are to blame.

Historically the warm East Australian Current moved southward along the Australian mainland, then veered eastward long before reaching Tasmania. But global changes have altered the current's course, and its warm, nitrogen-deficient waters now veer ever-closer to Tasmania. As a result, sea temperatures around the island are increasing up to three times faster than the global average. Such rapid changes mean the cool-water kelp cannot possibly successfully adapt in time.

In the past, when winter storms ripped the last of the summer season's kelp from the seafloor, its exceptional growth rate allowed it to quickly regenerate. Now, stressed by increased temperatures and starved of the nitrogen it needs to grow, the kelp cannot recover. To make matters worse, higher water temperatures have created optimum conditions for the long-spined sea urchin. This invasive species preys on new kelp shoots. Overfishing compounds the problem by removing populations of rock lobster, the sea urchins' natural predator. As a result, depleted kelp beds have become lifeless deserts, grazed into extinction by the urchins.

What's next?

If the kelp forests of the Great Southern Reef disappear, the world will lose more than just the plants themselves. The kelp ecosystem supports a huge variety of marine life, including several endemic species. Scientists estimate that 30 percent of the Great Southern Reef's fish species are endemic (including the iconic weedy seadragon). Up to 80 percent of its seaweed species are exclusive to that area as well. Many Australian fisheries depend on the health of this unique ecosystem, which generates approximately $10 billion every year.

Unfortunately, the future looks grim for the remaining Tasmanian kelp forests on the island's other coasts. Kelp forests elsewhere on the Great Southern Reef are in similar dire straits. The East Australian Current hasn't rounded Tasmania's most southerly point yet, but if global warming continues unchecked, it is only a matter of time. Dr. Wernberg's model predicts that giant kelp may be extinct in Australia by the end of the century.

 

The post Global Warming Destroys Tasmanian Kelp Forests appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

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So, I really love Madrid

I just realized it's been way too long since I've written about my beloved Spain and I thought I'd share some of my reasons to love Madrid.

For those of you who are new to the blog, I lived in Spain for three years on and off before moving to New Zealand in 2013. Spain has always been one of my homes, and I hope it always will be. And while I've called Salamanca, Cordoba and Logroño home, I realized I have neglected to talk about a place where I spent quite a bit of time over the years – Madrid.

For me, Madrid is the heart of Spain and it's a place I know really well. Geographically the center of the country, it's also the center for travel and work and I pretty much am always passing through there over the years. It's where many of my friends are and it's a massive hub for expats. I know it well.

For some reason Madrid doesn't always have the best rep – people tend to compare it to Barcelona a lot. Madrid versus Barcelona is more than just an epic soccer rivalry, and tourists tend to love the flashy beachside Catalán capital a lot more than traditional Madrid. Having spent a lot of time in both, I can safely say I hate Barcelona and love Madrid.

For me, Madrid is the real Spain. It doesn't get anymore Spanish than Madrid. With great food, amazing arts and culture, historic neighborhoods, adorable old man bats, fabulous shopping and super fun events, not to mention it's the center for just about anywhere, Madrid a very livable lively city. I have so much nostalgia for it, especially in summer!

Why have I not talked about this before on the blog? Why? Better late than never, I guess.

I visited Madrid for the first time in 2005, spent a lot of time there in 2007/2008 and finally lived there for the first time in the summer of 2009 which researching for my college senior thesis at the National Library and have been coming back on and off ever since.

Even though Madrid is a well-known city, for me it doesn't feel touristy. It still has an authentic, traditional Spanish vibe that I love and adore. And while I generally always enjoy being in the countryside or small towns, I really also love big cities, especially ones that I know pretty well.

I spent over a week chilling out in Madrid a year ago and thought I'd piecemeal together some bits and pieces of my time there and why I love Madrid so much. I literally spent so much time there that I had to force myself to leave and head south to go exploring!

There are so many reasons to love Madrid. Far from being any sort of clear guide of what to do or what not to do in Madrid on holiday, and since I have never really gone to Madrid for a holiday anyways, I thought I'd go ahead and share personal reasons for why I love Madrid, what keeps bringing me back there and where my favorite haunts are.

Enjoy!

1. Pigging out on all the amazing food

It's no secret, I love food; and Madrid has some banger Spanish food which by default means I love Madrid. And since Madrid is usually my first stop on my way to or from Spain, I always start my stay with eating my favorite Spanish food.

Bring on the ham!

Since I had left Spain, a good friend of mine Lauren from Spanish Sabores launched Madrid Food Tours which have grown massively over the years. I was so stoked to check them out when I was in Madrid. While I know a lot about Spanish food (mostly if it's delicious or not and what wine to pair it with) I don't know that much about the history behind it, which is why I wanted to give it a try and learn more.

I've known Lauren since the very beginning of my blog over six years ago when we were both English teachers and I'm so impressed with the business she has built out of a passion over the years.

I opted for the Huertas neighborhood food and market tour since it was I place I didn't know that well. I am a big believer that you can learn a lot about a country through its food and traditions, so I recommend taking food tours whenever you get the chance as a introduction to a new place. It's also a great way to experience a city like a local.

A morning tour, don't eat anything before showing up! You've been warned.

Exploring all over Huertas, we got a literal and figurative taste for pretty much every aspect of the Spanish diet. From churros with chocolate to the mighty acorn-fed cured ham to the typical cheeses to tapas to drinks, you literally get it all with stories and history and interesting travel tips woven in.

It's the perfect introduction to food in Madrid but also to Spain and great for people like me who just love to eat!

