As you’ve seen on my 2nd day in Madrid I went to the Spanish Football Museum, but I had plenty of time to do other things, so I decided to check out the home of Real Madrid, the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
I never really planned on going, it was always going to be an extra if I had time since I didn’t know how long I’d be doing other things, but I went, and I’m glad I did.
It’s just a short Metro ride from the centre of Madrid, then once you’re off the Metro you’re more or less there. There was a short queue, and when I got to the ticket office the girl told me “The full tour is not available”. This was not a great start.
After going up to see panoramic views of the stadium, I thought that was the end, most of the stadium was sectioned off, and I thought that’s all I was going to see. But when I went down a few levels there was another opening, and then I got closer to the pitch, to the museum and a good look around the whole place.
I think that the only things which were missing were going pitch side and going into the presidential box, but I got to see the press conference room and the museum which is highly impressive and stocked with trophies, as you’d expect.
There was a chance to get a photo with the Champions League trophy, as well as a fun photo with a player which I got a print out of, and then you’re into the club shop to end the tour…They know how to sell in Real Madrid, someone has to pay for those World class players! 😉
If you’re in Madrid it’s well worth going, I am really glad I went.
One of the things I most wanted to go to while in Madrid was the Museo de la Selección Española de Fútbol, or Spanish Football Museum if you prefer the English. This is a museum for the Spanish national football team who I’ve supported since I was a kid, so it was a big deal for me to go to see. It’s also the training camp for Spain and basically the headquarters for all things to do with the Spanish National Team. The biggest problem was that it’s not in central Madrid, it’s not even close. It’s in Las Rozas, which is not easy to get to without a car. The Metro does not go there, it’s pretty out the way, and according to Google and Apple Maps, it takes an hour to walk from the closest train station to it (It’s basically surrounded by motorways). The only option was a taxi, which was expensive at €35 (one way!) but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.
I asked at my hotel reception if they knew where it was, they had not heard of it. I showed them on Google maps, they still had no idea. I asked them if a taxi driver would know, they said “definitely!”. I got in a taxi and he did not know, the sat nav could not find it, only the street it was on. I eventually got there, and asked the taxi driver (in Spanish as he spoke no English) “Is this the first time you’ve been here” and he replied, yes! haha!!
I got there and was at the training pitch, had a look around, and asked where the museum was, and finally got there and got in. It only costs €6 which is worth it, even when you add in the taxi fares I had to pay. Since basically nobody knows about this place, I had the entire museum to myself. Only in the last 5 minutes a Spanish guy and girl were there, apart from that I had the total run of the place which was so cool!
The Museum has everything…From the history of the Spanish team to the modern day, the futsal which Spain have always been good at, and the Olympic team too. There’s so much for any la Roja fan, and of course the more modern things, such as the winning of Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012, and of course, the trophies and medals are on display.
I also seen on social media that the players were there training the day after I was there 🙁 I can’t believe I missed that, but still such an amazing experience which most people don’t get 🙂
I have so many photos I can’t upload them all, but check out some of the best ones below…
I am back from Madrid! I have wanted to go to Madrid for a long time, but have always been put off because you can’t fly direct from Newcastle. I decided to finally bite the bullet and go, and flew from Edinburgh, and of course had to make sure that I could make the flight and all my travel matched up.
I left at around 6AM for my long journey, got the train up to Edinburgh and then my flight to Madrid, everything went smoothly which is always good. I got into Madrid Airport at around 4PM, and made my way to my hotel which I got to at about 5PM.
I don’t want to write too much about my hotel because I’m going to write a post about it, but it was amazing! One of the best hotels I have stayed in, right on Gran Via, in a large room with King size bed, and views of Plaza De España! If you follow me on Twitter/Instagram you’ll have already seen it 😉
By the time I got unpacked and settled in I went out sightseeing around the centre of Madrid. It was after 6PM but since it’s the summer Madrid doesn’t actually get dark till nearly 10PM, so plenty of time to see a lot of things.
If you don’t know or have never been to Madrid, Gran Via is basically the main shopping street in the centre of Madrid, think of Oxford Street in London. There’s lots of high street shops, but also a huge number of restaurants, eateries, bars, theatre and everything you need.
To the South of that is Puerto Del Sol, which is a big square, which is connected to Gran Via by lots of streets with yet more shopping experiences.
I went into Primark, check out the photo below and you’ll see why! This is the 2nd biggest in the World, but it definitely looks the most impressive by far!
So to get acclimatised with my surroundings, I went all the way up Gran Via when it turns into Calle de Alcalá and to Cibeles, which is the big palace and has a fountain on the roundabout.
From there I walked down to the Prado Museum which had a massive queue, but it’s not my cup of tea anyway so I wasn’t planning on going in. On the way back I went around Plaza Puerto Del Sol and checked out the square and surroundings, then headed back to near my hotel to Plaza De España and chilled there for a little bit.
