I think that Paris is overrated. Yes, it’s a splendid city but I can’t think of anything that I can only find in Paris and not in Madrid. Maybe it’s because I’m not really a romantic. Or maybe it’s because I’m Spanish and our countries have many similarities.
Let’s analyse the situation.
What makes Paris so dreamy?
Is it the pretty cafes? Madrid has plenty, for instance Salon des Fleurs the coffee place + flower shop that stole my heart.
Is it the food? Spanish cuisine is also famous all around the world. El Perro y la Galleta is a must if you are in Madrid.
Is it the architecture? Here you can see a few of the things that the capital of Spain has to offer.
I believe it’s all been a remarkable marketing strategy. The French have created an aura of romanticism around Paris. They came up with the je ne sais quoi philosophy and the fabulous French girl.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not starting a campaign against Paris. I’d be happy to visit every once in while. I just think that Madrid (and other European cities) deserves much more love than it gets.
Today I want to show you a bit of the beauty of Madrid. How spectacular it looks this season. The good thing about living in a big city is the variety in terms of leisure. You never run out of new places. On the 1st of November, which is a holiday in Spain, my husband and I had made plans to eat out and enjoy an afternoon stroll around El Retiro afterwards.
We had a delightful lunch at Ultramarinos Quintin. This place is part market, part restaurant which focuses on Spanish food made with fresh local ingredients. The menu is pricey but given the quality of the products it’s worth it. The light inside is quite low which creates a cozy ambiance. We started with pumpkin soup, then had a seafood salad to share and my main dish was pork with red cabbage and caramelized chestnuts. Guys, I’ll never forget the caramelized chestnuts, it’s one of the most exquisite things I’ve ever had! I wish they had sold it in jars to buy it. Finally, for desert we had their delicious homemade ice-cream. Needless to say, we loved the place and it has entered our list of Madrid favorites.
Our next and final stop was El Retiro. Beautiful any time of the year, the autumnal colors make it even more magical during this season. 
What makes a city “dreamy”in your opinion?
I’d love to discuss this with you in the comments below.
xo Cristina
RESTAURANT INFO
Calle Jorge Juan, 17, Madrid
Tel.: (+34) 91 786 46 24 – 91 431 71 03
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English Corner
overrated – have a higher opinion of (someone or something) than is deserved (sobrevalorado)
to come up with – to think of something such as an idea or a plan
leisure – activities that you do to relax or enjoy yourself (ocio)
stroll – to walk without hurrying, often for pleasure (pasear)
What majestic beauty but with a sense of cozy! Would love to stroll Madrid someday!
I've never been to Madrid but holy man, it looks like a gorgeous city in the fall time! 🙂
(And I can agree with you on Paris – lovely city. But yes, a tad overrated in my books 🙂
-Lor
acozyspace.com
Thank you for sharing your journey through Paris!
x
Shloka
http://www.thesilksneaker.com
What a gorgeous gorgeous post! Adore the photos and the delicious produce! It’s a gorgeous European city! Madrid has always been fascinating to me, from Hemingway to Picasso and even Lorca it’s definitely on my list of cities I want to visit.
Marvelous!
Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2017/11/cars-were-classy-back-then.html
It looks absolutely dreamy to me! So beautiful! I wish I could go there!
Have always wanted to visit Madrid! Great shots!
xo Jamie
http://jamieonthings.com/
I love Madrid, it is one of my favourite cites and I have to go back in November, it is perfect weather for me. Last time I was there was July and I was melting from the heat. Wonderful post with gorgeous photos.
Madrid is such a beautiful country 🙂 I definitely need to go one day
Enclothed Cognition
I actually had the chance to go to Madrid in the summer and I loved it! It was actually one of my favourite cities. Beautiful photos!
LoneTeenTraveller | Travel Fashion Lifestyle
Ohhmmy it looks pretty especially the autumn trees.
Much Love,
Zarrah | The Bandwagon Chic
Lovely photos, nice city!
https://dinamighty.com/
I´ve also heard Paris is no more what it used to be and it´s better to choose other (not so know cities) to explore. Madrid is definitely on my bucket list!
Thanks for linking up your awesome outfit post at the Top of the World Style linkup party. Great photos.
Nicole of High Latitude Style
Madrid is really beautiful, it's actually in the top 5 of my bucket list. Beautiful photos dear.
Jessica | notjessfashion.com
I would take Madrid over Paris any day. It has been years since I was last in France, while the countryside is beautiful, I found Paris itself to be (mostly) dirty, expensive, and claustrophobic. Spain overall has a more relaxed quality, great food and wine, incredible architecture, vibrant modern arts scene. Thanks for this post.
Happy to hear you like it! I've been living here for 3 years and I still find it fascinating 🙂