Mad About Madrid

Madrid's Nightime Terrazas

Terrazas in Madrid are one of the great summer experiences of the city. A terraza, in English, is a street (or open air) café which often open to the wee, small hours of the morning. Traditionally, the popular terrazas hve been found on the Castellana or the Paseo de Pintor Rosales but El Mundo has some alternative places where you can enjoy an evening tipple. They include Real Madrid's ground, a terrace outside Torre Picasso (one of Spain's tallest buildings), the Circulo de Bellas Artes and Madrid's Hippodrome, Madrid's horse track with 7 bars, 15 shops and ice cream parlour and 2 restaurants.

One tip: Madrid's nightlife goes on to around 4-5 in the morning, so don't go out too early - a 10 or 11 p.m. start is early enough!

Link
Madrid Terrrazas

Veranos de la Villa 2006

From Flamenco, to Hip Hop and from Dance to Jazz, Madrid's Summer Festival Veranos de la Villa has something for everyone. The venues for this popular event include the Sabatini Gardens (next to the Royal Palace), the Retiro Park, the Plaza Mayor, Centro Cultural Conde Duque and various cinemas and theatres. One of the busiest venues will be the Jardines de Sabatini which has various cycles: from musical, jazz and flamenco

You can view the full programme by downloading the Veranos de La Villa brochure (pdf) from the MuniMadrid site or alternatively you can view, if you the patience and like badly created flash sites, the "official" website for this festival. EsMadrid also has a breakdown (in Spanish) of the main events, too.

Watch Spain-France in the Puerta del Sol

If you're into football, or just want to soak up some Spanish party atmosphere, you should head off to the Puerta del Sol on Tuesday, 27th June. Here, in front of the Casa de Correos, the City Council has erected a giant screen, measuring 10.4 by 6.8 metres, where they will televise the Spain - France World Cup qualifying game at 9 p.m. Let's hope the "selection" do well and get into the quarter finals (except if you're French, that is!).

Alternatively, you could make your way to the Plaza de Colón, where games have been televised since he start of the Word Cup.

Advice: If you do go, make sure to watch out for pickpockets who are bound to be operating in the area - they often work in groups of 3.

Wine Dinner At Restaurante Memento

I have blogged about both Catavino, Ryan Opaz's excellent wine website, and Restaurante Memento, a Californian Fusion Restaurant in Madrid. Well, it looks like they have hooked up with  Planeta Vino to organise a  wine tasting evening. The event takes place on Monday 26th June, 2006 though I'm sure they will be doing more of the same in coming months. Here is a breakdown of what's on offer next Monday (from Planeta Vino):

Spanish Classics:  A New Interpretation
A gourmet four course meal with a different wine matched to each course. Each course will be given comments by myself and Ryan of Catavino, who is also one of the chefs. Memento's talented American chef will offer you a new take on some classic Spanish cuisine, Spain with a touch of California!  This will be a great evening of food and wine for only 55€!    The dinner will start around 930 but feel free to come around 9 for a pre-dinner drink!

Certainly sounds like it could be a good night out!

The World's Most Expensive Hamburger

Botín might be the oldest restaurant in the world (1725) and Taberna de Antonio Sánchez may be the oldest bar in Madrid (1830) but to this list can now be added Restaurante Estik, which sells (they reckon) the most expensive hamburger in the world. At 85 Euros (about $107) the Kobe steak hamburger will set you back a little more than your standard burger but it will ceratinly be one that you won't forget eating! However, according to the Guinness Book of Records the title of "most expensive hamburger in the world" goes to a New York restaurant, DB Burger Royale, whose hamburger sells for around $69. I'm sure this won't last long.

If you feel that your credit card could take such a hit on a burger, head over to the Restaurante Estik website and book a table. With all the talk of trans fats and the damage they can cause, this hamburger may not be that costly!

Food Poll

I thought I'd introduce a new feature to this blog - polls. Please select your favourite dish below and beware that you need to vote in order to see the results!

Amaral and Keane Play Las Ventas

This is very short notice but if you're in Madrid tonight (15th June, 2006) you really should consider going to see, what should be, a great concert in Las Ventas (the bullring). My favourite Spanish band Amaral (of the moment) will be playing alongside Keane as part of MTV day. Tickets only cost 20 Euros and can be bought at FNAC (Metro Callao) or at the box office. If you can't go, take some time to listen to their music and watch their videos on their website.

Antología De La Danza Española

I had an email a few days back from Victor whose company is promoting the Antología De La Danza Española (or the Anthology of Spanish Dance) at the Teatro La Latina. The show features a number of different styles that can be found in Spanish dance, from folklore and Bolero and Flamenco and the Jota. The show certainly looks spectacular and runs until the 2nd July, with prices starting from 15 Euros.

Times
Wed, Thurs & Fri: 8 p.m.
Sat: 7 p.m. & 10 p.m.
Sun: 6 p.m. & 9 p.m.

Ticket Sales
Box Office or Entradas.com

Address: Pza. Cebada, 2
Metro: Latina .

Watching the World Cup in Madrid

It goes without saying that you will probably have little problem finding a bar to watch the World Cup over the coming weeks! For many Brits and Americans, the first port of call will probably be the Irish bars, but how about watching the games in a cinema?

The company Cinesa will be 'televising' the Spanish games, along with other important games (such as the final) on their High Definition, Giant Cinema Screens with Digital 5.1 sound at Multicines Proyecciones on c/Fuencarral 136. All games are free but there is obviously a ceiling on the amount of people who can watch the game.

