Dining at Plaza Mayor, the center of “Habsburg Madrid”
It’s remarkable! If you try to eat din- a bad sacrifice to make. Eventually, it be- evening stroll, visiting the occasional bar allow airflow. They’re quite an ingenious
ner at 7 pm when you first arrive in Ma- comes great fun.
and sampling some tapas instead of a for- solution.
drid, Spain, most places aren’t even open
Not that all Madrileños are out until mal dinner? Tapas are those mini-portioned
If you don’t speak Spanish, or are not
yet. You walk into a restaurant at 8pm, and midnight every day; it would be tough to entrees that apparently originated in Spain traveling with someone who does, lanthey’ll look at you funny for showing up get to work at 8 or 9 am if that was always ,as a way to forestall intoxication, without guage is more of a problem in Madrid than
“early.” You leave any restaurant at 12:30 the case. But from what you see every filling folks up.
you might anticipate, but is easily overWhile you’re taking your stroll, you’ll come. About 40% speak no English at all,
notice that the sheer number of drinking about 40% speak a little. The 20% that are
establishments is remarkable. Apparently, truly bilingual, are usually found behind
they don’t license the serving of alcohol as the reception desk in hotels or elsewhere in
in America, so as a result, there’s several the travel industry, or are themselves visestablishments on every street that serve iting Europeans. Apparently, the resident
alcohol. Most of them have Tapas.
over-40 population were taught primarily
Prices are not as high as most cities in French as a second language when they
western Europe. And although Americans were schooled—but not English. This,
are taking a pretty good hit these days on however, is changing quickly, as young
the exchange rate ($1 dollar is about .79 Madrileños are learning English as their
euros), you really feel like you’re getting second language. If you are traveling alone
good value.
in Madrid, and do not speak English, there
Madrid became Spain’s capital sim- are restaurants that do English translation
ply through its geographical position at the menus; ask your hotel concierge which
Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace) at Retiro Park
center of Iberia. Felipe II moved the seat ones. And when you arrive to dine, ask for
am, and the place is still full, and people night in this city—full restaurants and full of government to Madrid in 1561. Today a waiter who speaks English.
are still having their dinner. Fact is, in Ma- bars into the wee hours of the morning--it Madrid is a city of over 3,000,000.
For lunch, there are marvelous sanddrid, most folks don’t even think about go- really does give the impression that everyDriving from the airport, the outskirts wich shops all over Madrid that are both
ing out for dinner before 9pm. At midnight one goes out every night. And this sort of of Madrid aren’t pretty. But once you get inexpensive, and very high quality. The
it’s still natural to see grandparents and thing becomes contagious when you are in the city, it’s extremely beautiful. And the sandwiches are pre-made fresh each day,
kids strolling on the street.
Welcome to Madrid--one of the world’s
liveliest cities, and a city that never seems
to sleep. During weekends or before public
holidays, and also on the days running up
to Christmas, it is not unusual to see more
people out and about at 4, 5 or 6am in the
morning than in many other cities during
the day! Coincidence or not, it can hardly
come as a surprise to learn that natives of
Madrid--Madrileños--are also known as
“gatos” (cats).
The first few days you’re there, the
The Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace) is the second largest palace in the world.
meal schedule can be quite an adjustment.
But there’s no way around it; you’ll just visiting the city.
significant summer heat is tempered by the and are attractively presented in the case.
have to give up your 5 O’clock dinners.
So to recap, mealtimes go like this: extraordinary number of trees that shade All you have to do is point to which one
You’ll find very shortly, however, it’s not The Madrileños tend to start the day with sidewalks, as well as the canvas tarps that you want. You can get a sandwich, one of
a light breakfast. About 10:30-11am they canope entire roads in some shopping dis- those wonderful light, creamy, and flavorleave their place of work and go out to the tricts. These enormous tarps drop the tem- ful European desserts, and a bottled water,
nearest café or bar for a quick cup of coffee perature a surprising amount, yet the gaps all for under 6 euros. (There’s a lot to be
and croissant or cake. Lunch never starts between their diamond-shaped sections said for finger-pointing as a means of combefore 1:30 and can be as late as 2:30.
An excellent way of enjoying good,
cheap food at lunchtime is to sit down for a
“menú del día”. This is a fixed price menu
offering several choices of first and second
courses with a drink, bread and desert or
coffee included for around 7 or 8 euros.
