Patrick

I'm off to Madrid in November with a few friends for 4 days. Remembering that we are all 40+ has anyone got any tips for things to do, places to eat (and drink),etc. I reckon 1 day will do me in the Prado etc

wendy

Patrick, Oh I love Madrid! The Parque del Retiro and the Prado can be a 1 day thing. The park is beautiful and huge! Madrid is the only city in the world with a statue of the "fallen angel", it's in the park! <BR>I had to check out Botin for dinner when I was there and loved it! It's the oldest continueously operating restaurant in the world (?) and quite famous. I know that locals leave it to the tourists but I thought the food and atmosphere were fantastic! Make reservations!!. Unlike most I also had to go to a bull fight, don't do this if you are at all squemish! The plaza del Sol is a great place to go and have tapas, sangria and people watching. And my #1 favorite thing to do in Madrid....get lost in a residential neighborhood, wander into a tapas bar and talk with the locals! Have a fantastic trip!

David

Hola Patrick <BR> <BR>OK, I'm 50+ but had a great time in Madrid. Your time in the Prado will depend on your love of Spanish and/or Flemish Art. For me it was less than 3 hours, but then, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and what one person likes, another will dislike. <BR> <BR>If you want more specific inforamtion about Madrid go to:- <BR> <BR>www.madridman.com <BR>www.multimadrid.com <BR> <BR>Both sites are devoted to Madrid and/or Spain, and both have a bulletin board similar to this for expert information. <BR> <BR>Saludos <BR> <BR>David

Ole

4 days can pass quickly in Madrid. If yu are into museums, in addition to the Prado do get to Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Burnmeisze (sp?). <BR>If you wnat a quick day trip to nonurban Spain, hop the train to Toledo. It's way cool. If you are into the club scene, Madrid will have your head rolling. Remember, though, that the hot club time is not evenings but the "madrugada" or late night/early morning - clubs don't start hopping until about 2 AM!

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Bjorn Alvik

Hi, Patrick. <BR>I have tried in vain to submit my response 4 times. Therefore I now try splitting it up. <BR>My wife and I will be in Madrid for a week, starting at Monday Nov 5th, and staying very central at Reina Victoria on Plaza Sta Ana. It is our fourth Madrid trip within the last 15 years, and we are in our fifties. Our hotel has confirmed that all restaurant reservations etc can wait until we arrive. We have, though, reserved table at Casa Paco, the most wonderful and excellent place for beef. Casa Paco, Puerta Cerrada 11, tel +34 913 663 166. It is a short walk from pza Mayor and the Botin. Do not miss that place, and do not fill your stomach too much on forhand, and make the reservation for 10 or 10.30. <BR>Opposite to you, we have made plans, and I am happy to share them with you and your friends. So, in my next response youll find a "translation" of one of the e-mails my wife and I exchanged while on work last wednesday. <BR> <BR>Bjorn, Oslo <BR>

Bjorn Alvik

Hi again, Patrick. <BR> <BR>Monday: Arriving Barajas 13:40. Pick up car. Check in at hotel around 3. Unpack. Then a short walk to catch the Madrid mood: Direction Sol. Try and locate the Ham Museum (Museo Jambon??) for tasting and purchasing excellent Spanish ham and cheese and have a drink. Then stroll to the Plaza Mayor Direction. Another drink. Back to hotel. Rest. Dinner and night-life on Santa Ana. <BR> <BR>Tuesday: Daytrip to Toledo. Consider visiting Chinon and/or Aranjues on the way down. In Toledo a guided walk. Afterwards a heavy lunch at the Parador just south of the city walls. Back in Madrid relatively late. Short rest. Tapas at Los Gabrieles, the bar with the very special ceramic tiles. On tuesdays there probably is improvised and free flamenco. Crowded. Noisy. Fun. Later: Further exploration of the Ana-area. <BR> <BR>Wednesday: Thyssen museum. Consider joning the (free?) regular guided introductions. Afterwards: Walk in the Gran Via direction. Refreshment in the reknown bar Chicote? The antiques shops? Small tapas for lunch. Some shopping? around 4: Visit the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales close to Sol. Back to hotel. Rest. CASA PACO at 10. After that night life in the Plaza Mayor area. <BR> <BR>Thursday: Guided and selfguided tours: Walk the Habsburg Madrid, bus a Panoramic city tour. Lunch: Either Botin or Café Oriente. After lunch: Arte Reine Sofia, followed may be by a walk to the new railstation Atocha with its very special inner architecture and gardens. Refreshments. Another rest at the hotel. Evening/night is dedicated to pza Oriente and surroundings. Tapas. Opera café? Probably end up somewhere around Sol. <BR> <BR>Friday: Daytrip Segovia. Circle Northern Madrid Burgos direction, then west to Pedraza, the tiny and beautiful little village just north of Segovia. Refreshment. Then Segovia. The aqueduct and cathedral. Grand lunch (suckling pig) at Méson des Candido. Return tu Madrid via the mountains? Or straight ahead, maybe Escorial and valley of the fallen. Or the whole day in oppposite direction. <BR>Then the night's higlight: Flamencoshow. Probably at CasoPatas, but may be Chinitas should be considered. The former is said to be more raw and original, but does not always include dance. Rest of the night: Exploring Huertas-Rastro area. <BR> <BR>Saturday: Early moring visit to Prado. Then a Retioro park stroll. Be suere to get Crystal Palace, which these days houses a special Reine Sofia exhibition. Then some selfguided drive to pick up neighborhoods and buildings etc that we till now have not caught. The bull ring, the soccer stadium, pza Espana etc.... <BR>Shopping. Improvised and little lunch. <BR>Evening/night: Gourmet. L'Hardy, Jockey...???? Any advices out there? <BR> <BR>Sunday: The market's day. RASTRO flee-market. After that maybe the coin/stamp market at Mayor? Or books in botanical garden? Last chance to purchse goodies (ham and cheese) to bring home. Very easy/leisure mealse throughout the day and night. Nightlife? Mayor? Sol? Ana? Oriente? Pick whatever <BR> <BR>Monday: Early checkout. Car returnal. Departure at 11. Will there be snow and skiing conditions when we get back home? <BR> <BR>Ok, Patrick? <BR>Have a wonderful Madrid stay, both you and your friends. <BR> <BR>Bjorn, Oslo

