STREET LIFE & STREET BEER - JAMON MOFO
PHOTOS >> Madrid sights / Madrid sounds
There’s a lot of positive things to say about Madrid, not least the fact that the people there are super friendly, the wide streets are clean and beautiful and the food cheap and tasty. Moreover, you could be fooled into thinking you were in the greener districts of paris with it’s tall trees and massive 6 lane dual carriageways.
GETTING THERE
Was suprisingly quick, just a two hour flight from Heathrow (though we were delayed on the run way) and a 20 min taxi ride from the airport to the city centre. There are different international and domestic airports and different two international terminals so make sure on the return you allow for the travel between the two. The International Terminal 4 (T4) is a stunning aiport, with all marble floors, open glass walls and undulating wooden ceilings - definitely a great entrance to the city
You can also take the metro from the airport into town which is a lot cheaper option if you can’t fill the taxi. This is mainland spain so make sure you have the address of where you’re going written down cause a hotel name alone isn’t going to get you anywhere.
ACCOMODATION
We booked via lastminute.com which worked very well, though there is a wide choice of hotels at a range of prices so whether you want to backpack or 5 star there are plenty of options. Rooms are relatively small for the price so don’t expect a cavern. We stayed at the Vincci Centrum hotel which was a four star… the rooms were small but very well fitted out. I would certainly recommend centrum or the Vincci chain to stay in - though do check the location and type of your room as the street-side rooms can be noisy and the others may not even have a window! It’s worth checking
SIGHTS & SOUNDS
It does take a bit of time to work out how to get around Madrid. A map is essential at first before you work out your main roads - The Gran Via is a good place to start. The city is separated into districts - mostly referenced by the metro stop that is nearest (which probably explains the naming). I’d recommend going into some of the local cafe’s in Chueca to pick up some of the local magazines which contain guides to the local social calendar and night life. Loocmadrid is a good start.
The first thing we did was go and eat. Like any city, price doesn’t guarantee quality, particularly in tourist areas so choose your location from a guide book (we used lonely planet). The C. de la Cava Baja had a great range of choice and on Sunday in particular had that great street vibe that you only get in the Meditteranean. On the first night we pre-booked a table at a restaurant in Chueca (Soho) and were suprised at how easy it was to walk there. Madrid is mostly walking distance, for the central area at least. Cafe Oliver was exactly what we wanted it to be - good food, good service and reasonably priced. We splashed out a bit on both food and wine / cava / champagne.. but it still came to less than €50 each.
Bar culture in Madrid is quite studenty, packed bars with loud music and flowing alcohol - brilliant if that’s what you’re looking for - the area around Corredera Alta de S.Pablo reminded me a bit of camden town. Unfortunately some of the people we were with were looking for something a bit more clubby and more upmarket so we looked again - and found the Stromboli Cafe (Hortaleza, 96 - nearest metro Chueca) which was a god send. Impressive live djing and fantastic measures in the cocktails really kicked things off. The decor is very neo-80’s and the clientele a pre-club crowd. Spot on. It was hard to motivate ourselves to go anywhere else.
STREET BEER!
One thing to look out for is the street sellers, on most corners selling street beer, soft drinks and the same sandwich, which has been preserved for years and passed down through the generations from street seller to street seller. Do not be fooled by the packaging. Street beer is the only life I know, however, be wary of the alcohol content, horrific taste and inevitable hangover.
Despite the hangover, Neil and I decided to leave the ladies to stroll while we went for a run - which turned out to be one of the highlights of the weekend - the Parque del Buen Retiro is as magnificent as any park I’ve seen with an impressive diversity of styles, functions and plant life. It’s also a weekend hang out for the locals so it’s a good way to sample local madrid.
It’s hard to really single out any of the historic buildings and monuments in Madrid as being better than any other - the architecture and condition of the buildings is of high quality - all well situated along these wide, expressive streets.
REAL MADRID
A couple of the fellas went on a tour of the Real Madrid stadium which was only €15, and got to see the bench, pitch, changing rooms and trophy room. If it’s your thing it’s not a bad option.
SHOPPING
The main area for shopping is definitely around the Gran Via / Opera Metro stations. The big high street names are there in abundance - though we found the Fuencarral (a.k.a. Fun Carral) is your carnaby street / Neil street style road with the more funky / retro / youth orientated brands, becoming more boutiquey as you get closer to Chueca. We were lucky enough that there was a street festival on while we were there - The Pura Vida festival - there were some impressive bands performing on a live stage just off the street and street vending beer stands all the way along its length. It was the first time we all felt we had experienced some of the youth culture of Madrid as otherwise it’s not obvious.. was was particularly obvious was the number of post-op trannies who hunt in packs.
Chueca is definitely one of the more gay areas of Madrid if not the epicentre, and as a result has a great atmosphere of cafes, bars and boutiques. Your also close to some great Tapas & Authentic restaurants on Calle Libertad and C. de Barbieri.
CLUBBING
Like any city, what’s good one weekend in one place isn’t necessarily going to be good the next weekend, but having said that, PACHA in madrid is always going to be a safe bet. We all wanted something a bit harder and ended up in a club called Cool which, despite being gay, lived up to it’s name. We went in a group of mostly girls and found an empty area on the floor above the dance floor that was like a separate VIP area and just took it over.. don’t think I’d go again but it was a laugh. Other clubs we heard of were Ohm & Goa, but can’t vouch for them.
OVERALL
I liked Madrid, but like any holiday, the best part is normally the company you keep and it was certainly that that made the weekend. Madrid is a good canvas for a good time, but I think you could feel more inspired by Barcelona. Madrid is quite a local’s city and I can see why they would like to keep it how it is. I liken it most to Paris - it’s got some great sights, beautiful buildings and great food, but after you’ve done that a few times you habituate to it and it all becomes samey. It then takes time, local knowledge and effort to really come to love the city and appreciate it’s charms. The question is - are you prepared to invest? That’s where Paris and Madrid are different.
PHOTOS >> Madrid sights / Madrid sounds
by Richard Garner
Rich