Archive for October, 2010
Speak Spanish like a local
Oct 27th
Want to fit in with the locals? Here's a few handy phrases...
It’s always a good idea to learn a little Spanish before heading to Madrid, but your ‘Buenas dias’ and your ‘Quisiera una cerveza por favor’s are a world away from how people really speak. To truly talk with the locals you need to know the proper lingo. Practise saying these with some Spanish nonchalance and you’ll be fluent in no time.
Vale ‘Okay’, prounced almost like ‘ballet’ is probably the most frequently used word. Repeat at least four times for emphasis, more if desired. There’s really no limit.
Pues ‘Well’, the ultimate conversation More >
Best rooftops in Madrid
Oct 25th
Madrid may not have the soaring towers of New York or Hong Kong, but its wonderful collection of classic redbrick rooftops and varied architecture means that sometimes only a bird’s eye view will do. This is particularly relevant during the long hot days of summer, where a cooling breeze on a rooftop is sometimes the only thing that can make it bearable. Here’s our guide to some of the best rooftops in the Spanish capital.
Casa de Granada Calle del Doctor Cortezo, 17, 6th floor Nearest metro: Tirso de Molina
Come for the views, not the food. This small café is situated on More >
Unusual Madrid Metro station names
Oct 21st
Ever wondered how some of the stations in Madrid got their names? Some are easy to figure out – Retiro, Gran Vía and Sol, for example, but many have an interesting history behind the names which few people know about. Here’s a guide to just a few of them.
Atocha Madrid’s most important station was originally named Estación de Mediodía, meaning ‘south’ in old Spanish. But after a fire destroyed the original station, it was reopened in 1892 and renamed after the nearby basilica.
Callao This station in the centre of Gran Via (pronounced ‘cah-yaow’) is named after the Battle of Callao which took More >
Best hotels on Gran Via
Oct 18th
If you want a central location during your stay in Madrid, Gran Vía can’t be beat. The largest and busiest shopping street in the city, Gran Vía is right at the heart of the action, offering you easy access to all the shops, bars, restaurants and attractions the city has to offer. Served by a whole five different metro stops on six different lines, it’s also easy to get from here to locations further out, such as the airport or train station. Since it’s such a popular location, there are over 30 different hotels lining all 1.3 kilometres of it. What’s more, the year 2010 More >
Experience a Madrid weekend like a local
Oct 11th
So you’re headed to Madrid for the weekend but don’t want fancy spending your time tramping round the Prado and dodging the miserable tourist trap restaurants around the Plaza Mayor. What you really need to know about is its real Golden Triangle – not the one to the three great museums in Madrid, but the holy trinity of places where every local ends up spending their weekends: the Rastro, La Latina and the Retiro. Here’s our guide to relaxing in Madrid for the finde (short for fin de semana – weekend) the way the locals do.
La Latina Metro: Tirso de Molina/La Latina
One More >
A guide to Madrid buses
Oct 4th
Most travellers visiting a city for the first time tend to stick to the underground system to get around. While this is understandable, given that it’s generally easier for a newcomer to navigate, it does mean that you spend more of your trip looking at adverts and arrivals boards rather than seeing the sights: not ideal in a city with such fantastic views as Madrid. Break out of your comfort zone and give the bus network a try: you see more of the city, get a better idea of your bearings (it’s hard to imagine the layout of a place More >
