Finalizing Trip Plans-Be the tie breaker Madrid or Barcelona.
Mar 26th, 2007 | 08:22 AM
#21
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Barcelona the dreamier city, Madrid has lots more exciting short day trips like Toledo, Segovia and Avila to start.
Barcelona is basically Barcelona with few day trips to rival Madrid. Barcelona better town, Madrid better base to spend several days.
Barcelona is basically Barcelona with few day trips to rival Madrid. Barcelona better town, Madrid better base to spend several days.
Mar 26th, 2007 | 09:45 AM
#22
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 0
luckie16:
I copied that NY Times article about Madrid. Here it is. Hope it helps:
March 25, 2007
The Place
Madrid Is the Spanish Major
By DALE FUCHS
Once the dowdy sister of stylish Barcelona, Madrid has at last emerged as Spain's coolest city. It may seem tied to tradition — all those Goyas and ornate gardens — but the city is also brimming with cutting-edge design and cuisine. And that's just before midnight, when the party really gets going.
13 Hours, Siesta to Sunrise.
5 p.m.: Rev up with a cortado (espresso with milk) at the Art Nouveau-style Restaurante El Espejo. Paseo de Recoletos, 31; 011-34-91-308-2347.
6 p.m.: Pay respects to Picasso's “Guernica,” then plunge into Dalí at the Reina Sofía art museum. Santa Isabel, 52; 011-34-91-774-1000.
8 p.m.: Watch the sunset from Plaza de Oriente, then stroll from Plaza Mayor to the glimmering Plaza Puerta del Sol and then to Cibeles fountain.
10 p.m.: Try the creative Latin fare at Paradís Casa América. Paseo de Recoletos, 2; 011-34-91-575-4540; entrees $22 to $32.
Midnight: Catch the late-night weekend flamenco show at Casa Patas. Cañizares, 10; 011-34-91-369-0496.
1:30 a.m.: Sip mojitos at the Penthouse, a rooftop bar with stellar views. ME Reina Victoria hotel, Plaza de Santa Ana, 14; 011-34-91-701-6020.
3 a.m.: Rub shoulders with the gente guapa at the Reinabruja nightclub. Jacometrezo, 6; 011-34-91-542-8193.
6 a.m.: Dip churros into hot chocolate for breakfast at Chocolatería San Ginés. Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5; 011-34-91-365-6546.
DREAM TEAM
The city has a hotel for every taste. T's top picks in five categories.
1) URBAN INN:
Casa de Madrid
Arrieta, 2-2; 011-34-91-559-5791; www.casademadrid.com; doubles from about $341.
PROS: The owner-decorator Marta Medina has filled seven rooms with antique furniture, sculptures and paintings she collected during her travels.
CONS: No big-hotel amenities like a spa or gym.
PERKS: Frescoes and friezes cover the walls. Medina often mingles with guests in the evening over a glass of Rioja.
2) BOUTIQUE:
Urban
Carrera de San Jerónimo; 011-34-91-787-7770; www.derbyhotels.com; doubles from $564.
PROS: Minimalist glam in the city center draws cool locals to its glass bar, rooftop terrace and excellent restaurant.
CONS: The entrance faces a bland wing of the Spanish parliament, often flanked by the police and reporters.
PERKS: The tiny rooftop pool is a rarity in scorching Madrid.
3) EL CHEAPO:
Alicia
Prado, 2; 011-34-91-389-6095; www.room-matehoteles.com; doubles from $131.
PROS: The whimsical lobby is the work of the hot local designer Pascua Ortega. A lot of style for the price.
CONS: A glass shower tucked right next to the bed might be a bit too close for comfort. The area is noisy after dark.
PERKS: Night owls will like the proximity to cocktail bars on Calle Huertas.
4) DESIGN DRIVEN:
Puerta América
Avenida de América, 41; 011-34-91-744-5400; www.hotelpuertamerica.com; doubles from $260.
PROS: Created by 19 star architects and designers. Zaha Hadid's floor is an undulating, all-white moonscape.
CONS: It's on a highway and is a taxi ride from the city center.
PERKS: The rooftop bar attracts a stylish crowd; views from Jean Nouvel's penthouse suites can't be beat.
5) GRANDE DAME:
The Westin Palace
Plaza de las Cortes, 7; 011-34-91-360-8000; www.westin.com; doubles from $367.
PROS: The Old World style is perfectly done and the location unbeatable, close to everything. (And it's not as stuffy as the Ritz.)
CONS: A steady stream of board meetings and weddings.
PERKS: Live music in the cocktail lounge beneath a spectacular stained-glass dome.
FEELING BULLISH
Bullfighting in Spain faces the double-edged sword of youth apathy and rising animal rights activism. But much of the city remains passionate about the sport, and Madrid is still a great place to see it.
WHEN TO GO: During the festival of San Isidro, mid-May to June, when top matadors face the best-bred bulls at the Las Ventas bullring. The social event of the year.
HOW TO GET TICKETS: With difficulty. Most are bought in advance by year-round subscribers, but the leftovers, about 20 percent, go on sale a few weeks beforehand. Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas; Alcalá, 237; www.taquillatoros.com or www.las-ventas.com.
