Madrid Is the Toronto of Spain, and That's Okay

Madrid marked the end of our trip to Spain. Our plane home flew out of there and so we decided to spend the evening before exploring what we could of the city. We boarded a train from Seville and arrived at our hotel around 4pm that day.

I would argue Madrid is the Toronto of Spain from the point of view of visiting Canadians because, like Toronto, it's the largest city in the country as well as its economic hub and also the city that everyone loves to hate.

I've said this before but I'll say it again - everyone loves Barcelona. No one loves Madrid. Madrid, by all popular accounts, is mediocre at best.

Side note: if Madrid is the Toronto of Spain, does this mean that Barcelona is the Montreal of Spain? I don't think the comparison is crazy - everyone loves Montreal.

Having visited Madrid, I can now say that, like Toronto, I feel its reputation is somewhat undeserved - at least from the little I saw of it. It appears to be a clean, attractive, organized city, marred only by the confusing public transit system. The buildings seem newer and less distinctive, which I imagine puts some people off, but I thought they looked pretty decent. It's definitely not as dynamic as Barcelona or as colourful as Seville but I honestly found the calm, almost placid vibe rather refreshing after 10 days of hustle and bustle.

Like Barcelona, it feels like there's a real city here, with a life of its own beyond the tourists. I could certainly see myself visiting again.