All Rail Roads Lead to Madrid

By Jamie Smith
In Spain, all roads lead to Madrid. Well, at least all the major rail lines do. If you plan to be in Madrid for several days, consider taking advantage of its centrality and plan a day trip to one of Spain’s other beautiful cities. Several cities, including Barcelona and Seville, are served by a high-speed train which cuts travel time nearly in half. Moreover, even the trains which aren’t technically high-speed run at an accelerated rate because they travel on the same super efficient rails.

It’s easy to get to Madrid’s train stations, as all are served by the Metro system. You can buy your tickets at the train station and several dealers throughout the city, though it’s most convenient to purchase them online and print them yourself. You can not only see timetables and maps in English, but purchase tickets through an English language interface as well.

One final tip: there are often great last minute deals, but unfortunately that portion of the site is only in Spanish. Seats can be discounted by as much as 50% in the last 24 hours before the trip, so be sure to check there if you’re traveling on a whim.

For more of Jamie's adventures, follow her blog, Shame on Seamus.

More Madrid: On Foot

By Jamie Smith

Madrid has one of the best subway systems in the world, but the best way to explore the city is on foot. With so many cultural attractions, stores, restaurants, and people packed into such a small space, you’re sure to find fun just strolling.

The following is an itinerary that provides structure and suggestions for a day of walking in Madrid, but also allows plenty of freedom for wandering. After reading this post, check out the accompanying Google map for exact addresses and directions.

1. This itinerary starts at the Gran Vía Metro station, the Gran Vía being the main boulevard that runs through the heart of Madrid. On this street and the streets branching from it you’ll find some of Spain’s trendiest shops, including Zara, Mango, and Sfera. Most start business around 10 am, so sleep in or enjoy a traditional Spanish breakfast of churros and hot chocolate while you wait for the stores to open.

2. Once you’ve cruised the Gran Vía, head over to the Royal Palace of Madrid, the official residence of the King of Spain. The Royal Family doesn’t actually live in the palace, but it’s still used for official functions and remains a museum of Spain’s regal history.

3. After touring the palace and surveying the expansive gardens, head south to the Plaza Mayor. Madrid (and all Spanish cities) are lousy with plazas, but the Plaza Mayor is one of the most interesting visually. Dating back to the height of the Hapsburg dynasty, this square has been used for everything from bullfights to autos de fe during the Spanish Inquisition.

4. If it’s Sunday between 7 am and 2:30 pm, your next stop should be the El Rastro flea market just down the street from the Plaza Mayor. Billed as Europe’s largest flea market, you can find souvenirs, crafts, and clothing, both new and old. There is no exact address so follow the crowds to find the goods, but keep a hand on your bag. Pickpockets often target visitors to the market.

5. Whether coming from El Rastro or Plaza Mayor, the next stop is the Puerta del Sol. Take some time to look around the shops, restaurants, and homes on the meandering streets that lead you to the city’s largest plaza. Puerta del Sol originally was one of the gates (puertas) in the wall that guarded the city in the 15th century. Unfortunately construction on a new metro stop has been going on in the center of the plaza for several years, but you can still get a sense of its grandeur. Puerta del Sol is the place where Madrileños often meet up to begin a night out. While you watch other groups connect or perhaps wait for a group of your own, head over to the giant clock tower to see Kilometre Zero, the point that delineates east, west, north, and south for Madrid.

6. While you’re in Puerta del Sol, be sure to also pop in to El Corte Ingles, the biggest department store in Spain. Unlike department stores in America, El Corte Ingles really does sell everything, from groceries to books to travel packages. They also sell contemporary Spanish fans that make great gifts for friends at home.

7. If you’ve been shopping and stopping to look at things that interest you as you move from point to point, it’s probably getting into the evening and time for dinner. Spaniards usually eat dinner around 8 or 9 pm and go out afterwards, even on weeknights, and you should do the same. From the Puerta del Sol, head southeast to La Latina, one of several neighborhood’s in the city where you’ll find a thriving nightlife. Spaniards usually move from place to place—drinks or an aperitif in one bar, tapas in another, and so on through a neighborhood and into the evening. There will be plenty to eat and drink in La Latina, so relajate and don’t worry about staying up too late. Nothing opens until 10 tomorrow anyway.

City of the Week: Madrid, Spain

By Jamie Smith
While Madrid is the center of an extremely diverse country, it would be something of a misnomer to call it a melting pot. Those who have live in the capital often don’t blend in to the city but rather retain their fierce regional pride and provincial perspective, even if their family has been Madrileños for generations. In a country where no one hesitates to tell you what they really think, striking up a conversation in Madrid is one of the best ways to encounter a variety of Spanish perspectives.