Don’t know your Turkey’s from your Iceland’s? I have made this Euro 2016 kit guide if you aren’t too familiar with football!
I love international football competitions, I always have done since I was a kid. Whether it’s the Euros, World Cup and even Confederations Cup or Copa America in it’s hay day, there’s just something that little bit more special when it comes to International tournaments.
I have not tried anything from LAB Series for quite some time, so when House Of Fraser said they wanted my thoughts on a couple of products I had to say yes. The two products in question were the Multi Action Face Wash and PR LS All In One Face Treatment.
LAB Series has a really easy system for their products; They’re labelled for the job which they do. These two carry the CLEAN and TREAT statements, which make it really easy for an guy to understand if you’re not too familiar with products, which can get overwhelming since there’s so many.
The face wash is really good, it’s fairly unscented and works well. You don’t need a whole lot of this for your face, so it should last a fair while. When I first used this I used too much, you will too, as you really only need a small amount for full face coverage.
It’s a scrub, and so exfoliates, cleanses and conditions the skin. For a scrub, I would usually only use this 3-4 times a week, I’ve always thought that a scrub type of wash shouldn’t be used everyday, however this is not too abrasive so could be fine for light daily use.
Next up is the PR LS All In One Face Treatment. This is like a daily moisturiser, however LAB Series say this is an all in one face treatment. It soothes, moisturises, repairs and mattifying for your skin.
This can be used daily, and should be used after shaving, since I already use an aftershave balm, I will use this well after I have used the aftershave balm, or possibly even miss shave days.
The Pro LS All-In-One Face Treatment costs £28 for a 100ml tube, with the face wash coming in a 100ml size too for £18.50.
This is a great product, and if you’re looking to try for your grooming routine, this is worth considering.
Thanks to House Of Fraser for sending over these products
I’ve now had myself a fair few weekends away, from staycations in London to long weekends in Barcelona, Reykjavik and super fast weekend getaways to places like Copenhagen.
Packing for these short journeys can sometimes be a bit of a head scratching issue…What do you take, and in terms of clothing, what do you pack?
It comes down to a couple of things, where and when you’re going, your general lifestyle and your budget.
OK first of all, I have a new hair colour…It’s darker brown! 😀 I love this colour, and haven’t dyed my hair in ages, but I’ve finally got round to it, a bit too late, it needs to be cut so I’ll end up having to dye it again. I used to buy Excell 10 which I really liked, number 4 “Natural dark brown” which was dark, but then they stopped selling it, so I had to switch to Nice n Easy, I tried their same colour but it didn’t seem to be as dark, so I’ve went darker to 3.5 and I love this colour, so I’ll be keeping it 🙂
A while back you’ll know I got a few things from ASOS, these jeans and some nautical tops. We’ve finally had some good weather, and will hopefully get some more going forward, so I was able to style these items this week and took a couple of shots.
How Skinny Are ASOS Super Skinny Jeans?
As I’ve already mentioned, I misread these jeans and thought they were just regular skinny fit, which I quite like, but then when they arrived I realised that they were actually super skinny. What’s the difference? Well the name tells no lies, they really are super skinny, they’re skin tight! 😀 The legs really are like drainpipes, clinging to your legs, but the waist is quite regular and the denim has some stretch in it, making them comfortable. The leg opening is tight too, luckily they are made from soft denim, so are comfortable to wear.
The jeans are ecru in colour which I really like for the Spring/Summer, and have really cool distressed patches which I really like. If you’re looking for advice on light colour or white denim, check out my what to wear with white jeans guide.
The Outfit
I wore these jeans with another ASOS item, the navy nautical T Shirt. This came in a two pack with the other being a colour reverse of this one, a white base and navy stripes. I think colour blocking this darker top with the ecru jeans looks really nice. It’s finished off with my Ugg suede shoes in blue, these are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned, I can’t quite believe they count as shoes and not the more comfortable trainers. I also wore my Ray Ban Aviators along with my D&G Watch.
Hopefully we’ll get lots of sun this year so we can all wear lots of summer fashion 😉
Regular readers of my blog will know my love of Dermalogica products, so when they got in touch about their latest masque, I had to give it a try. Dermalogica were running a special masterclass in Fenwick with a face mapping skin analysis, sadly I could not make it down but they were happy to send over the brand new Charcoal Rescue Masque for me to try.
Since I shaved my beard off I have been using facial products more and more to get my skin back to being used to not having a beard, including scrubs and moisturiser. I always profess the use of an aftershave balm, it really helps a guys skin stay smooth and free from irritation.
