It is not surprising that Madrid
is on the cutting edge of contemporary cuisine. Its
“tapas”, little works of culinary art that are enjoyed
most anytime of day and night and often end up substituting
for a meal, are rightly famous around the world. Spanish
wines are in the final stages of a revolution that
has inspired a veritable pilgrimage of wine lovers;
and they still offer unbeatable value for money. And
of course, in early June pleasant, warm, sunny weather
is virtually guaranteed.
Madrid, Always awake
Madrid
is famous for the vital pulse of its street life.
If you have the chance to experience it, it is sure
to impress you and will not leave you indifferent.
Dining hours are also unique for Europe, and have
to be experienced to be believed: lunch starts at
2 pm. and dinner never much before 10 pm. The streets
and “terrazas” (sidewalk cafés) of no other European
capital are so full of life until so deep into the
night. The pleasant night time temperature in June
tempts entire families to go out for a stroll, a drink
and an ice-cream for the kids until well after midnight.
Singles and couples don’t enter the post-modern discotheques
and traditional dance halls until 3 am, or later.
It often seems as if the city were following an unwritten
law that prohibits sleeping until dawn.
Madrid, a feast for the senses
For
those who prefer to make the most of the long daylight
hours, Madrid boasts three of the world’s greatest
museums (
The
Prado Museum with its stunning collection of medieval,
renaissance and baroque paintings –here you will find
the immortal works of Velázquez, Goya, El Greco-,
the
Thyssen-Bornemisza,
one of Europe’s most important private collections,
and the
Reina
Sofía Museum of Modern Art, home of Picasso’s
Guernica).
A fascinating city where you can lose yourself in
the
old neighbourhoods that date
back to the era of the Habsburg kings, or follow in
Hemingway’s footsteps and attend a
bullfight
in Las Ventas, Spain’s largest bullring, or marvel
at the art of
flamenco in one of
the typical “tablaos”.
... and that’s not all
In easy one-day excursions from Madrid you can journey
to the past and enjoy the medieval splendours of nearby
Toledo, Ávila or Segovia. Alternatively, you can hop
onto one of the high-speed trains that will transport
you in under two hours to legendary cities like Seville
and Córdoba, to experience the magic of Andalucía,
with its many remains of Spain’s Moorish past.
More information on
Madrid and its environs here.