KNOW YOUR MATADORS: One of the most legendary toreros is Manolete, killed by a bull in 1947. Adrien Brody plays him (alongside Penélope Cruz as his lover) in the coming movie “Manolete.” Current torero heartthrobs include Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez, who walked an Armani catwalk in January, and Francisco Rivera Ordóñez and Manuel Díaz González (a k a El Cordobés), both fixtures in the Madrid gossip pages.
OUTSIDE THE RING: Visiting matadors and entourages often stay at the Hotel Wellington (Velázquez, 8; 011-34-91-575-4400) — the guy sipping whiskey in the lobby is probably a cattle rancher. The bar Viña Pé, on the Plaza de Santa Ana, also draws fighters and their fans.
90 MINUTES TO BLISS
The Arabic bath house Medina Mayrit is an oasis of candlelight, gurgling fountains, mellow music and Moorish décor. Coed bathers wade in near silence — and bathing suits — between hot, tepid and cold pools, then ease into a massage beneath the arches of a restored underground cistern. On weekends, locals reserve a table at the restaurant upstairs for couscous and mint tea after their soak. For evening sessions, call in advance. Atocha, 14; 011-34-90-233-3334; www.medinamayrit.com.
MADRID IN THE MOVIES
Bienvenido, Mister Marshall, Luis García Berlanga (1953)
Death of a Cyclist, Juan Antonio Bardem (1955)
Cría Cuervos, Carlos Saura (1976)
Ópera Prima, Fernando Trueba (1980)
Pepi, Luci, Bom, Pedro Almodóvar (1980)
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Pedro Almodóvar (1988)
Sex and Lucía, Julio Medem (2001)
The Sea Inside, Alejandro Amenábar (2004)
Volver, Pedro Almodóvar (2006)
THE GLOSSARY
What they never taught you in Spanish 101.
Guay (gwhy) Cool.
Cojonudo (ko-ho-NOO-doh) Better than cool.
Me mola (may MO-la) Love it!
Alucino (ah-lu-THEE-no) Can't believe it!
Paso (PAH-so) Couldn't care less.
Juerguista (hwer-GHEE-stah) Party animal.
Cutre (KOO-tray) Seedy, lacking class. Sometimes used affectionately, as in, “Sometimes the most cutre places serve the best tapas.”
Ligar (lee-GAR) To pick up someone.
Hortera (or-TER-ah) Flashy, tacky, kitschy.
Fashion (FASH-yohn) Trendy, obsessed with the latest. Used as an adjective, not necessarily related to clothing, as in, “The people who hang out in Chueca are really fashion.”
Gente guapa (HEN-tay GWA-pah) Beautiful people.
Pijo (PEE-ho) A posh and conservative type, as in, “That party at the golf club was crawling with pijos.”
I copied that NY Times article about Madrid. Here it is. Hope it helps:
March 25, 2007
The Place
Madrid Is the Spanish Major
By DALE FUCHS
Once the dowdy sister of stylish Barcelona, Madrid has at last emerged as Spain's coolest city. It may seem tied to tradition — all those Goyas and ornate gardens — but the city is also brimming with cutting-edge design and cuisine. And that's just before midnight, when the party really gets going.
13 Hours, Siesta to Sunrise.
5 p.m.: Rev up with a cortado (espresso with milk) at the Art Nouveau-style Restaurante El Espejo. Paseo de Recoletos, 31; 011-34-91-308-2347.
6 p.m.: Pay respects to Picasso's “Guernica,” then plunge into Dalí at the Reina Sofía art museum. Santa Isabel, 52; 011-34-91-774-1000.
8 p.m.: Watch the sunset from Plaza de Oriente, then stroll from Plaza Mayor to the glimmering Plaza Puerta del Sol and then to Cibeles fountain.
10 p.m.: Try the creative Latin fare at Paradís Casa América. Paseo de Recoletos, 2; 011-34-91-575-4540; entrees $22 to $32.
Midnight: Catch the late-night weekend flamenco show at Casa Patas. Cañizares, 10; 011-34-91-369-0496.
1:30 a.m.: Sip mojitos at the Penthouse, a rooftop bar with stellar views. ME Reina Victoria hotel, Plaza de Santa Ana, 14; 011-34-91-701-6020.
3 a.m.: Rub shoulders with the gente guapa at the Reinabruja nightclub. Jacometrezo, 6; 011-34-91-542-8193.
6 a.m.: Dip churros into hot chocolate for breakfast at Chocolatería San Ginés. Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5; 011-34-91-365-6546.
DREAM TEAM
The city has a hotel for every taste. T's top picks in five categories.
1) URBAN INN:
Casa de Madrid
Arrieta, 2-2; 011-34-91-559-5791; www.casademadrid.com; doubles from about $341.
PROS: The owner-decorator Marta Medina has filled seven rooms with antique furniture, sculptures and paintings she collected during her travels.
CONS: No big-hotel amenities like a spa or gym.
PERKS: Frescoes and friezes cover the walls. Medina often mingles with guests in the evening over a glass of Rioja.