Restaurant waiters will often just assume
you want to eat “a la carta,” offering you
the more expensive menu options, so make
sure you always ask the question “¿Hay
menú?” (is there a fixed menu?). On weekends, the fixed menu will be more expensive, but usually includes larger or more
elaborate dishes.
Dinner in Spain starts any time after
8pm, and many restaurants will not open
until 9pm. In the summer, some families
will not sit down for their evening meal
until as late as 11pm. If you’ve had a good
menú del día at mid-day, why not follow
Students and artists are allowed to practice their skills, copying diThe Gran Hotel Conde Duque
the local tradition and go for a paseo or
rect from masterpieces at the world-famous Prada Museum.
Page 19, Vitality, August 2006
Boaters enjoy the Retiro Park (Parque del Retiro) pool. The majestic monument on the far shore was built in honor of Alfonso XII.
drid is to take the double-decker bus tour books all your life; to see so many of them bus). You’ll also enjoy the many authentic
munication.)
Getting around Madrid could not pos- conducted by Madrid Vision. There are for real is almost mind-boggling…artists models of Spanish galleons. The museum
sibly be easier. The subway is everyone’s two possible routes. And you can hop on like: Rousseau, Pissarro, Monet, Renoir, features a variety of other historical items
as well--from the 15th century to present
preference. Called the “Metro”, it is a and off the tour bus as many times as you Degas and Van Gogh.
The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza was day. (www.museonavalmadrid.com – in
tremendous economy. In a country where like, do what you want to do, and hop on
petrol now costs in excess of $5.60 a gal- the next bus. (They are frequent.) You can a project of the late Baron Heinrich von Spanish)
even jump off one route and take a Madrid Thyssen and his fifth wife, Baroness ThysA visit to the Palacio Real de MaVision bus on the other route—where they sen--a former Spanish beauty queen. It’s drid (Royal Palace) is a spectacular way
intersect. The two routes are: “Modern Madrid” and “Historic Madrid.” Each route
runs about 75 minutes, and the bus operates every day throughout the year, except
for January 1st and September 18th. Operating hours are from 9.30am to midnight in
summer, 10am to 7pm in winter, and 10am
to 9pm in Spring and Autumn. The ride is
only 14.50 euros (or $18.13). (www.metromadrid.es)
The most important thing to see in
Madrid is the Prada Museum. It cannot
be said strongly enough what a remarkable
place this is to spend three or four hours.
An attractive canvas street-covering helps Madrileños beat the summer heat
You’ll be so taken by how much greater a
collection this is than any other art muse- the most important collection of late-nine- to spend a half day. It is the second largum you’ve ever been to! Some of the best teenth-century to contemporary art now est palace in the world, next to Versailles.
Spanish, Flemish and Italian art of the 15th under one roof in Spain. It also has a fine Built by Philip V, the first Bourbon king
to 19th centuries are there--with works by: collection of works from earlier centuries of Spain, it has nearly 3,000 rooms, with
Goya, Velazquez and El Greco well-repre- that includes Dutch and German Renais- 250 open to tourists. Treasures displayed
sented. Famous pieces include Velazquez’s sance art and 17th century Dutch paintings. include porcelains, tapestries, carpets, jew“Las Meninas”, Fra Angelico’s “The An- Some of the artists spanning the centuries eled timepieces, a royal herbal pharmacy
nunciation” and “The Garden of Earthly include: Tintoretto, Murillo, Van Dyck, and a dining room table seating over 100
Delights” by Bosch. The popularity of the Rubens, Goya, Cezanne, Matisse, Munch, guests. From 1764, when Philip’s son,
place is well-deserved. And the line to get Dali, Miro, Kandinsky and Picasso. There’s Charles III, first took up residence followin is a small price to gain a proximity to so an excellent cafeteria on the ground floor. ing the resignation of Alfonso XIII in 1931,
much skill displayed in one place. If you (www.museothyssen.org)
the Palacio became home for Spanish mongo on Sundays, admission is free. And the
For 7.66 euros you can buy an “Abono archs. Today, King Juan Carlos (who lives
museum is closed Mondays. (www.museo- Paseo del Arte”, a special voucher allow- outside of Madrid) uses it only for official
prado.es)
ing you to visit all of these 3 first-class state functions.
