My plan is to live in various parts around the world for a month at a time (see TPOL in Madrid: Why A Second Residency?). The biggest issue is finding a long-term rental that is not an overpriced Airbnb that delivers big on pictures but low on quality. Looking for places to live, I stumbled across TheBlueGround.com, a website with apartment listings worldwide. I knew I wanted to stay in the upscale neighborhood of Chamberí and searched accordingly. I was able to find a two-bedroom apartment for a little more than $100 a night.
TPOL’s Tip: The minimum stay is 31 days.
TPOL’s Tip: If you pay by credit card, there is a processing fee. The issue is that the security deposit is also subject to the processing fee but said fee is not returned.
A key is required to enter the front door. From there, take the lift to your apartment.
2 Bedrooms
I was looking for an apartment with a living room, an office, and one bedroom. The best I could find was two bedrooms. This proved excessive as the room was never used.
Bedroom 1
Bedroom 2
TPOL’s Tip: Traveling for two? 1 bedroom is sufficient. A studio is not.
Church Bells
Initially, we kept the window open for the cool night air. It was nice to be awoken to the sound of church bells.
2 Bathrooms
The advantage of having a 2 bedroom was the second bathroom. Most of the 1 bedrooms only came with 1.
Hallway bathroomMasterMasterMaster
Kitchen
Food is so cheap in Madrid that you don’t need to cook at home (see Eat Like a Local: Madrid Spain). Should you have the desire, groceries are cheap and wine is basically free.
Don’t underestimate grocery store pizza.
Espresso
Is it better to have an espresso at home or an espresso followed by beers and tapas out (see Espresso? Beer? Both?: My Madrid Morning Routine). I’ll let you decide but the apartment did come with a Nespresso machine.
Living Room
Looking to entertain? There was plenty of space in the living room.
Garden
Madrid is chilly in February. We were only able to enjoy this spectacular garden towards the end of our residency.
Overall
Looking to do a residency in Madrid? Stay in Chamberí. Book through The Blueground.
South of France is too expensive for TPOL (see Guns & Butter: South of France Travel Guide (Budget Edition)). Luckily, I missed my flight to Nice and only had to come up with the funds points for one night (see Lufthansa LIS-FRA-NCE: Finally Arrived). Still, finding a points hotel was not easy. The Marriott properties were going for extreme rates. I had a Chase stay cert that was expiring and was happy to burn it instead of paying $250.
Location
The hotel is within walking distance to the beach. It is also within walking distance to the train station to get to Monaco.
Go right out of the hotel to go to the beach.
Go left out of the hotel to go to the train station for Monaco.
Room
I spent my day in Cannes. This was the extent of my photography skills when I arrived at the hotel late.
Overall
If you’re looking to get the Nice experience, staying on the waterfront is the way to go. If you’re looking to get a taste of a life you cannot afford, the Holiday Inn may be the way to go.
I have flown Qsuites too many times, but I have not flown Qatar First. Since Avios are so easy to come by, there was no way I would fly business just to save a few points.
Our rendezvous turned into a small party among those forced to work overtime and us passengers. The collective group was disappointed when the now boarding flashed on the monitor, forcing us to hustle to the gate.
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I have narrated how I’ve eaten and drunk my way through Madrid (see Best Tapas Madrid: No Budget Cuts Here as an example). I have also written about how I may have taken it too far (see Espresso? Beer? Both?: My Madrid Morning Routine). To combat this indulgence, I needed a workout plan that I could take not only on this residency but also on any trip throughout the world.
Note: This is a big development compared to my prior stance of never working out on the road (see No More Mobile Gym No Matter What).
For this trip, I loaded up a suitcase with too many gadgets.
Take a left from the gymOnto Calle José AbascalThen your first left back home to Calle De Fernandez De La Hoz
I ended up joining for the month that I was there. Instead of going back to Geico weights, I brought my own toys including the Inertia Wave and all things Auster.
Hans and Franz weren’t particularly impressed with my setup, but I used their preoccupation with my routine as motivation.
What’s great about this gym is that they have many of the tools I use at home e.g., battle ropes, Suples Bulgarian bag.
Results
Combined with running outdoors (see Sunday Fun/Run Day: Spring in Madrid), I was able to stay healthy abroad while continuing to indulge in tapas.
TPOL’s Tip: The gym address is Calle José Abascal 46 28003 Madrid.
I tried napping in the area designated for families but was immediately bored.
Photos
I walked around to take photos for the blog but could not find anything that caught my eye. I guess some people will be impressed by the giant urinal waterfall.
Bar
Looking for inspiration, I turned to alcohol. The best I could find was Leffe Blond. Compare the selection: from Hennessy VSOP in the Qatar Lounge in Bangkok, to this in first? How does that make sense?
Business Better?
Bored, I reached out to my friend whom I met in the business class lounge in Bangkok. He was enjoying his layover at the Qatar business class lounge by having a cigar in the smoking room in the business class lounge. I decided to join him.
Stored my bags.
In Transit
I went from the Al Safwa Lounge to the Al Mourjan Lounge. Why they can’t make it straightforward and call it first and business is stupid. It’s confusing for passengers simply looking to get to their designated lounge.