2) BOUTIQUE:
Urban
Carrera de San Jerónimo; 011-34-91-787-7770; www.derbyhotels.com; doubles from $564.
PROS: Minimalist glam in the city center draws cool locals to its glass bar, rooftop terrace and excellent restaurant.
CONS: The entrance faces a bland wing of the Spanish parliament, often flanked by the police and reporters.
PERKS: The tiny rooftop pool is a rarity in scorching Madrid.
3) EL CHEAPO:
Alicia
Prado, 2; 011-34-91-389-6095; www.room-matehoteles.com; doubles from $131.
PROS: The whimsical lobby is the work of the hot local designer Pascua Ortega. A lot of style for the price.
CONS: A glass shower tucked right next to the bed might be a bit too close for comfort. The area is noisy after dark.
PERKS: Night owls will like the proximity to cocktail bars on Calle Huertas.
4) DESIGN DRIVEN:
Puerta América
Avenida de América, 41; 011-34-91-744-5400; www.hotelpuertamerica.com; doubles from $260.
PROS: Created by 19 star architects and designers. Zaha Hadid's floor is an undulating, all-white moonscape.
CONS: It's on a highway and is a taxi ride from the city center.
PERKS: The rooftop bar attracts a stylish crowd; views from Jean Nouvel's penthouse suites can't be beat.
5) GRANDE DAME:
The Westin Palace
Plaza de las Cortes, 7; 011-34-91-360-8000; www.westin.com; doubles from $367.
PROS: The Old World style is perfectly done and the location unbeatable, close to everything. (And it's not as stuffy as the Ritz.)
CONS: A steady stream of board meetings and weddings.
PERKS: Live music in the cocktail lounge beneath a spectacular stained-glass dome.
FEELING BULLISH
Bullfighting in Spain faces the double-edged sword of youth apathy and rising animal rights activism. But much of the city remains passionate about the sport, and Madrid is still a great place to see it.
WHEN TO GO: During the festival of San Isidro, mid-May to June, when top matadors face the best-bred bulls at the Las Ventas bullring. The social event of the year.
HOW TO GET TICKETS: With difficulty. Most are bought in advance by year-round subscribers, but the leftovers, about 20 percent, go on sale a few weeks beforehand. Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas; Alcalá, 237; www.taquillatoros.com or www.las-ventas.com.
KNOW YOUR MATADORS: One of the most legendary toreros is Manolete, killed by a bull in 1947. Adrien Brody plays him (alongside Penélope Cruz as his lover) in the coming movie “Manolete.” Current torero heartthrobs include Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez, who walked an Armani catwalk in January, and Francisco Rivera Ordóñez and Manuel Díaz González (a k a El Cordobés), both fixtures in the Madrid gossip pages.
OUTSIDE THE RING: Visiting matadors and entourages often stay at the Hotel Wellington (Velázquez, 8; 011-34-91-575-4400) — the guy sipping whiskey in the lobby is probably a cattle rancher. The bar Viña Pé, on the Plaza de Santa Ana, also draws fighters and their fans.
90 MINUTES TO BLISS
The Arabic bath house Medina Mayrit is an oasis of candlelight, gurgling fountains, mellow music and Moorish décor. Coed bathers wade in near silence — and bathing suits — between hot, tepid and cold pools, then ease into a massage beneath the arches of a restored underground cistern. On weekends, locals reserve a table at the restaurant upstairs for couscous and mint tea after their soak. For evening sessions, call in advance. Atocha, 14; 011-34-90-233-3334; www.medinamayrit.com.
MADRID IN THE MOVIES
Bienvenido, Mister Marshall, Luis García Berlanga (1953)
Death of a Cyclist, Juan Antonio Bardem (1955)
Cría Cuervos, Carlos Saura (1976)
Ópera Prima, Fernando Trueba (1980)
Pepi, Luci, Bom, Pedro Almodóvar (1980)
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Pedro Almodóvar (1988)
Sex and Lucía, Julio Medem (2001)
The Sea Inside, Alejandro Amenábar (2004)
Volver, Pedro Almodóvar (2006)
THE GLOSSARY
What they never taught you in Spanish 101.
Guay (gwhy) Cool.
Cojonudo (ko-ho-NOO-doh) Better than cool.
Me mola (may MO-la) Love it!
Alucino (ah-lu-THEE-no) Can't believe it!
Paso (PAH-so) Couldn't care less.
Juerguista (hwer-GHEE-stah) Party animal.
Cutre (KOO-tray) Seedy, lacking class. Sometimes used affectionately, as in, “Sometimes the most cutre places serve the best tapas.”
Ligar (lee-GAR) To pick up someone.
Hortera (or-TER-ah) Flashy, tacky, kitschy.
Fashion (FASH-yohn) Trendy, obsessed with the latest. Used as an adjective, not necessarily related to clothing, as in, “The people who hang out in Chueca are really fashion.”
Gente guapa (HEN-tay GWA-pah) Beautiful people.
Pijo (PEE-ho) A posh and conservative type, as in, “That party at the golf club was crawling with pijos.”
