Madrid, Capital of the Movida

Madrid, capital of the movida

Departure from Turin on a direct Iberia flight for 350,000 lire; with me is Alessandro, a dear friend and colleague of mine. After futile attempts to book a room from Italy we venture out in search of a room. The problem is that in Spain it's a national holiday (the feast of the Pilar) and many have flocked to the capital. Having arrived at the airport we take the metro and head towards the information centre in Plaza Mayor. We get off at Puerta del Sol and notice a small hotel on a side street, the Hotel Riesco. We go to ask and they tell us it's all full, but as we explain that we have to stay a week, after a quick round of phone calls they find us a room with 2 double beds!! A real stroke of luck, 33,000 lire in a B&B right in the centre. Super excited we go out to admire the life in the trendiest streets of the capital and we can't help but visit the Plaza Mayor.

It's dinner time, we stop at a tapas place where we'll taste the real Madrid tripe. A bombshell! The place is very characteristic and they play live music. We stop at a disco-pub where we'll have a lot of fun and get to know el pueblo espanol! The next morning we begin the real tour of the city: the Royal Palace, the Gran Via, and a sweet surprise, the Retiro park. This park won us over with its little lakes, the Crystal Palace and the relaxation it knows how to convey, so much so that we'll come here almost every day. In the evening, given the advice of Consuelo (the hotel waitress), we head to the area near the Teatro Espanol where little restaurants and pubs are the real attraction and the locals seem to greatly appreciate the liveliness of the neighbourhood. Every pub a shot and by the end of the evening your head is spinning like there's no tomorrow.

The next morning a late rise! We visit the legendary Bernabeu Stadium and are tempted to see the Champions League match of the Merengues, but only the stands seats are left and I won't even tell you the prices. We rack up kilometres upon kilometres and without realising it we reach Plaza de Cibeles. In the evening we go for Mexican food and afterwards head to the usual disco-pub where the Real Madrid fans will be returning, super excited about the victory, and we start discussing football together with other Atletico Madrid fans; you can't even imagine with what ferocity the Atletico fans accuse Real. What laughs! For fairness the next day we go to visit Atletico's stadium, the Vicente Calderon, and head back up to Puerta de Toledo.

A quick visit to the Retiro and to the Paseo del Prado where the famous Museo del Prado is located (a kilometre-long queue) which we decide not to visit in order to savour every aspect of life in the capital. We often found ourselves having a snack eating a nice slice of cake! Much appreciated at Madrid breakfasts, or grabbing a bocadillo at the Pans & Company chains; but our daily appointment was at a small snack bar drinking a cervesa and savouring the patata brava, a delight. Of course you can't help but notice the famous and tasty Jamon hanging from the ceilings of many places. It's Thursday evening and we decide to go to Joy Eslava, a disco that was recommended to me in Italy and is located a step away from our hotel.

The disco was actually a theatre, there are nice people, and around 3 we watch a flamenco show, fabulous! You can chat a lot with people and the atmosphere is very special. The next morning we go to Plaza de Toros where real bullfights still take place, a siesta at the Retiro, a walk from Atocha station up to Plaza Mayor. Like almost all cities in the world the area near the station is not very recommendable and rather dirty. Last evening at the disco-pub where we say goodbye to our friends and get ready for the return to Italy scheduled for 8.00 in the morning. What can I say about this city where wealth contrasts with the many tramps housed in the underpasses; about the unrestrained nightlife and the enormous avenues that cross it imposingly.

Only such a glorious city could fascinate us and astonish us beyond imagining, but above all it knew how to gift us moments of relaxation to great moments of fun, which is what we were looking for from this holiday.