A fishmonger at work at
Note: Artists or art students who are art museums once at any time during the
While you’re at the Palace, check out
San Miguel Market
interested in gaining authorization to paint year. You may also purchase a “Tarjeta the attached Royal Armory, which.has
lon, Metro tickets are just 1 euro, or .60 if
in the museum (see photo) can contact Ofi- anual múltiple” for 36.06 euros - this al- been housed in its present building since
you buy a book of 10. (75 cents American)
cina de Copias at the Prada by telephoning: lows you to visit these 3 museums as many 1893. It is all the way across the courtyard
There’s a lot of trains, too; you never seem
to wait more than 4 minutes for a train.
And everyone feels very safe. It is now the
second largest subway system in Western
Europe--second only to London’s Underground.
There are, of course, buses and taxis
as well. With respect to the latter, make
sure you use the cabs that have a diagonal
red stripe on the side. Prices for them are
more regulated. (More information under
“Notes” on cabs from the airport.)
You need to spend at least 3 days just
in Madrid to begin to see all it has to offer. This is a world-class city. It has some
The fastest, cheapest and safest way to get around Madrid is the Metro.
of the most beautiful architecture, plazas,
times as you want during 1 year. (Either of from the main entrance, but its location
and fountains in the world. Madrid also has 91 330 29 15.
For those who enjoy contemporary these may be purchased at any of the three is poorly marked, and you don’t want to
an assortment of palaces and monuments
miss it. Once inside, you’ll see authenmaking up one of the most important heri- art, there’s the Museo Nacional Centro de museums.)
In the same boulevard is an unexpect- tic armored soldiers displayed on horsetages in the history of the western world. Arte Reina Sofía--Spain’s national gallery
It has the finest art museum in the world. of modern art. This is another huge muse- ed find: the Naval Museum. The entrance back.3,000 exhibits, dating as far back as
of this wonder is so unpretentious as to not the 16th century, and there are two stories
There are wonderful restaurants and hotels. um and includes Picasso’s Guernica.
Another art museum—one that would be believed—because when you get inside, of exhibits.
And the city makes a great place to hub in
Next to the Royal Palace is the Church
context to seeing other great spots in cen- not be eclipsed in stature in any city in you are struck by the greatness of Spain’s
of
Nuestra
Señora de la Almudena, which
tral Spain, like: Toledo, Segovia, El Esco- America—is the MuseoThyssen-Bor- heritage as a ruler of the seas centuries
is
one
of
the
oldest in Madrid, dating back
nemisza. Of particular interest here is the ago--even though you probably read this in
rial, or Avila, etc.
to
the
ninth
century.
Over the centuries it
extensive collection of Impressionist paint- books. Displays cover many topics, such as
Attractions:
has
been
altered,
pulled
down and rebuilt.
The best way to orient yourself to Ma- ers. These are paintings you’ve seen in the history of Christopher Colon (Colum-
Page 20, Vitality, August 2006
Madrid is a city of magnificent fountains and monuments
The facade, looking on to the Plaza de la
Armería and the Royal Palace is complete,
but much work remains to be done on the
nave and the apse, which are unlikely to be
completed in the foreseeable future.
Just south of the Almudena church is
the Basílica de San Francisco el Grande.
In 1760, Carlos III built this Basilica on
the site of a Franciscan convent, allegedly
founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1217.
The dome, 108 feet in diameter, is the largest in Spain--even larger than that of St.
Paul’s in London--where its 19 bells were
cast in 1882. The seven main doors were
carved of American walnut. Three chapels
adjoin the circular church.
Madrid’s answer to New York’s Central Park is Parque del Buen Retiro (Retiro Park). At one time it was the private
gardens of royalty. Today the Retiro Park is
open to all without charge.
This is a huge park, complete with
fountains, gardens, recreation and picnic
areas and a man-made lake (Parque del
Retiro pool), where you can rent a boat.
The ornate monument in honor of Alfonso
XII is to be found beside the pool. Also at
the park is the Palacio de Cristal (Crystal
Beautiful gardens that go on forever, at Parque del Buen Retiro (Retiro Park)
of nightlife and many of Madrid’s largest rienced fighters). A bullfight normally lasts
There are any number of fine hotels
movie theaters.
around 2 hours. The fight is then judged by to choose from in Madrid. You’ll probably
San Miguel Market, just off the Calle the public. The public may also judge the want to check packages on the web. But
Mayor and in the immediate vicinity of the bull to have been so brave and noble, that we really liked the Gran Hotel Conde
Plaza Mayor, is an example of progressive it should have its life spared.
