http://www.sitebits.com/spain/madrid/ Travel notes and impressions from Madrid, Spain. en Copyright &copy; 1999-2008 Gromco, Inc. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:18:22 EDT Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST info@sitebits.com info@sitebits.com One of the most frequently photographed sights in <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/spain/madrid/">Madrid</a> that's nevertheless completely ignored in the city guidebooks is the Tío Pepe sign in Puerta del Sol. Given the number of tourists taking pictures in front of the sign (with many opting for a silly trick where they pretend to be "holding" the giant bottle behind them... very creative, guys, but it's been done before) and consequently, given the sign's status as the city's <i>de facto</i> second emblem (at least in tourists' minds... the first still being the bear, of course), it seems almost unbelievable that no guidebook provides at least a cursory look at the sign's story. Allow me to take the onerous task upon myself.. Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/tio-pepe-sign.html Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST If there's one place that symbolizes the quirkiness of <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/spain/madrid/">Madrid</a>'s history for me, it is the Sabatini Gardens next to the Palacio Real. <br><br> Of course, it's not the quirkiness that draws hundreds of people here every day - the gardens are beautiful and for anybody who's tired of the city's heat (in summer), or crowds (all year round) it's a perfect place to chill, relax a little bit, read or just people-watch. And did I mention the location? Quite literally in the shadow of the Palacio Real, perhaps <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/spain/madrid/">Madrid</a>'s most famous landmark: it just doesn't get more central than that. <br><br> But still, that's not the whole story. The whole story would need to mention a few quirky facts. Here's one, for example: the Sabatini Gardens are named after Italian architect Francesco Sabatini who... had nothing to do with them... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2008/sabatini_gardens_chilling_with_kings.html Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:30:00 EST Located on busy Ronda de Valencia, La Casa is actually a hidden oasis of calm. Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2007/rooftop_la_casa_encendida.html Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:40:00 EDT Only a short year ago, I myself did not know what "horchata" meant, much less what it tasted like. As it turns out, it tastes pretty good. If you're in Madrid, dubious, I'll tell you were to go to order a glass that will remove all your doubts... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2007/la_hora_de_horchata.html Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:30:00 EDT When you get tired of all the "typical" Spanish food, when you want small dishes (but... please, no more tapas!), when you want to try something eclectic yet vaguely Spanish-themed, you might want to consider eating at Bazaar on the southern fringes of Madrid's Chueca. Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2006/bazaar_madrid_2006.html Mon, 04 Sep 2006 14:30:00 EDT I've already <a href="/2006/vips-madrid-breakfast.html">talked about</a> my abnormal interest in this very important meal and how those morning calories are hard to come by in Madrid. Well, given that nobody here eats much in the morning, you might as well do as the Madrileños do - that is, eat only <i>un poco</i>. But where?... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2006/1_reason_why_faborit_is_my_favorite.html Fri, 25 Aug 2006 14:10:00 EDT <img ALT="Feria del Libro" class="rightill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2006/feria-libros-madrid-0608.jpg"> Walking along Paseo del Prado yesterday, I couldn't help but notice all those kiosks and stands filled with books. Bookish types were swarming around them like insects. </p><p> So, I browsed a little bit and even though most of the material on display was clearly junk, I had to remind myself more than once about airline weight restrictions - otherwise, I would already have in my possession various 2€ encyclopedias and sub--10€ hard-cover editions of literary classics published in the 70's. </p><p> I couldn't figure out the exact dates for this event, but it looks like the stalls will be there for at least a few more weeks. Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2006/madrid-feria-libros-0608.html Thu, 24 Aug 2006 03:00:00 EDT <img ALT="Breakfast at VIPS in Madrid" class="fullill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2006/breakfast-vips-madrid-thumb.jpg"> <br> Don't get me wrong - I <i>love</i> Spanish food. I adore it. I can't get enough of all that cocido, jamón serrano, chorizo and tortilla española, so whenever I am in Madrid I basically eat in advance. Madrid is a city where I can go to a sketchy diner, sit on a bar stool at the counter pretending to be a visiting American, take out a French novel from my pocket... and still get a hearty, delicious meal - for less than 10 euros! <br><br> But that doesn't help me solve the problem I encounter almost every morning. I'll tell you what does. Read on... Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2006/vips-madrid-breakfast.html Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST <img alt="Cafe Gijón (header)" class="leftill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2005/cafe-gijon-header.jpg"> To have a coffee in a literary setting that's oozing atmosphere and tradition in Madrid requires almost no effort. <br><br> Just walk to Pasillo de Recoletos, look for the address plaque that says "21" and open the door to Café Gijón. Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2005/cafe-gijon.html Sat, 12 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST <img alt="Madrid: Puerta del Sol: New Year's" class="fullill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2005/madrid-new-year.jpg"> <br> ¡Feliz Año Nuevo desde Madrid! By the way, this is <a href="http://www.sitebits.com/spain/madrid/">Madrid</a>'s Puerta del Sol on New Year's eve (right around midnight). Did you know that Spaniards eat grapes instead of drinking champagne during the countdown? You're supposed to eat exactly twelve during the last minute of the year - that works out to be one grape every five seconds, if my degree in Mathematics was worth anything at all. If you linger or hesitate then it's bad luck. All grocery shops around Puerta del Sol sell seedless grapes (is that cheating?), neatly packed by the dozen. Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2005/2005-01-01.html Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST <img alt="" class="rightill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2004/javier_campano2.jpg"> Up until this month the only thing that visibly connected me with the high art of photography was all those amateurish pictures that I kept posting on this site. <br><br> It all changed after I saw "Hotel Mediodía" - a solo exhibition of the Spanish photographer Javier Campano that's on display at Reina Sofia until the 4th of October. Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2004/hotel-mediodia.html Sun, 19 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EDT <img alt="Madrid Bridge" class="fullill" src="http://www.sitebits.com/images/2004/suicide-bridge-madrid.jpg"> <br> This is a wonderful sunset view of Los Austrias - my favorite neighborhood in Madrid. Of course, my camera gets weird in such light, but you get the point. It is beautiful. <br><br> If you look closer, youll notice a plexiglass wall separating the sidewalk from the banisters. It is there for a good reason. Many people, perhaps thoroughly impressed by such views, have chosen to plunge to their deaths from this very point of the bridge - and by the way, there's a street below (Calle Segovia). Imagine how annoying it used to be for the drivers when some suicidal freak would just make a mess right in front of their car. Slavito http://www.sitebits.com/2004/suicide-bridge.html Fri, 17 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EDT