minamax10

Greetings!

Due to work and flight schedules, the last day of our trip will be a Sunday in Madrid.

I hoped to do some shopping / window shopping (little food gifts, shoes, leather gloves, little house accessories & trinkets, etc) and souvenirs but I know that many shops are closed on Sundays. I was wondering what (if any) shops you could mention (or areas) to challenge on a Sunday? We’ll be staying very close to the Corte Ingles department near Plaza de Santa Ana. I know that we’ll do some (window) shopping there and at the Mercado de San Miguel near by. Are there any other stores which are worth a visit and are open in the city centre and Gran Via area?

El Corte Inglés Preciados
Zara
Mercado de San Miguel
Convento de Corpus Cristi (for cookies)
El Rastro (not really into flea markets though)

sparkchaser

The Rastro may actually be what you are looking for. New goods, used goods, souvenirs, and food plus it will be open -- what more could you want?

IMDonehere

This is a description of The Rastro from my last trip to Madrid:

I am standing next to a framed poster of a toilet system. Sunday morning at El Rastro, an outdoor flea market, finds possibly a thousand vendors, that weaves in and around an area near the Plaza Mayor. It is the grandeur of junk, an old fashioned diving bell helmet sits on the ground waiting to be purchased and the pure practicality of inexpensive clothing, and the same sophomoric T-shirt humor found in English, now available in Spanish-Sex Instructor-First Lesson Free. Ramones T-shirts were also on sale at more than one stand.
You hear the gravelly voice of old Spanish men and women; others look like Uncle Junior, while the tragically hip look for the de rigor sunglasses. The tradition of El Rastro is 500 hundred years old and I think one of the original vendors is still selling socks.
It has a reputation for pickpockets which is countered by a large police presence.
Also on Sunday morning philatelists and numismatists gather at the Plaza Mayor where maybe 50 vendors sell stamps, money, and coins. There were a number of envelopes (called covers in English and sobres in Spanish) which were stamped censored after the Spanish Civil War. There were also mourning covers, bordered in black, which were sent in sympathy before stamps were used.

sparkchaser

I remember the philatelists and numismatists at Plaza Mayor. I don't remember if I bought anything there or not as my interests lie more in militaria.

kimhe

Sunday at lunchtime is one of the highlights of the Madrid week, "everybody" is out for the "hora de vermú" (vermouth is one tap almost everywehere) and some tapas before a hearty lunch with friends and/or familiy. The most lively action is close to the Rastro market.
http://www.saboreagourmet.com/vermouth-time/
http://www.voyjer.com/Trip-Plan-53df...in_Madrid.html

"La hora del vermú" in Mercado San Miguel: http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/en/...ra-del-vermut/

Casa Revuleta is my favourite in the area, just off Plaza Mayor. Here from Sunday morning/lunch time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHu8zGsFuy8

IMDonehere

I remember the philatelists and numismatists at Plaza Mayor. I don't remember if I bought anything there or not as my interests lie more in militaria.

The prices were extremely high, even if you bargained.

sparkchaser

Then it's a good thing I passed them by.

minamax10

Thank you all! Looks like we'll have plenty of options to keep us occupied. I do not expect to buy much but window shopping and picking food gifts is always fun.

kimhe, the "hora de vermú" (vermouth is one tap) . I've never had vermouth before, so that will be something fun to try!

kimhe

... should of course be "on tap", and many years ago the expression "tomar un vermú" meant go and have a glass of something before lunch or dinner. Back in fashion the past couple of years, and not only in Madrid and Barcelona: http://www.saveur.com/how-day-drink-spaniard
http://partaste.com/blog/la-hora-del...pain-vermouth/