Of all the
capitals emerging in Europe - Madrid is the most exciting.
It spent 40 years under the Franco shroud and
then burst forth in the 1980's with 'La Movida' immortalised by Pedro Almodovar
in his movies. Its central core still consists of red-roofed 17th century
houses with balconies and azulejas. And the great Gran Via sweeps across town
with its cinemas, restaurants and stores. Just off this is the impressive
baroque - Plaza Mayor. A grand 17th Century square which once housed bullfights
and now caters to tired tourists with cafes and restaurants. And in the evening
Madrid has nightlife to put every other city to shame. It starts moving about
midnight and winds down eight hours later. You need stamina and a good sense of
fun - all part of the wonderful Madrid experience.
Accommodation is
not a problem in Madrid. I have never known a city with so many spare hotel
beds. And you can rustle up one for 3,000 pesetas or more. The cheapest beds
are found in the districts of Cheuca and Malasana, two atmospheric working
class districts north of the Gran Via. The Gran Via is the great entertainment
avenue of the capital and you will pass its way more than once to enjoy its department
stores and restaurants.
At its western
end is the Palacio Real and Campo de Moro (Field of the Moor) at its east is
the north-south Paseo del Prado housing the great art museums of the Prado,
Museo Theyssen-Bornezia and the Reine Sofia which houses Picasso's 'Guernika'.
But above all Madrid is a good city in which to live - wonderful restaurants,
terrific nightlife, bustling streets, good work opportunities - in my opinion -
it is up there with London, Paris and New York. After visiting the city I
wondered how why my Spanish friends in London ever wanted to leave...
Despite the
locals grumbling the public transport infrastructure of Madrid is excellent.
The airport bus will drop you at Plaza Espanya and from there it is a metro
ride into town. Taxis are plentiful and are striped white and yellow and the
fares are very good value. And the buses, well you can get a bus to anywhere in
Spain from Madrid and each of the terminals is the end of a metro line.
For excursions
outside Madrid, to El Escorial Herranz bus 144 runs from underneath Moncloa
metro station to the monastery and to Toledo there are frequent trains from
Atocha station. But as with all great cities you must walk. Nothing beats a
stroll through Puerto del Sol in the early evening with its crowds gearing up
for serious nightlife ahead. The hustle, bustle and energy of this marvellous
city make it simply irresistible
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