MADRID
In February 2007, we headed to Madrid for 3 nights. We all arrived at more or less the same time and checked into our hotel – the Eurostars el Coloso just off the Gran Via in Madrid. Whilst the hotel was quite basic for a 4 star, the location was fantastic – just off the Gran Via which is the main street running through Madrid. Once unpacked, we headed out for some ‘Tapas and Rioja’!
Within a 5 minute walk of the hotel, we arrived at the ‘Puerta del Sol’. This is considered to be the actual ‘centre’ of Madrid - it is from here that all distances are measured. The square itself was buzzing with humanity and just off the square were lots of cobblestone streets with great shops and lots and lots of restaurants. We chose one called ‘Canas y Tapas’ (Beer and Tapas). The restaurant was part of a chain but this particular one was full of Spaniards with hardly a tourist in sight. The menu arrived and as we had so much to talk about, we ordered the tapas selection for four. We were not disappointed. Plate after plate of wonderful tapas were served to us and at the end of the night, the bill for all the tapas plus wine came to the princely sum of €20.00 per person including a good tip. Where would you get that value?
The next morning, we headed out to the Gran Via just beside the hotel and purchased our tickets for the ‘hop-on, hop-off’ bus which is a must when visiting any City. The bus took us to the famous art galleries of Madrid and we spend hours at the Retiro admiring the works of Goya and el Greco amongst several other famous painters. After lunch, we continued on our bus journey admiring the beautiful buildings and took in a tour of the famous Real Madrid soccer stadium.
We then returned to the hotel to get ready for our nights entertainment. Restaurante ‘La Castafiore’ had been recommended to me as a great place to go for a meal and entertainment. We were not sure quite what to expect but on booking, we were told to arrive between 9.30pm and 10.00pm. We duly reached the restaurant at 9.40pm and were shown immediately to our table. The room seemed to be full of Spaniards and we really could not make out any foreigners/tourists. Everybody seemed to arrive at the same time and once everybody’s food and drinks orders were taken, the show began. The staff who had taken our jackets and drinks order were in fact trained professional opera singers and they sang several times during the evening – solos, duets, all together. It was absolutely fantastic and the meal and service were also excellent. At the end of the night, the entire restaurant was on its feet belting out the big numbers from the opera Carmen amongst others. In contrast to the previous night, the bill came to €80.00 each but we all agreed that the food and entertainment had been fantastic and all in all, it was not an expensive night by our standards.
The next day, we continued on our bus journey and headed to the Royal Palace which was a most magnificent building. We spend about an hour touring the beautiful rooms of the palace before stepping outside to yet again, another operatic concert. The sun was shining and there were lots of people around and the atmosphere was brilliant.
During the afternoon, we finished off our shopping – the Real Madrid store had some great bargains and we then headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.
That evening was a big one for Ireland – we were playing England in rugby at Croke Park – one week after we had been cruelly beaten by France in the dying minutes of the game. Before we had arrived in Madrid, we had googled ‘Irish Rugby Pubs in Madrid’ and after a bit of research, selected ‘La Fontana de Oro’ in which to watch the big game. We arrived early to get good seats and boy – what a match! Ireland demolished England and the atmosphere was fantastic. The pub itself was really old and the buzz was great. We spent a few very happy hours there before heading to a small tapas bar for a bite to eat and then an early night as we were flying home the next morning.
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend and way beyond our expectations. Madrid I felt really differed from other Spanish cities in that it was very ‘spanish’. Everywhere you went, there were lots of natives out eating and drinking – the tourists did not seem to be as much in evidence as for example in Barcelona. We thought it would be hard to beat Barcelona in terms of interesting sights to see, shopping and nightlife but after the weekend, we all agreed that Madrid could give Barcelona a good run for its money.