In the smoking room, we decided to order two tequilas. Both of us remarked that the tequila was smooth and we wondered what tequila was offered. It was not until I went for a refill that I learned that it was none other than Jose Cuervo!
Getting my fix of nicotine.
TPOL’s Trivia: Cuervo is the same tequila served in the first-class lounge.
TPOL’s Tip: So much for my belief that I am a tequila aficionado (see Tacos & Tequila: An Afternoon in Tlaquepaque). In my defense, I naively assumed that they would serve premium tequila in their flagship lounges.
But what can I do given that I am hiding in my basement (see NYC Twice: A Recap of My 2020 Travels) too scared to come out and see my shadow (see Punxsutawney TPOL)? The answer is obvious. Perfect my golf game, buy a mobile fitness studio, and broadcast it all from my beautiful home in Rio Mar, Puerto Rico. There was only one problem. Who would film the reality of how badly I play at golf and how imperfect my gym form is? The answer is Skydio 2, a drone that needs no pilot. And now, after months of waiting, it is on its way to me (via New York). In the groundhog year of 2021, I am ready to defy my old thinking (see TPOL’s Way Out of Poverty Is Not Vlogging) and emerge as the most famous vlogger, golfer, and bodybuilder of all time.
It is rare though not unheard of that someone shows up absolutely hammered for an 8AM flight. I had an excuse because my flight from Bangkok to Doha was delayed without notifying any of the passengers. While I was lucky enough to have a great lounge experience, I do not know how the economy class passengers spent their entire evening at the airport (see Qatar Airways Lounge Review: The Best Is in Bangkok, Not Doha).
First vs. Business
I have flown Qsuites too many times, but I have not flown Qatar First. Since Avios are so easy to come by, there was no way I would fly business just to save a few points.
Ahoy down below!
Welcome Drink
Gregarious, I spoke to another passenger headed to Doha. He was one drink ahead of me in the Krug marathon. Not to be outdone, the flight attendant brought me my own.
Don’t Forget Your Friends
The rapport with the flight attendants was great from the start. They were in cheery moods and indulged in our rambunctious behavior. To that point, I asked if they could send a glass of Krug to my drinking buddy from the Qatar Lounge seated in business. I asked them to include the message that I missed him. They thought it was hilarious and obliged. It was well received.
Krug Again
The photo of Krug being poured with an airplane window in the background is pure art. I never get tired of capturing the moment.
No Suite
The a380 didn’t have a suite like its lauded business-class brother. Since the cabin was empty, the flight attendant prepared one seat for sleeping and the other for drinking.
Caviar
Like Krug, is there anything better than caviar on a plane?
Omelette
I had a light omelette and prepared myself for sleep.
Pajamas
The only thing missing from these clever pajamas was the Urban Turban.
Do you know where the best Qatar Airways Lounge is in the world? It’s certainly not the business class lounge in Doha. It’s also not the sterile first-class lounge in Doha either. By process of elimination and my personal experience, I declare that the best Qatar Lounge in the world is in Bangkok. Here’s why:
Flight Delayed
I had timed it perfectly. I was going to finish playing night golf by 11PM (see Night Golf Bangkok: First Time for Everything) and then head to (somewhat) nearby BKK to catch my 2AM first-class flight on a Qatar a380 bound for Baku, Azerbaijan. Instead, I arrived at the airport to find a small mob of angry passengers. The flight to Doha was changed from 2AM to 8AM, yet no one was told that the flight was rescheduled.
TPOL’s Tip: If a flight is delayed, it does not mean that the passengers can arrive at the airport later. If the delay is resolved and the plane takes off on time, it would be the passengers’ fault for not being there. This is different than what happened here where the flight was canceled then rescheduled.
I was told to go the business class lounge where I would be very comfortable.
Lounge Itself
This is a small lounge that is only meant to operate for a few hours. It does not have places to accommodate passengers overnight.
My Rest Area
Fortunately for me, I found one of the places where I could sprawl out and sleep. Unfortunately, there were no blankets in the lounge and the AC was on full blast.
Food
The food was spectacular. I tried everything from the biryani in the buffet to the a la carte sushi and pad thai.
Do you recognize the purple cups?
Drinks
I believe the normal bartender wasn’t available when I was there. Instead, it was a few workers who did their best to make cocktails.
TPOL’s Tip: A warm dirty martini is just warm vodka and olive juice.
I switched to champagne and Hennessy VSOP, a cognac not offered in either the business or first-class lounge in Doha!
Better list than in Doha.
NFL Week One
It didn’t matter to me that the flight was delayed. I had a makeshift bed, alcohol, and the disappointing Lions streaming. It was perfect.
Open Bar
I saw a passenger joking with the impromptu bartender that it was not his fault that the flight was delayed. The sarcasm was lost on the bartender who kept apologizing for the delay. I learned that my fellow lounge refugee was also from New York, though he was flying in business, not first, to Doha. We struck up a conversation about everything and anything as lounge goers tend to do. Meanwhile, the drinks kept rolling in.
Our rendezvous turned into a small party among those forced to work overtime and us passengers. The collective group was disappointed when the now boarding flashed on the monitor, forcing us to hustle to the gate.
Overall
Qatar Airways could have told its passengers the flight was rescheduled. It worked out because the lounge, staff, and company were great.
