Proud Spaniards

Proud Spaniards

Madrid welcomes us with the rainbow flag adorned in all its forms - perhaps especially for Pride month. But at least Malasaña, the alternative and hip district of Madrid where our hostel is located, is certainly queer 12 months a year. In addition to rainbow flags as fans for tourists or restaurant decorations, there are a striking number of trans people and gay couples who are very self-confident and open. Otherwise, the district is also characterized by a lot of African-Arab corners. Our hostel is super charming; a 1 meter wide curtain with a 1.5 meter wide window and a mirrored shower with a glass door in the middle of the room demand a lot of body positivity from you. From the hotel window we see and hear the hustle and bustle of the city, which may not be as beautiful as Barcelona but is very pleasant with its cosmopolitan crowd. We visit the Prado as a tourist standard, which exhibits really impressive pictures, but unfortunately photography is prohibited - not necessarily in the spirit of sharing the world's culture, and certainly not in the spirit of Mr. Ärmel. We end our stay in Madrid in a relaxed manner with a concert on the ground floor of our hostel, where we at least fit into the average age of the audience, who are around 20 years old on average. Here in Madrid it feels much more like the start of a big trip than in Karlsruhe. Conclusion: Madrid will perhaps always be in Barcelona's shadow, but it is definitely worth a visit. And in the Distrito Vegano - decorated with Pride flags, of course - there is excellent vegan food in otherwise completely non-vegan Spain. A culinary recommendation.