US Expat Questionnaire

To all the US expats living in Madrid.

Mark Nykanen and Eric Burnette are two writers who are currently writing a book, called Fear, Fury, and Exile: Why Young, Liberal, Educated Americans are Permanently Leaving the US, which is due for publication in 2007. They are currently researching the book and are looking for people who are willing to help us locate individuals, couples or families who have left the US for political or social reasons. Here is a brief synopsis of their research:

There is increasing evidence that significant numbers of young, educated Americans are permanently leaving the US.  Above and beyond those who leave the US for work, study, or simply for pleasure, many Americans now seem to be leaving for political and social reasons.  Who are they?  Why are they leaving?  Where are they going?  What is the impact on the US of this emigration?

For the interviewee, this would involve an initial exchange of emails, a ~60 minute phone interview, and possibly a follow-up phone interview.  We will be happy to work with interviewees on anonymous basis, a pseudonym basis, or a full attribution basis.

If you would like to help them out, get in touch with Eric by email: backoutwest@gorge.net   

Tinto de Verano - a Perfect Drink for Summer

I have been speaking (by emal) with Kelly over at kellycrull.com and he mentioned that his favourite drink was Tinto de Verano. So, given that we are now in the warm months of summer, I thought that it would be an idea to post the ingredients for one of summer's most refreshing drinks, Tinto de Verano:

Ingredients
1/2 bottle of red wine
Casera, lemonade or sprite
Ice
Lemon wedge/slice

Preparation
Place ice in tall glass
Pour in the red wine until it is half full
Add the lemonade to fill it
Add a slice of lemon

Delicioso! - as 'backpack' would say in Dora the Explorer (you can tell I have a 4 year-old!)

I have seen variations of this and expect to receive an email from my brother-in-law to refine it! Please, let me know if you have any variations. Apparently, it doesn't really matter whether it is a good or poor wine.

Getting Around Madrid By Bike

I was reading an article on 20 Minutos earlier today called (in English) "the rebellion of the bikes", which was discussing not just the fact that Madrid is a "hostile environment for bikes" but that there there is a growing increase in the number of people who are starting to use bikes to get around the city. I have also seen a growing trend in foregin tourists travelling around Madrid's historic sites on bike.

Madrid doesn't have too many hills but it does, in its favour, have a number of parks - such as the Retiro, Casa de Campo, the grounds around the Royal Palace and the Parque del Oriente. It also has an increasing number of pedestrian areas - indeed in some parts of old Madrid you will hardly see any cars.

One company which is helping to get more people on to the streets is By Bike, a bike rental company located near the Retiro Park. Their location makes it ideal to get around Madrid's large, central park and they can even offer recommendations for other locations in Madrid - such as the Green Belt, which has a dedicated cycle path and takes you out as far as the Royal Palace of El Pardo.

Prices for bike hire start at 4 Euros an hour, with one day costing 22 Euros. If you're interested, there is also a bike demonstration by nudists starting at 12 p.m. from the Cibeles Fountain!

Related Information
Bike Tours of Madrid From Bike Spain
Segway Tours of Madrid

PHotoEpaña 2006

PHotoEpaña 2006 is a major photograhpic festival which takes place yearly around the capital. The official press release states that :

The exhibitions showcase new tendencies in the world of photography and the visual arts, attracting both general and specialist audiences. They are the ideal opportunity for discovering the latest photographic projects, videos and installations produced by leading national and international photographers and visual artists. The exhibitions are complemented by parallel activities such as Campus PHE, which offers a series of workshops by great masters of photography; Cine PHE; professional seminars; public screenings of audiovisuals, portfolio reviews, etc.

The Casa de  América, Centro Culutral de Conde Duque, Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Real Jardín Botánico and the Thyssen Museum are just a selction of the official places where you can view some of the exhibition. There are also a large number of 'unofficial' places where you can view photographs - mainly galleries. For a complete roundup of the photographers and venues, visit the PHotoEpaña 2006 site. 

Democrats in Madrid To Hold 4th July Gig

Just got an email from the Democrats Abroad - Madrid Spain Chapter. They are hosting:

a 4th of July party open to the public on July 4, starting at 19:00, at Ribs Arturo Soria, calle Gregorio Benítez 4, Madrid. (Metro Arturo Soria). Everyone is welcome, including families with children. Admission is free. Party-goers are encouraged to wear red, white and blue. The party will feature live rock and R&B music by Guns and Butter.

I'll probably get an email from Republicans Abroad next saying they've got some gig going on (wonder if they'd say that everyone is welcome!). For more information, call Sue Burke.

Open Air Terraces in Madrid

If you've been to Madrid or lived there, you will know that  eating out in the summer is one of the great  Madrid treats. You will find bars and restaurants across the city from where you can sit out and watch the world going by. Generally speaking, the Madrid terrazas open their doors in June and extend through the hot summer months to September. El Mundo's Metropoli magazine has a neat supplement which idetifies the best places to eat out 'in the shade' over the coming months. They offer their 'ten novelty' places to eat for 2006, the 50 best places (by barrio) and 15 places to eat on the outskirts of Madrid.

If you're just looking for some terraza to have a beer or cool drink, try out the bars on the Castellana or on the Paseo del Pintor Rosales.

View the Madrid Restaurants section of this site.