Duque, however, in spite of the fact we
Flamenco can be seen in many bars weren’t booked there as part of a package.
and taverns in Madrid, where you would This squeeky-clean little gem of a boutique
go in for an evening meal and listen to the hotel is located on a quiet side-street. Yet
music afterwards. You could start off your it’s convenient to literally everything. And
day at Casa Patas, La Torre del Oro or Viña it’s pricing makes is an extraordinary valPe, where you could sit down for lunch or ue. The staff is also very eager to please.
just order a wine, some “tapas”, listen to (www.hotelcondeduque.es)
the music and take in the flamenco atmo- Some Additional Notes:
sphere. You could also head to El Abuelo
• Tourism offices in Madrid can
in Calle Paz or Los Gabrieles in Echega- prove to be indispensable. One of the main
ray street for more tapas in bars with a fla- tourist information offices is the Municipal
menco ambient. On Wednesdays, one of Office of Tourist Information, which can
the best places is El Mago, also in Calle be found at Plaza Mayor, 3. You can reach
Paz. Cafe de Chinitas on Calle Torija, 7 them on the telephone at 91 366 54 77. If
(tel. 91-5595135) is a restaurant offering you are planning to see as much as possible
regular flamenco shows. Even though it is on your stay, then this tourist information
sometimes jammed with tourists, the qual- office should be the first stop on your itinThe Museum of Ham (Museo del Jamon) is a unique food experience.
Palace), which was built in 1887 for the development in 19th century Madrid. The ity of flamenco is still good. In Los Ga- erary. There is also good tourist informaPhilippines Exhibition. It has recently been colorful food market, with its stalls laid out brieles, Echegaray 17, there are free live tion at the Estación de Chamartín at gate
restored. In between the two is the The Pa- in regular rows on two levels, was original- shows every Tuesday night, starting after 16 of the Central vestibule (Tel: 91 315 99
76). Or you can stop by the Puerta de Tolelacio de Velázquez, a glass-roofed build- ly constructed in 1835 and was completed 10.30 p.m.
A real standout for food lovers is the do Market (Tel: 91 364 18 76). It has lots of
ing in Neo-Renaissance style, which was in its present form in 1915.
erected in 1887 for the Colonial Exhibition
El Rastro flea market takes place Sun- Museum of Ham, located at Carrera de very helpful information for visitors, as do
held in that year. It has recently been com- day mornings. Starting at the Plaza de Cas- San Jerónimo 6. Many hams -- cured by the Madrid Community Tourist Informapletely restored.
corro the market runs down the section of a variety of methods -- hang from the ceil- tion Offices, which can be found at Calle
Flower lovers will also enjoy the road know as the ‘Ribera de Curtidores’.
beautiful Real Jardin Botanico, which is While the market is large and packed with
located just south of the Prada Museum. people, do not expect to see a market domWith more than 30,000 plant species of inated by antiques. Much of the Rastro’s
plants, the botanical garden was started un- wares are imported items, leather purses
der King Ferdinand VI in 1755. During the and textiles; used goods are also plentiful.
reign of Charles III, the Garden was relo- Open during a time when many Madrid
cated to its present location in Madrid, as sights are closed, El Rastro can be a good
part of his ambitious plan to develop the place to spend your Sunday morning.
eastern part of the city. (www.rjb.csic.es)
Bull fighting: Madrid’s main bull
The Temple of Debod was donated to ring is called La Plaza de Toros de Las
Spain by the Republic of Egypt in 1968. If Ventas del Espíritu Santo, or more simnot moved, the Debod Temple would have ply, Las Ventas. The best time to see a
been flooded by the resevoir formed by the bullfight in Madrid is during the months
building of the Aswan Dam. The temple of May and June. The world famous San
The Palacio de Velázquez, a glass-roofed building in Neo-Renaissance style
was originally built approximately 2200 Isidro bullfight festival takes place during
years ago. Admission is free on Wednesday these months. The rest of the bullfighting ings (see photo). But more than this, it is Duque de Medinaceli, 2 (Tel: 91 429 49
and Sunday.
season runs from March to October. Out- one of the city’s most celebrated food out- 51). And the Municipal Board of Tourism
The Gran Vía is one of Madrid’s side San Isidro, fights are normally held lets, and a real museum of the most cel- and Congress Offices at Calle Mayor, 69
most important avenues (literally, “Great every Sunday, starting at 7 o’clock in the ebrated fast food in Spain. The daily menu (Tel: 91 588 29 00) is always worth checkWay”). This shopping street also contains a evening. Some of the fights will be novilla- is varied and served in generous portions. ing out if you get the chance.
number of tourist accommodations, plenty das (fights with young bulls and less expe- Service is efficient, though not too friendly,
• Tipping in Spain is typically Eurobut customers don’t seem to mind.
pean. 10% is a good tip.
