Madrid

The trip to Madrid was fantastic. I definitely think (and I believe my European counterparts will agree with me on this) that Madrid is a more vibrant and active city than Genva. Companies, stores, restaurants, and even the people rotate around a later schedule and seem happier for it.

I stayed at the Hotel Tirol, right off of one of the main arteries into the heart of Madrid, Calle de la Princesa. Great location, okay accomodations. If you go, opt for the refurbished rooms (for 10-20 euros more). Others who can tolerate older rooms and acoutrements can opt for the cheaper unrenovated rooms. Beware that the rooms facing the street can be quite noisy at night.

There were a few interesting fashion trends that I saw in Madrid: the resurgence of the mullet, the popularity with Carhartt industrial clothing, and the burgeoning popularity with the surfing culture and its associated clothing like Quiksilver or Billabong.

This place is a haven for the Atkins followers. Heart attacks on a plate were being served up everywhere, with a side of fried eggs or plain old fat being sides with a lot of dishes. But no place endeared itself more to me than the Museum of Ham. Although some people believe that its competitor, the Palace of Ham, may cater to a more "uppity" clientele, this place was hilarious. Not much on the menu aside from the three "magical animals": bacon, ham, and pork. For Muslims, this place must be equivalent to a Starbucks in Salt Lake City.

Although the Spanish have been known the world over for having a GDP one-twelfth that of the US, they can't blame it on the siesta. Yes, the world-infamous siesta is a gigantic myth. Corporations, restaurants, and everyone else in Madrid do NOT observe any kind of siesta (which sucked after having a gigantic plate of paella and carpaccio). Although stores don't open until later hours for lunch and dinner, it's not because of siesta. It's because most of the population of Madrid are vampires and only emerge in the cloak of darkness.

More of my Madrid pics are posted on my Flickr site. Click on my Flickr badge on the right.

Some other Madrid observations:

• El Corte Ingles: Gigantic megastore (with several locations around Madrid). Great if you want designer names for 10-15% more than what you would pay on the street.
• Slot machines are everywhere. Apparently the old people here are on the same global radio frequency as the elderly in Vegas or Atlantic City. Walk into any bar or arcade in the middle of the day and you will find elderly Spanish spending their pensions away.
• Retiro Park. A fantastic 300 acre park, just south and east of the center of the city. A must-do for any person looking for a walk through Madrid on a good day.
• Zara stores. These stores are almost on every other block of the Grand Via. Although considered upscale NYC boutique-y, the prices in Spain are not that unreasonable.
• Madrid is not immune to urban sprawl. From the 20 minute taxi ride into the city from the airport, you can see how Madrid is sprawling into its great undeveloped surrounding. Building cranes are everywhere - erecting apartment complexes, corporate buildings, etc.
• Chocolate Bar (article on right of page). Near the Plaza Mayor, there was a "chocolate bar" that served churros with a cup of dipping / drinking chocolate. Absolutely decadent. Although you could drink the choclate, several patrons were seen doing the Chris Farley heart attack/chest pound afterwards.
• Madridians speak with a noticeable lisp. This changes the pronunciation of "gracias" to "gra-thee-as" and even "plaza" to "pla-tha". The urban legend about the lisp having developed from Spanish monarchs who lisped is false. It apparently has something to do with how Spanish evolved from Latin.
• Puerta del Sol rocks. Considered the "center" of the city, Puerta del Sol is a section of town that is jam packed with shops, restaurants, and people. Fantastic people watching and shopping. It's a great place to walk around and feel paranoid about pickpockets.
• The metro only costs 1 euro. And it's pretty efficient too! Compare that to the 3 CHF bus fare in Geneva.
• God love the Spanish - they installed a bottle opener in the bathroom of the hotel.
• Spain is God's waiting room in Europe. Apparently, many Germans retire in Spain. It's like the Florida for aging Euruopeans.