Valentina DaminAn Italian in Madrid. Are you flying from Italy to the capital? You won’t miss Italy at all. You will feel right at home, thanks to Madrillenos’ way of life and thanks to the Spanish mood which you will breathe all around the city. There is a motto, here, which someone will tell you, while sharing tapas, for instance.
“If you are in Madrid, you are from Madrid”.
And that’s it.
In Madrid there are so many things to discover everyday: museums, temporary expositions, hidden corners, people, cultures. You can never get bored in here.
Barrios
La Latina is Madrid’s quintessential neighbourhood for beer on tap, tapas, mojitos and terraces, but also enjoying the Barrio de Malasaña could be a good idea.
Spanish popular fiestas
The fiestas in Lavapies and La Latina are known throughout the city: the party for San Cayetano in calle del Oso on 7th August or La Paloma on 15th August are two of the most popular fiestas together with San Lorenzo’s. During daytime there are processions dedicated to the Madonna and the saints, and at night open-air festivities that last several days with the participation of the public at large. And, believe me, you will enjoy them as you were a real Spanish. Have a look here!
A mixture of cultures
Madrillenos respect different cultures and encourage cohabitation. An evidence of this could be seen in Lavapies, during the popular fiestas of Lavapies, which take place in August. And if you have a walk in this fantastic neighborhood you can read posters in Arabic and Chinese. Multicultural communities, devotion, joy, culture, customs and tradition is what you can breathe during a tour in Lavapies.
Museums are great
Also the city centre has a lot to offer. You’ll never get bored of walking down La Gran Vía, or tired of strolling through La Puerta del Sol or La Plaza Mayor, even passing La Cibeles or exploring Chueca. You can visit the Royal Palace or the Bernabéu, or relax in El Templo de Debod. Even after all of this you have incredible museums, like El Prado, El Reina Sofía or El Thyssen.
Siesta time
Siesta is fundamental in Spanish culture. And you will become addicted to it, for sure. Sunday strolls at Retiro Park are an institution. But also squares you will find around the city are great. I particularly love the children playgrounds which are in all of the squares, in Madrid. Look for Plaza de Santa Ana, Plaza de Chueca or Plaza del Dos de Mayo and you’ll find a corner to get relaxed.
Tapas, tapas, tapas.
The Spanish tapas culture is all about sharing. Thus, there are absolutely no boundaries when it comes to touching someone elses plate. In Italy we have the “aperitivo” time, and here you should have it drinking a tinto de verano or a vermouth. And you should have tapas, too. You won’t miss Italian pasta for dinner. You will replace it with tapas and some typical Spanish dishes. The food in Madrid is delicious, from scrambled eggs to the famous Cocido Madrileño with some churros and hot chocolate for dessert.
So, hurry up! Madrid is waiting for you!