We’ve already alluded to the fact that
• Bring a travel iron. A lot of hotels
there are thousands of eating establish- don’t provide them.
ments in Madrid. So it’s really impossible
• Elevators will throw you initially. If
to recommend any and be fair. However, you’re looking for the first floor, push “0”.
we would recommend the Botin Restau- The second floor is “1.”
rant. It is both very good and very historic.
• A taxi is usually the best airport
According to the Guinness Book of Re- transportation. But there’s a catch. They
cords, it is the oldest, continuously operat- will sometimes charge more than they
ing restaurant in the world—having been should. Find out from your hotel ahead of
founded in 1725. And they also have wait- time roughly what the charge should be;
ers on their staff who speak English. Try they’ll know. If it’s more than that, the hotel
to get a table on the basement or first floor. desk will actually go to bat for you, to get it
Incredible atmosphere! And try the Roast reduced. But also be advised, as in any city,
baby lamb; it’s a house specialty. (www. rush hour traffic is a significant cost factor as
botin.es)
airport runs are metered. So try to schedule
Accommodations:
your flights so that you don’t have to make
The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena is one of the oldest in Madrid
Page 21, Vitality, August 2006
the trip 7-9am or 3-5 pm.
• Passengers who have to change at
Madrid Airport should bear in mind when
making their bookings that it takes around
an hour to transfer to another flight.
• The best time to visit Madrid is Spring
or Fall. The summers are hot there, and the
winters are cold and often rainy. However,
if you go in late December or early January, you’ll catch their holiday festivities-Epiphany (aka Dia de los Reyes). It’s great
to experience the parades, decorations, and
seasonal food (epiphany bread). Seeing how
Page 22, Vitality, August 2006
Basílica de San Francisco el Grande
Christmas is celebrated elsewhere is a great
cultural eye-opener.
• In the summer months (June, July &
August), bring light cottons, T-shirts or other loose tops and some kind of cap for your
head - anything that provides protection
from the sun. Madrid enjoys more cloudless days than almost any other city in Europe. Dress there is not as relaxed as most
coastal areas--where shorts and sandals are
concerned--but certainly it’s not so rigid that
you’ll look out of place if you wear shorts.
In coastal areas shorts and sandals are an
absolute must. During the winter months in
central Spain, a warm overcoat and gloves
will be needed.
• Madrid drinking water is perfectly
good out of the tap. Madrileños rarely buy
bottled water, and are actually very proud
of the city water, which comes from deep,
pure, underground reserves, as well as from
mountains in the north of the country. If you
choose to purchase water, the most popular
non-carbonated bottled drinks in Spain is
Solares. Nearly all restaurants and hotels
have it, so it shouldn’t be too hard for you to
get a hold of. However, you should be aware
that some establishments will charge just as
much for a bottle of water as they do for the
regional wine, due to the high demand.
• Smoking is popular in Madrid, having only recently been banned on the Metro.
Don’t be surprised if you go out for a meal
with Spanish friends and they light up even
between courses.
• One of the simplest and most convenient ways to discover the broad range of
cultural attractions on offer in the Spanish
capital is using the Madrid Card and Madrid Card Cultura. They include entrance
to more than 40 museums in Madrid and the
surrounding area. They also allow you to go
on all the guided tours included in the “Descubre Madrid” (Discover Madrid) program, organized by the City Tourist Board,
and there are discounts available at more
than 100 shops, restaurants, leisure attractions and shows. They are on sale at tourist
offices, by telephone on +34 902 877 996,
or on-line at www.madridcard.com.
• You will need a valid passport to visit
Spain, but no visa is required for a stay of up
to three months.
For more information, contact www.
fundaciondestinomadrid.com. Their fine
website can answer just about any travel
question you may have. Plus they list a
number of further links to other useful Madrid websites.
And thanks for traveling!
TELL ‘EM
YOU READ IT
IN VITALITY!