How many days to stay in Madrid? (1st time travel to there..)
Feb 17th, 2015, 05:54 PM
#41
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Chinchon is an amazing traditional village, with great food–traditional type. Worth half a day, but there's no train to there. Cuenca is stunning, but will likely be chilly/cold in late March. There's a great Michelin-starred restaurant there and the chef can do a vegetarian menu for you.
Segovia and Toledo are must sees. Try and reserve a table at Locum restaurant in Toledo for lunch, and ask the chef ahead of time to have some vegetarian options. Fantastic restaurant. Segovia is known for its roast suckling pig so you may want to research a little to see about restaurant options.
The traditional tapas bars in Madrid will be meat and seafood heavy, but there are a few traditional dishes available. Patatas bravas (potatoes with spicy tomato sauce), pimientos de padrón Padron peppers sauteed in olive oil with salt), champiñones al ajillo (garlic sauteed mushrooms). Spanish cheeses are excellent, beyond Manchego. Look for modern restaurants or tapas bars with cheese plates. Go to Mercado de la Paz in the Salamanca district (20 minute walk from Barrio de las Letras or short Metro ride) and buy cheese, olives, Marcona almonds, etc for snacking.
Hope that helps. Enjoy!
Segovia and Toledo are must sees. Try and reserve a table at Locum restaurant in Toledo for lunch, and ask the chef ahead of time to have some vegetarian options. Fantastic restaurant. Segovia is known for its roast suckling pig so you may want to research a little to see about restaurant options.
The traditional tapas bars in Madrid will be meat and seafood heavy, but there are a few traditional dishes available. Patatas bravas (potatoes with spicy tomato sauce), pimientos de padrón Padron peppers sauteed in olive oil with salt), champiñones al ajillo (garlic sauteed mushrooms). Spanish cheeses are excellent, beyond Manchego. Look for modern restaurants or tapas bars with cheese plates. Go to Mercado de la Paz in the Salamanca district (20 minute walk from Barrio de las Letras or short Metro ride) and buy cheese, olives, Marcona almonds, etc for snacking.
Hope that helps. Enjoy!
Apr 5th, 2015, 10:53 AM
#43
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We are back from our trip, and thank you all for your wonderful suggestions and advice.
We all LOVED Madrid, and the Barrio de las Letras. I will go back some day, if I have my way.
Madrid is very walkable, and crazy-busy. We loved it. We went to El Prado and the Reina Sofia (glad I went, but a somber experience) and took day trips to Toledo (a full-day tour) and to Avila and Segovia (half-day in each). I would have liked to have spent more time in Segovia, just wandering, although I'm happy we did the tour.
The two day trips were enough, though, and even with the fourth full day in Madrid proper, we did not get to see everything in the city that interested us.
We also saw the Royal Palace, walked through Parque del Retiro, and saw a flamenco show at Villa Rosa, which was less than a 5 minute walk from our apartment. Outstanding show.
I wanted to see the show at Casa Patas, as well, but my traveling companions conked out on me that night..Next time.
We stayed in Barrio de las Letras (sp?) at Spain Select's Calle Leon 1 apt. It is at Leon 14, and it is literally steps away from Rayen Vegano, so that was a nice surprise. However, I only got to eat there twice, due to their limited hours. Food was good, though, vegetable heavy,
, and creative. Good thing, because I lived on veg paella and pasta much of the time.
The other outstanding veg restaurant we went to was a place called Yerba Buena, just off Calle Mayor, and on the other side of the street from Plaza Mayor. Excellent food and very friendly, helpful staff, although they did not speak much English at all. I recommend if you are veg*n, you learn some Spanish, for this reason alone... Yerba Buena was basically veg*n versions of traditional Spanish cuisine. It was all really delicious.
We ate at some "regular" places too, and the veg options are there, and if you are polite and speak a little Spanish, they are happy to leave things off for you... But otherwise, if you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian, you will be able to eat just about anywhere in the area.
I recommend staying in the Barrio de las Letras - central and a seemed a little quieter than places by Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. But restaurants, cafes, groceries, etc. right there...
In all, I found Marid to be a clean, elegant and beautiful city. "Vibrant" would be a good word for it. People of all ages and nationalities walking about, day and night. Furthermore, the Madrileños were friendly and polite to us, all over.
Like I said, I'd like to go back someday. It's a great place for just wandering, people-watching and soaking up the local ambience, with some history thrown in. We had a fabulous time.
Oh, and the weather was great! Mid-to-high 70s from the middle of our week until we left, and sunny, clear skies every day we were there.
We all LOVED Madrid, and the Barrio de las Letras. I will go back some day, if I have my way.
Madrid is very walkable, and crazy-busy. We loved it. We went to El Prado and the Reina Sofia (glad I went, but a somber experience) and took day trips to Toledo (a full-day tour) and to Avila and Segovia (half-day in each). I would have liked to have spent more time in Segovia, just wandering, although I'm happy we did the tour.
The two day trips were enough, though, and even with the fourth full day in Madrid proper, we did not get to see everything in the city that interested us.
We also saw the Royal Palace, walked through Parque del Retiro, and saw a flamenco show at Villa Rosa, which was less than a 5 minute walk from our apartment. Outstanding show.
I wanted to see the show at Casa Patas, as well, but my traveling companions conked out on me that night..Next time.
We stayed in Barrio de las Letras (sp?) at Spain Select's Calle Leon 1 apt. It is at Leon 14, and it is literally steps away from Rayen Vegano, so that was a nice surprise. However, I only got to eat there twice, due to their limited hours. Food was good, though, vegetable heavy,
, and creative. Good thing, because I lived on veg paella and pasta much of the time. The other outstanding veg restaurant we went to was a place called Yerba Buena, just off Calle Mayor, and on the other side of the street from Plaza Mayor. Excellent food and very friendly, helpful staff, although they did not speak much English at all. I recommend if you are veg*n, you learn some Spanish, for this reason alone... Yerba Buena was basically veg*n versions of traditional Spanish cuisine. It was all really delicious.
We ate at some "regular" places too, and the veg options are there, and if you are polite and speak a little Spanish, they are happy to leave things off for you... But otherwise, if you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian, you will be able to eat just about anywhere in the area.
I recommend staying in the Barrio de las Letras - central and a seemed a little quieter than places by Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. But restaurants, cafes, groceries, etc. right there...
In all, I found Marid to be a clean, elegant and beautiful city. "Vibrant" would be a good word for it. People of all ages and nationalities walking about, day and night. Furthermore, the Madrileños were friendly and polite to us, all over.
Like I said, I'd like to go back someday. It's a great place for just wandering, people-watching and soaking up the local ambience, with some history thrown in. We had a fabulous time.
Oh, and the weather was great! Mid-to-high 70s from the middle of our week until we left, and sunny, clear skies every day we were there.
Apr 7th, 2015, 11:57 PM
#50
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Sounds like some great days in a great city, and I'm glad you enjoyed flamenco at Villa Rosa from 1911, the old so called flamenco cathedral in Madrid. Was down as a flamenco place for many years, but reopened as a serious venue a few years ago. And I see they now stage some of the absolute greatest artists on the current scene such as Marco Flores and Manuel Liñan: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xzq...a-sentio_Music
And here is Inmaculada Aranda in full splendour in Villa Rosa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEjrOo6hZfk
And here is Inmaculada Aranda in full splendour in Villa Rosa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEjrOo6hZfk
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