pookymimi

With heavy heart we canceled our stay in Barcelona and got better tickets from Madrid to Denver, we are flying Palermo to Madrid instead of Trapani to Gerona.
We are somewhat excited as we've been in Barcelona twice, but never in Madrid so son wants to see a new city and can't careless for the beach as daughter and I.

So were to stay now? Should I also rent a car? We arrive Sunday 17th and leave Wed 20th
Daughter loves to shop and son and I love to walk. I may take them to watch Flamenco dancers one night.

kimhe

First:
The out of this world and cutting edge flamenco dancer Rocío Molina dances in Madrid on July 19th as part of the Veranos de la Villa (Summer in the city) festival. At 9pm in the Crystal Pavillion in the Casa del Campo park behind the Royal palace. Free entrance. This is going to be spectacular! (have seen her some 15 times and going again to Sevilla in October...) http://www.veranosdelavilla.com/es/e...o-storyboard-p

Portrait of Rocío Molina in The Guardian, "Flamenco and beyond": https://www.theguardian.com/stage/20...-bosque-ardora
Clip from earlier this year in Jerez: https://vimeo.com/156994048

I use to stay in either Hotel Plaza Mayor or Persal, both are great value and right in the heart of the city, close to both majestic Plaza Mayor and vibrant Plaza Santa Ana.
About the area:
http://www.gomadrid.com/sights/plaza-santa-ana.html
http://www.gomadrid.com/sights/plaza-mayor.html
Both are on the edge of the great Barrio de las Letras district (Literary quarter): http://www.barrioletras.com/
http://www.timeout.com/madrid/things...-de-las-letras

Hotel Plaza Mayor: http://www.h-plazamayor.com/en/
Hostal Persal (fine hotel standard, private bathroom, AC, TV, safe, wifi, 24h desk, breakfast etc). http://www.hostalpersal.com/en/

sparkchaser

I am glad to see that I a not the only one who recommends the Hotel Plaza Mayor.

IMDonehere

We have stayed at the Persal and will again in September, clean, inexpensive, and utilitarian.

The last thing you should do in Madrid is rent a car.

Whatever Kimhe says about flamenco, you do.

Sassafrass

Forget a car.
Consider a daytrip to either Toledo or Segovia, both short trips by train or bus.

Sassafrass

By the way, Madrid is beautiful, and you have already been to Barcelona, so Madrid will be a treat. The Prado is one of the great museums of the world. If you have even an ounce of interest in art, do not miss it.

DebbieDoesDulles

We had no complaints with the spotless Hotel Moderno, and I believe there was car rental right onsite.

If you're looking for something apartment-style, Atocha Suites has a nice location and offers various sizes and bed-configurations. You can find them on booking.com

pookymimi

Thanks a lot for your recommendations, we went swimming and I come back to find all of these
I will definitely take them to see Rocio Molina. I'm going to check on the places mentioned.

I will be posting some recommendations and trip reports once I get to Denver. We've finally being able to swim in San Vito that this last weekend was a ZOO, my husband could not believe the amount of people in the water, sand, parking lots, streets, etc. Last night we drove up to Erice, I have to admit with my fear of heights I had trouble driving up, had he not been here I would've turned around after Valderice, he drove up and down while I drove to/from Valderice to Vito. My kids and I will go up to Erice for a longer trip Saturday in the Gondola, eyes closed for me, but Erice is worth coming back to see it better, the views, the town is magnificent.

kimhe

Close your eyes once more and take the spectacular Teleférico/cable car ride over Madrid ;-) http://teleferico.com/en/tour
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/ma...ort/teleferico

The Teleférico lands in the Casa de Campo park with the huge lake, the boat rides, the walks, the picnic areas, the forest, the wildlife, the Zoo and the amusement park. The Teleferico station in Casa de Campo is also only 10-15 mins walk to the Pabellon de Cristal, where Molina dances on Tuseday night:
http://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-i.../casa-de-campo
http://www.gomadrid.com/activity/par...-de-campo.html

I also very much recommend the wonderful Retiro park, close to the three world famous museums and 10-15 mins walk from the hotels I suggested. Very popular with locals, especially on Sunday afternoons. http://www.gomadrid.com/activity/parks/retiro-park.html

