Saturday, September 11th - La Noche en Blanco

Me and Mikaela
at Sketch Club

La Noche en Blanco is basically a city wide festival in Madrid. Everyone, ranging from infants to grandparents, goes out on this night. Lots of restaurants and shops are open late. The museums are all free and open late at night. There were also musicians and art venues on basically every street corner. The main streets were all closed to cars and buses, so pedistrians could walk through the streets. On Gran Via there were portable rides, like a toboggan slide and tire swings for adults that were made completely out of recycled material.



So I began my night in Sol, where I met up with Mikaela, Katy, and the Mikaela’s housemate (who is in Katy and my class), Verena. Verena is 27 years old, from Germany and is staying for 3 weeks.


Once we all met up, we were trying to decide where to go, when this club promoter invited us to go to his club. So we decided to give it a shot. It was super sketchy. There were like a dozen people in the whole place (granted it was only 11:30 and most Spaniards don’t go out until after midnight). So Katy and Verena ordered a margarita, while Mikaela and I sat in the corner scoping out the people. Mikaela said she was going to have a dance off with one girl, but chickened out! Haha!

Tinto de Verano <3 

After Katy and Verena finished their drinks, we decided to find a less sketchy club to hang out in. We ended up heading to Star Studio, the same irish pub from the weekend before. Once again we were offered free entry and free drinks, so we accepted! :) 

After dancing for a bit, Mikaela and I decided we wanted some tinto de verano from 100 Montaditos (since the drinks at this bar were super expensive!). So Katy and Verena decided to meet us there in 20 minutes. Mikaela and I got some snacks and drank our wine. Katy and Verena ordered some wine when they got there too. 

After we left 100 Montaditos, we were heading back to Sol when another promoter for Star Studio offered us drinks again. So we went back to the bar (we decided to keep a tally of how many times we get in free/get free drinks at this place). We danced until we were all exhausted. It was also super toasty in the bar so we stepped outside for some fresh air.

Star Studio, second time :)

Naturally, another promoter for Star Studio saw us and invited us in for free drinks. Katy and Verena had had enough fun for the night, but Mikaela and I needed to use the restrooms, so we went back inside Star Studio for the 3rd time! The downstairs of the pub was much more like a club (like Clys in Champaign), so we decided next time we go out we want to go down there!


After we left Star Studio for the 3rd and final time. We headed towards Gran Via to check out the “adult playground”. When we got there it was so packed and the lines were so long that we didn’t even try to ride any of the rides. We just walked around at looked at everything. I texted my sister to see if she was there, but they had just left to go home. By then it was about 3:30 am so we were all getting tired as well. Since most of the main streets were closed we had some trouble getting home. I had some trouble getting home.

3rd time in Star Studio

After last weekend’s marvelous experience on the night buses, I tried to have a better game plan before I left the house. I knew what buses I could catch where, I knew the stop name, and I knew how to walk home. Most of all I knew to ask, ask, ask for directions!! Long story short, the two places I knew to catch a bus home were closed for La Noche en Blanco. Being a smart girl, I looked at the pamphlet for the night and saw that there was night bus stop a few blocks away. So Mikaela, Verena, and I walked there so I could get a bus and they could hail a taxi (Katy lives in the opposite direction, but close, so she walked home). 

Mikaela and Verena hopped in a cab, and I walked over towards the buses. When I asked a traffic director where to catch a bus to Diego de Lion he said there wasn't one in that plaza. I'm still confused about that, because I know L4 should pass through there (because the L buses follow the metro lines and line 4 has a stop in the colon plaza) which would have literally dropped me off at my doorstep, but maybe it wasn't running last night? Who knows.. Regardless, the man sent me back to Puerta de Alcalá which was basically a mile away. After asking 3 police officers and 2 bus directors if I was heading in the right direction, checking my map once, and sniffling a tad, I ended up finding my bus, the N3 tonight.

me, Verena, Katy, and Mikaela in the Plaza outside Star Studio

This time I made sure to ask my bus driver the name of my stop (just to be sure). The problem was, there were so many people crammed into my bus that I couldn't see the screen that says what stop is next, nor could I hear the announcements. So I was staring out the window trying to look for cues. Finally I saw the metro stop Goya, which is the stop I transfer at on the way to school. Therefore I knew I was kind of close to my house. So I started pushing my way towards the door in the back. We got to my stop quicker than I expected though and when they announced my stop next I couldn't reach the stop button, therefore I ended up missing my stop AGAIN and getting off at the next one. Luckily I knew what direction to walk in and I made it home.. At 5:15 am. I don't think I care much for Madrid nightlife! I miss good 'ole Jville/Chambana/Backroad of Chautauqua!! :( haha!