Bjorn Alvik

Seems you never get rid of me, Patrick. <BR> <BR>This time a short msg just to ask you forgive me all my typos and bad English. <BR> <BR>And to say that bullfight season finished at oct 14th. There is, however, a long-lasting festival going on these days. Conserts mainly. Lucia de Lammermore is on the opera. <BR> <BR>Regarding the arts: In Thyssen there is a spectacular special exhibition. I forgot about the name, but according to my wife it is a big thing. And if you gotta give priorities, Thyssen probably would be of much greater value than Prado. <BR>When in Prado with not energy for more than an hour or two, it is advisable to concentrate on a few of the masterpieces or artists. Good advice: Plan your walk to cover Goya, Velasques and Bosch. Let the rest wait till your next visit. Which I'm sure you will have. <BR>I've been told that Madrilenos never could stand Franco. Hence, when the devil passed away, the town exploded in a fiesta and a night-life beyond limits, and there still are any single sign for them to get back to normal life... Heaviest rush hour is said to be at 4 in the morning... <BR>Bjorn, Oslo

Ess

Bjorn, how nice of you to post all that information! I hope you and your wife have a lovely trip to Spain. Don't forget to post your trip notes afterward. We will look forward to reading about your experiences.

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Maira

Bjorn, I've been to Madrid many times, but your travel plans makes me want to jump in a plane and go right back!!! Very kind of you to share such fabulous plans!! <BR> <BR>I can only add that a tour of the Royal Palace is interesting as is, if you have the time, a morning at Museum of the Americas. This museum is about a 15 minutes taxi ride from Gran Via, but it presents an interesting aspect of Spain's history with an amazing pre-Colombian artifacts collection, and objects from the colonization of the "New World". Also, "El Asador de Aranda", walking distance from Gran Via, is a great restaurant. For a lot of fun ambience, the Plaza Mayor y Calle de los Cuchilleros, this street is kind of kitty-corner with Plaza Mayor. Great tapas bars. Have a great time in Madrid!!

Rhonda

Hi Patrick, <BR> <BR>We were in Madrid for 2 nights 2 weeks ago and stayed at Hotel Europa , just off Pueta del Sol (Carmen 4). Booked through www.madridman.com 's recommendations. Fantastic location. For somewhere to sit outside, have a drink and watch the unending display of humanity pass by, this is the spot. Or rather, the cafe next to the hotel is. We found the waiters were fantastic and remembered us from previous day's visit. <BR> <BR>We had a wonderful meal in Sol sitting outside. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the restaurant, but it was the best meal we'd eaten in over a week. (Somewhere near Calle de la Cruz) <BR> <BR>Wonderful melt in the mouth sweet pastries from a bakery on Calle Mayor, on left hand side, as you you walk towards the Palacio Real. <BR> <BR>Beware, the restaurants in Plaza Mayor are more expensive. <BR> <BR>Despite this being the end of our trip we still could NOT get used to the city shutting down at lunch time. <BR> <BR>Madrid was not a city we planned to visit. We simply had to be there to get a flight out. It surprised us. It's now one of many cities I'd like to go back to.

