A trip to the river...


Wednesday was my friend Katya's last full day in Madrid before heading back to the UK, so we decided to spend as much time outside as possible. After a failed park trip (what kind of park is only open on the weekends?) we decided to head down to the bank of the Manzanares river to take in some rays. The weather was gorgeous - if not a tad warm - so we spent an hour or so sunbathing on the grass and chatting with a shandy in hand. This gorgeous spot is only about 10-15 minutes walk from Puerta de Toledo (where Katya lives), so we all got the chance to top up our tans, relax, and spend our last full day together giggling and enjoying the gorgeous madrileñian weather.

I have another post that'll be up soon about mine and Charlotte's trip to the gorgeous city of Toledo, so watch out for that in the next week! 

Until then,
Isobel x

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El nuevo rey // The new King

On the 19th June 2014, Spain welcomed in a new King, Felipe VI, and his wife, Reina Letizia.

I'm a huge fan of anything royal, so I knew that I wanted to go and see the newest head of the Spanish royal family. Felipe VI was officially sworn in at midnight, but later that morning, he attended the Congress building near Plaza de Cibeles, before being driven along Gran Vía, lined with supporters, all the way back to the Palace. 

Myself, Charlotte and Katya headed down to the Palacio Real at midday, and decided to join the huge mass of Spaniards waiting for the appearance of the new King, Queen, and they're adorable daughters; Princesas Leonor and Sofía. Much like in England when the Queen and other members of the Royal family step out onto a balcony at the front of the palace, we were treated to the entire Spanish familia real, including the former King and Queen, Juan Carlos and Sofía.  Being one of the hottest days of the year so far, the wait was a tad warm, but totally worth it in the end. Luckily we only waited for about 30 minutes under the hot madrileñian sun before the balcony doors opened and the new King presented himself to his people.

Photo courtesy of one of my friends, Lucy, as Felipe was driven between Congress and El Palacio Real.
Security to get nearer the palace.
Spanish flags galore!
Police on top of the palace.
Lots of press!
Trying not to get hit by a flag - and failing!
La familia real - Juan Carlos, Princesa Leonor, El Rey Felipe VI, Reina Letizia, Princesa Sofía, y Sofía
The security surrounding the palace was pretty strict - helicopters circled the sky, police everywhere and several bag checks before you could get anywhere near the main event. This is understandable, as there has been a lot of debate as to whether the Spanish monarchy should be abolished in favor of a a republic. In fact, just after Juan Carlos announced his plans to abdicate, tens of thousands of people took to the streets demanding a referendum on the future of the monarchy.  However, those in favour of the monarchy seems to completely outnumber those against it, and a new King was coronated!  
Post royal ice cream - it was so hot!!

After the doors had closed and the cheers died down, we tried to escape the madness in the swiftest way possible - although most people seemed to have the same idea. In the end it only took us about 20 minutes to escape the crowds, and we then headed on our merry way, with an obligatory ice cream stop on the way! Overall it was an amazing experience - the atmosphere was insane and you could really feel the love and respect the people have for their King. It was great to be part of such a historical event, and it has to have been one of my most memorable experiences during my entire Year Abroad.

Until next time,
Isobel x

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5 things to do in... Madrid

With my time in Madrid coming to an end, I thought it would be a crime not to share the best bits that this incredible city has to offer. I've compiled a list of my top five spots, as well as a few optional extras that will help to keep any type of tourist happy. I hope you guys find this interesting and hopefully useful if you plan on hitting up Spain's capital city anytime soon...

1. Row in the lake in Parque del Buen Retiro
This is definitely one of my favourite places to hang out in the city - at 350 acres, El Parque del Buen Retiro is one of the largest parks in Madrid and is located slightly east of the city centre, so well within walking distance of most other sights. Towards the northern entrance of the park, there's one of the most beautiful spots of the entire city; El Estanque del Retiro (Retiro Pond), where you can rent out a row boat for 7€ for 45 minutes and go for a jolly ol' paddle. When the sun is beaming and you have a spare hour or two, there's nothing more pleasant that taking your book and relaxing on the bank of the lake, ice cream in hand.