Masques are something which I use less, but I have used them in the past with good results, so it was great to try this one from Dermalogica. Masques are used to detoxify and brighten the skin, and are good if your skin is looking or feeling a bit tired. They say it has Activated Binchotan Charcoal that powerfully absorbs impurities while Sulphur promotes cellturner for dramatically brighter skin.
I tried the masque which is really easy to use. You use apply it on your face, leave it for 7 – 10 minutes and then wash it off with warm hands. After 7 or 8 minutes you can really feel the masque on your skin, and once I removed it off it certainly does feel different, it feels more refreshed.
I have only used this once so far I cannot write about the long term looks of my skin yet, but it is definitely off to a good start. I’ll probably use this once or twice a week maximum, so I will update this post then. I’ll combine it with my Dermalogica face scrub which I have, as well as a moisturiser.
When it comes to shoes, I really love the derby style. It’s the one style of shoe I will busy time and again, and really love. Derby shoes are a smart shoe, and can be worn for almost any occasion; From a summer wedding to a night out, they’re pretty versatile when it comes to pairing them with your fashion.
I already own a pair of Kurt Geiger derby shoes, and in fact they’re my second pair, after getting those last year as my go-to smart footwear choice.
Do Not Go To The Botanist On A Saturday Night For A Drink
You have been warned. Don’t go to The Botanist on a Saturday night for a drink. We were out at the Weekend and met up with some friends who were already in The Botanist, so went to the bar for a drink.
The Botanist is a bar-restaurant which is fairly new in Newcastle. They take space in the old Monument Mall building, with the entrance a small side door next to Jamie’s Italian. Once you’re in, there’s stairs to climb (they also have a lift), and you’ll have to walk up a couple of flights of stairs to get to the bar. They’re numbered, I think there were 53 if I remember. Once inside the place looks really nice, and the ceiling and rest of the décor is a bit of a feature. The layout is cool, with tables and the bar in the centre, and it has a nice upstairs. They had a live band when I was there on Saturday night, who sounded pretty decent. The drinks are mostly cocktails, with a couple of other options, but this is seen as a place to grab a cocktail, so everyone in the place is ordering and drinking cocktails.
The service…What service? Calling it slow would be so much of an understatement it’s untrue.
Saturday night is of course a busy night, that’s to be said in most bars in Newcastle. This was a reasonably busy Saturday night, but it was not extraordinarily busy, just your average Saturday night bar busy. We were there for around 20 minutes, did not get served, and then left. When you say a bar is busy you’re probably thinking that the bar is packed and it’s 6 or 7 deep of people, with lots of movement. This is not what busy means at The Botanist. I was at the front of the bar, with a person either side of me, and saw the guy next to me who was there before me get served. I stood for around 15 minutes and still did not get served. That’s not too unusual, but what’s unusual is that in that time the guy standing next to me STILL had not got his drinks! The barman who was in front of me was making cocktails, but I have no idea where they were actually going, because nobody at the bar seemed to be moving!
This was the most bizarre experience at a bar I have seen. The bar staff seemed to be making drinks (3 or 4 serving), they looked like they were busy working, but looking around nobody seemed to be moving away from the bar and nobody was drinking. I actually have no idea what to make of it. I go to so many places which do cocktails; Jalou, Revolution, Alvinos, Browns…They all take a little time, but it’s nothing like The Botanist! It’s genuinely the longest I have been at a bar and nobodyat the bar actually got a drink! I let my mate stand where I was for 5 or 10 minutes, we still didn’t get served, the guy who I was standing next to STILL didn’t have his drinks, so we left.
If you want to go to the Botanist because of the cool décor my advice would be go, take a couple of pictures, then leave and go somewhere else for a drink. Since I didn’t get a drink I can’t tell you what they were like, other than expensive, which is not a surprise for a place like this, and would not be so appalling if you were able to actually get one of their expensive drinks.
You can pay a visit to their website here, it’s much better than wasting your time visiting it in person. Maybe you can order drinks a few weeks in advance, or B.Y.O.M (Bring Your Own Mojito). Needless to say I’ll not be hurrying back.
On a positive note I now have a new found respect for the other bars which I thought took their sweet time, but they’re actually quite rapid. Check out my other Newcastle Bar Reviews here.
Welcome to Michael 84 – A men’s fashion blog and lifestyle guide from the UK. You’ll find the best in fashion, style, male grooming, fragrances, travel, tech and modern living.
Read about the latest fashion for men. Everything from luxury designer menswear to affordable casual clothing to keep you on trend. You’ll always look stylish with effortless fashion tips and up to date information on the latest style trends.
Michael 84 is often named amongst the best mens fashion bloggers in the UK and the world.
Please let me know if you have featured me in your blog, magazine or publication and I will add your button. Check out my Press Page here
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Individual posts which contain affiliate links are marked as such with the relevant disclaimers.