Bjorn Alvik

Thanks, Maira. Royal Palace has been considered, and might be included. Your museum suggestions looks great, and I certainly will dive into a "El Asador de Aranda" study. <BR>Bjorn, Oslo

Jean Valjean

Just to back up Rhonda in her suggestion of the bakery on Calle Mayor. If I recall correctly, it is very close to Plaza de la Villa. Wonderful pastries! <BR> <BR>Another great little place is "Las Bravas". There are a couple in downtown Madrid (one is walking on the street to the left of the Post Office building at Puerta del Sol). Best patatas bravas I've ever had!

Bjorn Alvik

This is just great! <BR> <BR>I wonder why Patrick, the originating messenger, is still not with us. <BR>But I'll give him a break. Within few weeks I reckon he will add valuable suggestions to this emerging and exciting Madrid thread.... <BR> <BR>Bjorn, Oslo

Maribel

Hi Bjorn, <BR>I think I remember your email and having sent you some Madrid notes awhile back. Just want to say "buen viaje" and try to answer a few questions: <BR> <BR>About Casa Patas vs. Café de Chinitas, I’d recommend the former, and yes, there will be “bailaores” (dancers) performing during your stay. You can check the schedule at www.casapatas.com (also www.chinitas.com). You’re right about their performances sometimes not including dancing, but I see they have 2 performances of bailaores on Fri/Sat nights now, at 9 and midnight. Go! <BR>Regarding Jockey vs. Lhardy, please go to Jockey! The food is really, really top notch (Lhardy's has slipped), and although it may appear "clubby" with that British polo theme, the service is first-rate, as attentive for first timers as for the regulars(at least it was for us). Other gourmet "blow the budget" spots to consider are "Horcher" (a grand, palatial, formal Old European d. rm with an Austrian/German accented menu, game dishes the specialty) and "La Terraza del Casino",with a beautiful terrace overlooking Alcalá and the Cibeles fountain and very creative Catalán menu (chef trained with Ferrán Adriá of El Bulli-Tom Cruise had the premiere party for Vanilla Sky there). This is where I would go for a real, blow-out, celebratory dinner-dressy though. Plan on about 10,000 pts. per person at any of those 3. The ornate former dance salon upstairs in the Royal Opera House also houses a nice, elegant dining venue. There's a picture at www.teatro-real.com, click on "servicios". <BR>In charming little Pedraza, check to see if the octogenarian sometime mayor and "caudillo" of the village, Don Mariano, is still tending his quaint bar on the square-would like to know if he's still around-quite a legend. <BR>I think the pastry shop that Jean and Rhonda mention may be "La Mallorquina", entrance on Mayor and facing the Puerta del Sol. I go there for the best "ensaimadas" in town (a Mallorcan specialty filled with almond paste, yum!) And there's a Museo del Jamón right off Sol as well, going down Carrera de San Jerónimo-can't miss it. <BR>On your Toledo excursion, if you only have time for one stop, I'd make it in Chinchón rather than Aranjuez, as the Bourbon Palace gardens are much nicer in the spring, you have to take a guided tour there (time consuming), and Chinchón only requires a quick visit to see the very pretty round, wooden balconied Plaza Mayor, to buy a yummy pastry on the square and have a sip of anís (Chinchón’s other claim to fame) with your coffee at the delightful Parador. That way you'll have more daylight hours to dedicate to the vast art treasures of Toledo. <BR>Another worthy museum I forgot to put in my Madrid notes is the Casa Museo Sorolla on General Martínez Campos (open Sun. 10-2). If you like impressionism, he's the late 19th c Spanish Impressionist whose murals hang in the Hispanic Society in N.Y. His mansion-atelier is a delightful place to spend a tranquil hr. You'll have it practically to yourselves. Gorgeous use of light and beautiful Valencian seascapes. <BR> <BR>I remember vaguely having read somewhere (perhaps madridman.com ?) that there was quite a bit of construction going on at Plaza Santa Ana. You may want to check with the Reina Cristina, just in case. <BR>Besides "Los Gabrieles", "Las Bravas" and "Chicote", don't forget the terrific "Taberna de los Cien Vinos" at Nuncio #17 and "El Tempranillo" at Cava Baja #38, in Old Madrid. Love these 2.. they'll be your favorite wine bars! Hit them around 9 p.m. before they get jam packed. At "Taberna" be sure to order the tapa called the "Andalús". <BR>Have a great time enjoying that never-ending Madrid nightlife! <BR>Maribel <BR> <BR>

Maribel

Forgot to mention this: you might like Bar El Cock on Calle de la Reina #16 or El Diego (Reina #12) behind Chicote on the Gran Via even better. They're open til quite late and don't get as much tourist traffic (not being of Hemingway fame). <BR>Also for jazz there's Cafe Central,right across from your hotel, the Reina Victoria (not Cristina!) <BR>Maribel

Patrick

Thanks folks for all the advice. I will put it to good use next week. I will let you know how I get on <BR> <BR>Go raibh maith agaibh <BR> <BR>Sláinte !

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