2. Take in the view at the top of CentroCentro in Plaza de Cibeles
This stunning building has got to be my favourite in Madrid, I practically take a photo every time I pass by. Believe it or not, it used to be the Post Office, but now it's been split up into a museum, an exhibition area, a restaurant, a cocktail bar, a smaller post office, and a few other sections including the magnificent 'Mirador' - where you can get one of the best views in the city. For just 2€ (or free on the first wednesday of every month!) you get access to an amazing 360 view of the city. As the Plaza de Cibeles is located between Sol and Retiro, you get a pretty spectacular view of the centre of the Madrid - including Gran Vía, Retiro, the Plaza de Colón and the Plaza de Cibeles itself. If you fancy a quick drink, you can go down a floor or two to a lovely cocktail bar that, although a touch on the expensive side, is in a stunning location and serves some pretty delicious beverages - I recommend the mojito!

3. Visit Templo de Debod
One of the lesser know, yet most spectacular sights in Madrid is the Templo de Debod (Temple of Debod) - an Egyptian temple within walking distance of the Palacio Real that boasts a great view of the Casa del Campo park in the western part of the city. The temple was originally built near Aswan, Egypt, but the work on the Aswan Dam in the 60's threatened the monument and UNESCO made an international call to save it. Due to Spain's effort in helping to preserve many of the other monuments nearby, Egypt gifted the Temple of Debod to Spain as a thank you. You can simply go up and admire not only the monument, but the stunning views as well, or you can actually go inside and learn more about its history. Just make sure to plan your trip wisely - during the week it's closed between 2pm-6pm, but it's open from 9.30am to 10pm on weekends. I'd really recommend going at sunset (although it is still stunning during the day) as the setting sun over the water is really a sight to be seen.

4. Check out Sol (La Plaza de la Puerta del Sol)
The Plaza de la Puerta del Sol (or simply Sol as it's known) is considered to be the centre of Madrid - the place where everyone comes to meet up and there's always something going on. Like I said, this is more of a meeting place than anything else, but there's streets and streets of shops to the north up to Gran Vía (think Oxford Street, but smaller), Retiro Park and the main museums to the east, the Palacio Real to the west, and the older part of the city to the south. There's always street performers and tons of people about, so the atmosphere is always buzzing. However, beware! This is a prime spot for pick-pocketing and other such nonsense, so watch your belongings. 

5. Relax in Plaza Mayor
Feel like sipping on an espresso, munching on a croissant and simply watching the world go by? The Plaza Mayor is my favourite place for people-watching, there's just always something going on there. Plaza Mayor means 'main square' and is considered to be the centre of the older part of the city, as it dates back to the 16th century. It's a big rectangular shape, surrounded by one large building with nine entrances to the outside streets. I swear, every time I pass through there is something different going on - there's been concerts, bullfights, and the last time I was there, there was a huge group yoga session that took up the majority of the space. The edge is lined with restaurants, but these tend to be fairly overpriced to catch out tourists, so I wouldn't recommend settling down for a full meal there, but it's nice to grab a quick drink and people-watch. 

A few little extras... because let's face it, every tourist is different!
An arty extra... Museo del Prado
There are a bunch of great museums in Madrid, but this is my personal favourite. If you're a fan of modern art, then el Museo de Reina Sofia might be more up your alley, whereas the Prado boasts one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century. Inside you can see work from Goya, Velázquez, El Greco and , to name a few. The building itself is also pretty impressive, and like many great art museums, rather large. It took me and one of my friends two rather lengthly visits so pretty much cover it all, but you could easily pick out what you wanted to see and do a day trip.

A sporty extra... Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
Although I have never actually gone inside the stadium, I have heard from many football lovers that there is quite an atmosphere. Depending on when you're there, you can either see a game or get the full on experience and tour the stadium as well. 

