Day two in Madrid saw us up bright and early for a day of poolside lounging, park exploring, snacking, art indulgence, rooftop cocktails and skyline views…

After breakfast we went straight to the pool to make the most of the sunshine and warm weather. As you saw from yesterday’s post I couldn’t make my mind up about what to pack, and with four (!!) bikinis in my suitcase I was determined to put them to good use. And with poolside cocktail service I treated myself to a delicious mojito while I lounged and relaxed.

Before the day got too hot we left the pool and headed over to Parque del Retiro, which was only a five minute walk from our hotel, to seek shade and snacks. I had another mojito (because holiday!) while Jeff enjoyed a refreshing mint tea, and we shared a portion of olives and crisps. With the temperatures rising quickly we didn’t want to be too full, and just wanted something light to hold us over till dinner. After snacking we wandered through the park, and took a few pictures for an upcoming fashion post. (Keep your eyes peeled!)

We were recommended to check out the Caixaforum, and while we didn’t see the exhibitions that were on we did have a nosey about the gift shop and I really loved the architecture. Indoors it was really sleek and contemporary, while outdoors they had a vertical garden! Before we arrived I was curious about how this unique garden was maintained, and lucky me when we arrived they were doing the gardening works! Turns out the methods aren’t as futuristic as I was imagining.

Next up: more cocktails! We arrived at Círculo de Bellas Artes about an hour before sunset with plans to enjoy the view from our first rooftop bar of the evening. As you can see the view here was stunning, with a fantastic opportunity to photograph the iconic Metropolis building. Of course I enjoyed (yet another!) mojito, and I happily could have spent the rest of the evening here. However, we were getting hungry so once the sun set we made our way to dinner.

For dinner we went to Bazaar, which is themed to look like a grocery store. Shelves and windows with beautiful bottles and decorative containers characterise the intererior design The menu offers Mediterranean fusion and oriental inspired dishes, which looked – and all of what we tasted were! – delicious. Service was quick, we were surprised by the size of the portions (they were huge!) and the issimos dessert featuring coconut and coffee flavoured bombes was simply fantastic. (So if you go, I recommend it!)

After dinner we were off to our second rooftop bar of the evening: Gymage Lounge Resort. True to its name it did indeed have a gym – and a theatre, restaurant, boutique hotel and shopping experience with the terrace bar on the rooftop. We enjoyed our drinks (another mojitio for me!) with the skyline view and gorgeous blue pool.

For our final stop of the night we went to Picnic, which was bathed in red lights and offered a cool, retro fun feel. I took a break from my mojito kick here with a gin and tonic garnished with red fruits. Between the colour of the fruit and the red lights, it was certainly the most red drink I’ve ever had! We only managed one drink here before heading back to our hotel and calling it a night.

• Travel Diary: Day 1 in Madrid