Staying local was our plan for Madrid and a nicely appointed
studio apartment in Ventas was chosen. The suburb was well connected with two
metro lines to the city’s central district, providing easy access to Madrid’s
must see sites. In terms of learning about a new city, the ‘free’ walking tours
are an easy way of better understanding the city. Let me be frank, tourist
attractions in Madrid are not as plentiful as in other cities, however, the
real pleasure comes from walking around the streets, admiring the beautiful
architecture in the old town. Madrid might not have the status of Rome or Paris
in terms of sights, but the Spanish capital is a pleasure to explore. And
Madrid seems to thrive on tapas bars, tabernas or cerevecerias! These are
plentiful and are well frequented.
Our accommodation was located in Ventas, the suburb which is
home to Plaza de Toros. The location was close to the metro line and had a
number of bars and cafes nearby. We sampled some nice tapas and fell in love
with the jamon iberico.
So, as we are still in Ventas, let’s talk about Plaza de
Toros, the Ventas bullring.
Bullfighting, that oh-so typical and controversial
Spanish tradition, is still alive and well in Madrid. If you want to go to a
bullfight, there's no better place than Madrid's bullring and no better time
than the San Isidro festival in May. Actually, they show every bullfight live
on TV and no matter which bar you frequent, it is being shown…even though we
are a mere 400m from the bullring. The
Ventas bullring was completed in 1931 and holds around 25,000 fans. The arena
is one of the largest in the world. Its construction in the Moorish style includes
hand-painted tiles and houses a bullfighting museum which illustrates the
history of Las Ventas as well as many legendary matadors’ garments.
The arena
has its own chapel where the matadors pray before the bullfight (for
themselves, not the bull). The bullring also has a ‘casualty’ room (again, not
for the bull) equipped with the latest technology and two complete operating
theatres. Las Ventas bullring is one of the most important in the world and it
is here that bullfighters either triumph or fail. Ernest Hemingway wrote Death
in the Afternoon, which explores the art of bullfighting, a sport of which he
grew fond. He wrote that “Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is
in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is
left to the fighter's honour”. Yet, on the controversy surrounding the cruelty
of the bullfight, he acknowledged: “Anything capable of arousing passion in its
favour will surely raise as much passion against it”. Will bullfighting bode
well for the future, that is a good question.
Bullfighting is for older people so we are told. Maybe as the younger generation ages, they
may embrace the cultural norm of old.
The home to the kings of Spain from Charles III to Alfonso
XIII, Madrid's Royal Palace is a magnificent building. It comprises over 3000
rooms, and is considered the largest royal palace in the world, inspired by the
Louvre. Though it is no longer the royal family's home, they live in ‘suburbia’ in a smaller palace,
it continues to be their official residence; however, it is used solely for
official state visits.
It is said that all roads in Spain lead to the Puerta del
Sol, known as kilometre zero and the very centre of the country and is one of
Madrid's best known squares. Its location makes it a popular meeting point, as
was the case when Real Madrid presented the Champions League trophy (for the
third successive year!) to their adoring fans…and us.
The square is also home to the statue of the bear and the strawberry tree, the official symbol of Madrid.We walked through the square many times as we traversed the city of Madrid and it was on the metro line we used to Ventas.
Mercado de San Miguel is one of the oldest and most alluring
markets in Madrid. With its stunning glass walls and iron structure and roof,
it is a great example of iron and glass architecture, along with the Crystal Palace
on El Retiro.
The market is conveniently located in central Madrid and judging
by the throngs of people, it is the most popular market in town and a culinary smorgasbord.
From wine and tapas bars to colourful stalls selling fresh fruits, vegetables,
meat, and seafood, there’s something for everyone, even Trish and her finicky
eating habits!
Plaza Mayor – every Spanish city has one, but not as
elaborate nor large as Madrid’s main square. This square holds centuries of
history in its cobbles and has been the scene of everything from coronations to
bullfights and beheadings, usually during the Spanish Inquisition. Today, it’s
a nice place to stroll and sample tapas and have a quiet drink amidst the
throng.
The portico lined square is
situated at the heart of Hapsburg Madrid (arising from the marriage between the
Spanish and Hapsburg royal families). It is situated in the old part of the city
and one of the capital’s most charming districts. Before Madrid became a
capital city (it was Toledo), with its wide avenues and boulevards, its
footprint consisted of narrow streets, alleys and passageways, which today provide
a glimpse of life some 500 years ago, especially during the inquisition.
The
statue of the king Philip II's on horseback, a recent addition to the square,
but completed in 1616 but was situated elsewhere in Spain. The king was known as the stinky king as over
time, a horrible stench emanated from around the statue. Some folk thought that
it was haunted. In actual fact, the
reason for the stench was discovered only after it was blown up during an
uprising - rotting pigeon carcasses.
El Retiro Park is a green oasis in the heart of the city and
is Madrid’s most beautiful park. As we found, it is the ideal place to spend a
lazy afternoon enjoying a picnic. The park has some interesting statues and one
which comes to mind is the Statue of the Fallen Angel, apparently the only
sculpture in the world dedicated to the devil! The monument to Alfonso XII watches over the
lake and is magnificent, as is the Crystal Palace.
Gran via is Madrid’s answer to NY’s 5th Avenue or
Paris’ Champs Elysee. The buildings on
this street are magnificent, quirky Art Nouveau and Art Deco facades fronting
its banks, offices and apartments. The street is busy, no doubt full of
tourists like ourselves flocking to this part of Madrid to admire the sights
and the 20th century style that appears to be characteristic along
its stretch and this part of the city. It is interesting to walk along the
street and look to the rooftops of these impressive buildings, and indeed we
had a great view of Madrid from one of the cities rooftop bars.
The ideal spot for a tapas crawl, Cava Baja is Madrid’s
famous ‘tapas street’ and on an evening is teeming with people enjoying a drink
and a bite. It is here that we found and enjoyed gluten free tapas…a rarity as
most tapas is served on bread…or the bar staff are uncertain. There are only so
many tortillas one can eat!
Madrid is home to what is officially the oldest restaurant
in the world – it has the Guinness World Record certificate in the window to
prove it. Sobrino de Botín was founded in 1725 and has been going strong ever
since. Its speciality is roast suckling pig and it appears in Ernest
Hemingway’s novel, The Sun Also Rises.
Madrid’s Almudena Cathedral was consecrated by Pope John
Paul on its opening in 1993. Its Baroque exterior matches the older Royal
Palace just across the plaza. Interestingly, the site on which cathedral now
stands was originally occupied by Madrid's first mosque and then by a church
dedicated to one of Madrid's patron saints, Santa María de la Almudena.
The La Puerta de Alcalá is one of
Madrid's symbols in the Plaza de la Independencia square. It stands near the
city centre and adjacent to El Retiro Park. It was originally to be built in
the city wall, which marked the eastern boundary.
San Francisco el Grande is a Roman
Catholic church in central Madrid, located in the neighbourhood of La Latina.
Taking centre stage of Plaza de
Oriente is a huge statue of Felipe IV astride a horse that was modelled from an
art piece by Veláquez. It stands on a large pedestal and is indeed a striking
sculpture. Spanish Monarchs line the square. This is a particularly beautiful
square, with greenery and elegance matched by the buildings that surround it.