2. Airbnb on Gran Vía

My last trip to Spain I spent most of my time staying around Gran Vía. If I'm only there for a short amount of time I like to be as central as possible. Gran Vía is like the Broadway of Madrid, a huge ornate boulevard that sprawls through the center and is near the famous Plaza del Sol. But even though it's big, it's super easy to turn down a side street and get lost for hours.

Also Gran Vía has like every major shop you could ever want, and I always look forward to heading back to Spain and buying as much Zara, Mango and everything else that I can get my hands on. No shame.

I stayed in a super cute Airbnb right next to Gran Via, it was tiny and adorable, perfect for solo travelers. Airbnb's are really affordable in Madrid and you can get ones that are very central. While I often stay in hotels on work trips and campaigns which I love, I tend to prefer apartments when I am on my own or have longer to explore a certain place. This time around in Spain I mostly stayed in Airbnb's.

If you want something more intimate, my favorite other neighborhoods are Malasaña or La Latina – my friend Lauren has a good blog about neighborhoods here.

Sign up to Airbnb with this coupon and get $32 in credit! You're welcome!

3. Hanging at the Prado

The Prado is Spain's greatest art museum, and I first visited back when I was in high school over a decade ago – what?!

Seeing works like Velázquez's Las Meninas after reading about it in my Spanish high school textbook is something that sparked my deep love for travel. The journey to seeing or experiencing something you've heard about for a long time is quite special for me. Like an art pilgrimage. I am a huge history and art nerd, so I absolutely fizz at museums and love spending a lot of time in them. Especially ones that have as great of collections as the Prado.

I kid you not, every single time I am in Madrid, I got to the Prado. And I often go back multiple times when I'm there, I just love it. By now I've been dozens of times, especially as you get free admission for the last two hours of every day.

Here is 16 year old me in Spain for the first time (green dress) – glad to see my posture hasn't improved

4. Naps at Buen Retiro

El Parque del Buen Retiro is a massive old public park in the center of Madrid. As someone who loves green spaces, it makes me so happy to find one this big in the heart of an urban jungle.

There's a lake you can paddle around in, so many gardens and terraces where you can sit out in the sun, or take naps in the grass after a long morning at the museums nearby. Though one of my favorite places is the old Crystal Palace.

Retiro is the kind of place that exists on any traveler's must-do list for Madrid, but it's worth it. And it's big enough you never really feel crowded there and a great place to try out a siesta and sleep off a hangover. Cough cough.

5. Tapas at Mercado de San Miguel

If you find yourself in the center of Madrid with a hankering for tapas but have no idea where to start, head to the famous Mercado de San Miguel. While it could seem to be very touristy, and trust me, it can be. At the same time it's a really traditional and affordable market.

While you can pick up your bits and pieces and get an idea of staple ingredients in the healthy Spanish diet, there are also plenty of tapas waiting to be had here.

Wear your stretch pants.

Source

6. Getting lost among the cute streets

My favorite pastime in Madrid is to wander and get lost amongst the cute streets and quirky neighborhoods. Madrid is a very walk-able city so it's worth it to just wander around though you can always hop on the Metro if you need to go further.

Luckily Madrid has those in abundance. You could live there for years and never explore them all. Since I flew in from New Zealand I was incredibly jetlagged and tired once I got to Spain; I was wide awake around 5am which meant I went for plenty of early morning walks around the city. Oh how times have changed. When I lived in Madrid in my early twenties, the only time I saw the city at 5am was when I was stumbling home from the discotecas.

I definitely suggest building in time to just wander around and explore. You'll find the cutest places that way. And definitely check out the Huertas neighborhood food tour with Devour Madrid – you'll get to explore the old Literary Quarter of Madrid and get to eat well at the same time!

7. Rooftop sunsets

This last time I was in Madrid, I was really starting to get into my photography and wanted to go up to a beautiful spot for sunset. After doing a little research I realized that near where I was staying on Gran Vía is the Círculo de Bellas Artes which has an epic rooftop bar called Tartán Roof.

It's amazing and has some of the best views of Madrid I've seen, enjoy!

8. Day trips galore

One of the best things about Madrid is that it's geographically in the center of Spain and it's very well connected to pretty much everywhere, especially by train which is my preferred form of transport. On most of my longer trips in Europe I end up traveling with an Eurail train pass which helps get me around. Since I was just in Spain I used the one country pass this time around.

Ever since I first started visiting, there were three places I would always end up going on day trips from the city. Toledo, Segovia and El Escorial. While I didn't get around to visiting these spots on my last trip, they are still amazing spots that I want to go back to.

Toledo is an ancient city on a hill that has one of the best views in Spain and it's an easy quick train ride from Madrid; you can even get there on the high speed train. Segovia is another favorite spot outside Madrid with an ancient Roman aqueduct and a Disney-esque fairytale castle. Finally another famous daytrip I often make is to El Escorial which was the historical residence of the king of Spain. Along with the nearby grim and controversial Valle de los Caídos, where Franco is buried, it's the perfect daytrip from the capital.

9. Indulging at the Corte Inglés

No shame – I love El Corte Inglés – Spain's major mega department store. I go into the one in Sol in the morning and can spend all day there AND not even buy anything! Just sucks me in!

10. Enjoy the Madrileño lifestyle

But above all I love Madrid because of it's vibe. A very Spanish city that while it could be fast-paced and have a hustle lifestyle, it still manages to maintain a sense of peacefulness about it. I love hanging out on the terraces with friends eating and drinking after work, going shopping on the weekends, going on walks through the park and just enjoy being there.

Like most places in Spain people are friendly and social and enjoy being out and about instead of stuck inside. It's cheap and affordable and beautiful to boot, what's not to love?

Have you been to Madrid? Do you love it too? Madrid versus Barcelona? Where's your favorite city to eat?

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