A foodie extra... Mercado de San Miguel
A foodies paradise - this little indoor market located right next to the Plaza Mayor is stuffed with amazing Spanish delicacies. You can pop from stall to stall, sampling everything from the finest jamón ibérico to delicious chocolate con churros, along with a stunning selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. Trust me, there's something to tickle everybody's taste buds.

A shopping extra... Calle de Fuencarral
If you want a slightly more relaxing shopping trip than Gran Vía, head to the glorious Calle de Fuencarral. I actually found this by chance when I first arrived in Madrid, as it actually connects my local metro station with Gran Vía along a 1.5km straight stretch filled with not only the popular classics like Mango and The Body Shop, but also vintage gems and lesser-found shops like Brandy Melville, Rituals and Korres, to name a few. Half way along the route is the famous Mercado de Fuencarral, an alternative shopping centre that's definitely worth a visit.

A royal extra... Palacio Real
If the number six was as catchy as five, then this would have made the short list - but hey, such is life. If you're a fan of gorgeous architecture, fascinating history and guards sporting ridiculous hats, then the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) should definitely be on your 'to-see' list. You can wander around the outside and enjoy the view of its expansive gardens, or you can go the whole hog and go for the official tour of the inside. The tour can be done at your own pace (as all of the information is displayed) or with a guide, and a ticket can cost anywhere between 2€ and 10€ depending on how much of the Palace you want to see. However, if you are an EU citizen, there are specific times that you can get in for free, which is what I've done both times I've visited! (for more information, see here)

If you're planning on visiting this marvellous city anytime soon and want a bit more information, feel free to leave a comment below or email me and I'll do my best to help you! Apologies if you follow my beauty blog as well as this post is up on there too today, but I really wanted to have it up on both of them!

Until next time,
Isobel x
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My bad...

It rained today, nay it poured. There was even an appearance of some thunder an lightening which I got to see with my very own eyes. Shame I just happened to be out and about without an umbrella to witness this all. 

I guess it's my fault - I jinxed it yesterday with my 'hot hot hot' post boasting about what lovely weather we'd been having. Also, I may have mentioned on the phone to my mum that I missed lightning and thunder. Well I didn't mean that I missed being outside in it! Oops. 

Well I'm off to change now as I look like a drowned rat and I certainly can't see through my sunglasses anymore!! 

Hopefully the next time we talk it'll all be a tad drier at my end, 
Until then, 
Isobel x
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HOT HOT HOT

Why hello there, long time eh? Apologies once again, I can't say that I haven't had much excitement to post about - because I've had visitors our of my ears - but those plus exams have made for a busy Isobel! My family came to visit me for my 21st birthday at the end of May, and a week later lots of my friends came to visit so I have plenty of photos to post. I promise that once my last exam is over and done with next week, I get on with posting those! 

The weather has been beautiful - we had one week of cold and rain just before my family came, but since then it's been nothing but blue skies. The temperature it generally hitting 30 degrees everyday, making for a rather jolly time to be had by all. I am a bit scared though - it's predicted to get up to the late 30's by the end of the week. I know, I know, you're all sitting there questioning why on earth I would be scared of 35+ degree temperatures, but I can assure you that 35 degrees in the middle of a city is quite a bit different from the 35 degree beach holiday that most of you are probably imagining. You know it's about to get hot when even the Madrileños are leaving town - the streets are emptying at a rapid rate, and I don't blame them, I'm sure it's much nicer by the seaside down south. Luckily I'm on exam leave, so I can hibernate in my room with my fan at full blast if all gets too hot, but I can assure you that if it got this hot in London, people would be dropping dead on the tube! Anyway, I'm off to top up my ever-developing tan - I swear I've never been so bronzed in my life! 

Until next time,
Isobel x
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Isobel Rose. 22.
London-born, Hong Kong raised.
Language graduate. Frequent traveller.
London/Bath, UK


PR Emails & General Emails isobel@isobel-rose.com


Third culture kid (TCK) is a term used to refer to children who were raised in a culture outside of their parents' culture for a significant part of their development years.

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