And Madrid is tapas heaven. Here's a fine guide to plenty of places to have some delicious tapas close to both hotels: https://tapastalk.wordpress.com/tapas-bars/

And the huge San Miguel gastro market is almost on the doorstep of both hotels: http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/en/

The best jazz venue in town, Café Central, is also close to both hotels. Top of the shelf artists every night, and also good food. http://www.cafecentralmadrid.com/

The Menil quartet plays on your nights (Django Reinhardt type of swing jazz): http://www.menil.es/
Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-BKDNBHEkE

Have some great days in a great city!
http://www.esmadrid.com/

pookymimi

Kimhe, thanks a lot for your advice!!
I would close my eyes once more and do the cable ride in Madrid.

kimhe

And the Rocío Molina event on Tuesday goes on in the Pabellón Satélite, next door to the previously mentioned Pabellón de Cristal: http://www.comiendopipas.com/Organiz...p#.V4YCvodf2M8

Rocío Molina (1984) was voted best flamenco dancer by Spanish critics in 2007 and 2008, and she won the Premio Nacional de Danza in 2010, the youngest flamenco dancer ever to win the most prestigious prize in Spanish dance. A couple of months ago she received a "Special award for exceptional artistry" at the National Dance Awards in London.

"one of the finest soloists in the world today", New York Times 2009

"Molina has genius: irresistible, all-consuming, all-powerful", Financial Times 2011

"as if she were sharing the stage with the ghosts of all the dancers whose art she has absorbed – and reinvented", The Telegraph 2013

”Beyoncé might write ’feminism’ in flashing lights on her stage. This girl just gets on with doing it”, London Evening Standard 2014

”Rocío Molina takes flamenco into another dimension”, The Boston Globe 2016

Revulgo

Tapas for first-timers in Madrid
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AK...D8&usp=sharing

Vonse

We loved our stay at Hotel Adler and thought the location was fantastic.

pookymimi

Thanks!
I googled map how to get from our apartment to see Rocio that night, I rented in City Centre.
We plan on doing the gondola/lake Monday to spend the day sight seeing. Tuesday shopping, dinner and Rocio. Wednesday back to USA

kimhe

Sounds like an excellent plan!

kimhe

One thing: Dinner before the Rocío Molina night could be a problem since most restaurants don't open until 8-9pm. You could either have a solid lunch (the main meal of the day for most Spanish) and just some tapas from about 7pm, or you could sit down for a perfectly fine meal in Hemingways old favourite Cervecería Alamena right on Plaza Santa Ana or in close by Taberna Fragua del Vulcano. Here the kitchen is open also outside the normal restaurant hours (1:30-5pm and 8/9-11/11:30pm) without being entirely tourist traps.
Cervecería Alemana: http://www.cerveceriaalemana.com/main/
Taberna Fragua del Vulcano: http://www.fraguadevulcano.com/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...no-Madrid.html

pookymimi

Currently in Madrid since last evening, what a trip was flying Ryanair, new lady at counter literally didn't check in my son and his luggage, my daughter and I had checked in with the previous guy. We had to pass security with luggage while everybody kept yelling our last name while we looked like gypsies, if you know Palermo airport it's going back so much in time, like La Guardia. We got our luggage checked at gate by very anxious and frumpy Italian man, who kept complaining to me why we were so late, we've been in line for Ryanair for an 1hr already when a nice lady said "you have to go to the front for Madrid, no line for you". Plane took off in time and my kids and I were seated in better seats than assigned and the 2 bags got in free. I could not believe the front desk lady at Ryanair just told us to go away, "Vuelo chiuso"

Madrid is like our Santiago but on steroids, I see some much of my home town in here, loving it. We wish we could stay longer. We walked 5 hrs under the scorching heat today, it's about 95F, we did most of Gran Via and the Monuments then we went to Parque del Recuerdo, we came back and had tapas for lunch at 4pm, then went to a little grocery stores where we got most of the things we love from here and Chile, Flan, Arroz con leche, crema/nata, etc.

Tomorrow we will do the rest of the monuments and maybe the park/lake if we have enough time.