And there’s no better place to talk to the locals than in a bar or restaurant (in Madrid, it’s often impossible to tell the difference between the two!). Spaniards tend to spend significant portions of their evenings at the corner bar socializing with their neighbors and whoever else is hanging out. Eating, drinking, and arguing are nothing less than national pastimes. But don’t be intimidated by the passion with which they discuss politics or soccer—most people are very sociable and open to being approached.

While you’re enjoying a cerveza and some conversation, impress your new friends by ordering some of these traditional dishes from Madrid.

Cocido madrileño: A hearty stew of chickpeas and root vegetables, beef, marrow, bacon, blood sausage, and chorizo.

Sope de ajo: A simple soup of garlic, bread, oil, and paprika. It may not sound like much, but in the hands of the right cook, it’s divine.

Manchego: A semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese with a distinctive, salty taste. Usually served with bread and cured meats.

Callos: Those with a weak stomach might be hesitant to try this dish, the main ingredient of which is stomach, or tripe. Give it a chance, however, as the tripe is simmered in a delicious tomato-based sauce with chorizo and ham.

To read more of Jamie's adventures, check out her blog, Shame on Seamus. Be sure to join us on Wednesday as Jamie takes us on a tour of Madrid's historic center.

More City of the Week: Your Turin Itinerary

Your perfect Turin itinerary includes spending your morning in the Museo Egizio and Museo Nazionale del Cinema. At lunch, enjoy Piedmontese cuisine at a family-run trattoria, and then venture back out to get a glimpse of the Shroud of Turin in the Duomo di San Giovanni Battista. Finish your first day of sight-seeing with the Galleria Sabauda (same palazzo as Museo Egizio), where the dukes and kings of Italy’s famous Savoy family feature 14th to 19th century art work from Piedmontese, Italian and Flemish painters.

The Museo Egizio is considered to have the best collection of ancient Egyptian art and artifacts outside of Cairo [and arguably London], dating to 1400 BC, a collection initially acquired by the Savoys. Expect pharaohs, tombs and relics, the perfect artifacts of not only a culture, but of a film or movie set; perhaps a great precursor to the Museo Nazionale del Cinema. While the Mole Antonelliana has housed the Museo Nazionale del Cinema since only 2000, you’ll find history of Italian and American cinema, and art, with rooms resembling a theme, love, horror, death, etc. The props purchased from films like Aliens and Star Wars are amusing, as is the Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, movie posters and some of the first technology used to record and edit motion pictures. Don’t forget to take a ride in the elevator to the top of the dome for views of the city, Po and Alps. The building was originally constructed to be a synagogue, so you’ll find the architecture unique (however, many Italians refer to it as appalling too, think Eiffel Tower).

Tired and hungry yet? Since it’s time for lunch, stroll over to the Quadrilatero Romano where Diciottobi in Piazza Castello serves an affordable Italian brunch until 3PM, or head to the popular Neopolitan-style Pizzeria, Fratelli La Cozza on Via Cesare Battisti 13. Afterward, you must stop in one of the city’s historical baroque coffee shops. As the origination of the chocolate bar is attributed to the Piedmont region, the coffee shops in Turin combine chocolate and milk cream (and of course coffee) to make Bicerin. I adore the coffee shop, al Bicerin, on Piazza della Consolata 5. The coffee house opened in 1763 as a citron-water and confectionary shop and its’ marble tables, bar, wooden paneling and cast-iron detailing takes me on a time-machine to a romantic Italian movie (perhaps featured at the Mole Antonelliana also, no?).

Touring after your long lunch includes the Galleria Sabauda, where Botticelli, Rembrandts and portraits of the Savoy family complete your art history lesson. As for religion, well, you can head to Duomo di San Giovanni Battista. Built between the 14th to 15th century and said to be Turin’s only example of Renaissance architecture, the cathedral holds the Shroud of Turin. However, you only get to see the copy of it, hanging in front of the altar. The real shroud is only displayed every 25 years, so come back in 2025 for the viewing, okay?

And now it’s off to your hotel, for a shower and change of clothes before starting your Italian evening. Consider starting your stroll at one of the excellent wine bars and finish with a dinner at Ristorante Tre Galline on Via Bellezia 37. I loved the polenta—a dish typical to this region—and recommend trying the risotto and veal!
See you on Friday as we take a day trip to Piedmont’s alpine region, including the slopes of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Ooooh! And why not enjoy a quick stop at the Martini factory? Just make sure someone else is driving.