Escape to Madrid.

To kick off my first travel post I wanted to pick a vacation location that would truly be an escape for the nice long weekend and also a place that has given me a huge amount of inspiration. So this weekend, I'm dying to return to one of my favorite places in the world, the capital of Spain: Madrid. Although I only got to spend a few days there, it was plenty of time to soak up the unparalleled culture, ridiculously yummy tapas, unlimited amounts of sangria and some of the best curated museums in the world. I don't think I've ever wanted to visit a place so badly in my life, and it was everything that I imagined it to be. Hope you enjoy this escape as much as I did. Check out my itinerary after the jump. File this under this year's to do list.

• H10 Villa de la Reina Hotel- Quaint feel, modern amenities, centrally located and gorgeous balconies in the rooms. Try using the original vintage elevator if you're brave. 
• The Prado Museum- Two words: must go. I was a huge fan of the Velazquez works, especially the iconic Las Meninas, along with one of my favorites of all time, The Garden of Earthly Delights. 
• La Reina Sofia- I spent about four hours in this maze of a museum and it was well worth the exploration. Picasso's Guernica literally took my breath away (after I finally managed to find it on the third or fourth floor) and there was a ton of modern and contemporary art, which is a nice counterpoint to the Prado's collections. 

• Tapas- Pick a bar, any bar. You won't go wrong with little bites of papas bravas (that's roasted potatoes to you and me), cured meats, cold shrimp, and roasted peppers atop perfect little toasts. Don't forget to wash it all down with the best sangria in the world. Delicioso.
• Shopping on Gran Via- Spend hours walking up and down this street for all the best of Spanish fashion. Extra points for stopping into every one of the many Zara stores along the way.
• The Palacio Real- Image living in a place literally fit for a queen. The beautifully decorated blue and white medicinal room kept me entertained trying to figure out what was contained in each jar. 

[Images via: National Geographic x3, Lonely Planet]