Archive for the ‘Bars, Copas’ Category
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
As I stated a couple of days ago, one of Madrid’s great failings, in my mind, has been its failure to promote itself as an LGBT destination. Many claim that it is because of political and ideological reasons. The City and the Community (province) of Madrid are fairly conservative politically, and the Popular Party holds the strings of power. But Madrid should take advantage of its opportunity. It is perfectly designed to be one of the best destinations in the world. The night life, the Chueca neighborhood, and its general festive atmosphere make it a great place year round, but especially during the Pride Festival.
El Pais reports on the week say that most hotels in the Centro are filled and that many are reporting that up to 80% of the visitors are gay. As the paper says, it may be that the city has finally seen the “vein” of cash. So in next year’s budget will be some 500,000 euros set aside to promote LGBT tourism. Here is part of the story in Spanish:
Muchos se quejan de que la Comunidad y el Ayuntamiento nunca han promovido estas fiestas ni el turismo gay por razones ideológicas. Pero debe ser que los políticos madrileños han visto el filón, porque este año Comunidad y Ayuntamiento ambos han firmado un acuerdo de colaboración para que el año que viene haya medio millón de euros de dinero público con el fin de promocionar este tipo de turismo. El presupuesto con el que contaba este año la Asociación de Empresas y Profesionales para Gays y Lesbianas de Madrid, la encargada de este cometido, era solo de 30.000 euros.
También los organismos han colaborado en hacer un hueco a esta asociación en las ferias de turismo de numerosas capitales mundiales, aunque la promoción todavía debe mejorar. Casi todos los extranjeros con los que ha hablado este diario, como Patrick y Allen, una pareja de tortolitos checos, conocen el evento a través de páginas no oficiales de la Red, o a través de amigos, como en el caso de Luc Van Dam, un holandés cuyo ex novio español le mantenía siempre informado.
Tags: guide, Madrid, neighborhoods, night life, parades, parties, party, special events
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Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
Madrid’s Gay Pride weekend is well underway following last night’s grand opening. The opening night festivities were held at 4 different stages in plazas surrounding the general Chueca neighborhood area (the gayest neighborhood in Europe). The craziest and most crowded part of the festival was the main stage in Plaza Chueca. You simply couldn’t move. I was lucky enough to get back stage and have a little breathing room from the crowd, but what a fun time everyone seemed to be having! I’ve been on main stages in different sorts of festivals before, but what was amazing here was that the crowd actually listened to the speakers and participated with the music, dancing, and general craziness. Madrid really knows how to throw a party. One of my ongoing complaints about the city government is what a terrible job they doing letting people know about what a great LGBT destination Madrid is.
Later we went to Plaza del Rey for the cultural festival portion of the festivities (this is where I finally got to practice my Spanish in front of an audience). There was a much smaller crowd and a really pleasant atmosphere. Afterwards, we had dinner with LGBT activists and leaders from around the country at the very nice Jardin restaurant.
Tonight, the party continues. The Madonna-directed documentary will be premiering for the first time in Spain and tomorrow comes Mr Gay Spain. I have back stage passes for both events, so I’ll let you know how it goes.
There is so much going on all week in the Chueca and surrounding area that you really should check out the official site, or the city’s official information page, available in English. Find out about the high heel race, the month-long cultural festival, and the chill out planned in the Parque de Buen Retiro. And if you like diva pop, you should check out Kyle Minogue at Ventas, the bullring not far from the very center of the city.
Gay or straight, this is all stuff you should not miss as a tourist in Madrid. It can be argued that Madrid puts on one of the best of these sorts of celebrations anywhere in the world. Even the National Geographic couldn’t miss the wonder that is Pride Madrid:
It boasts Western Europe’s largest Royal Palace and its most audacious gay pride parade
The amazing this is that it is all done without any money from the city or provincial governments for a relatively small amount of money, around 300,000 euros.
The big day will be Saturday of course, for the parade and festival. I’ve not had a chance to spend much time with my friends, but I do hope to get to be with them to watch the parade. I hope you will be joining us.
Tags: guide, holidays, Madrid, night life, parades, Spanish Culture, special events
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Wednesday, July 1st, 2009
I returned from San Francisco a couple of days ago. I had a wonderful time with friends (really, they are my family) and loved seeing the city. I also got to do a little bit of work for this fabulous company I work for that is going to change the world. It was looking festive and beautiful for Gay Pride Week. I missed the parade becuase I had to get back here for some work. But I ran smack dab into another Pride Festival. You can read about Gay Pride in Madrid in this New York Times article. The Madrileños do know how to party.
It felt strange being in SF again, like I had never left and like I had been away for years. I´ve only been gone less than a year, so I suppose that is not a strange feeling, but Madrid does feel like home right now. Who knows, if my visa is not renewed, I may be back in a few months anyway!
I came back to Madrid to see my friend Stuart Milk, who, as most of you know, is the nephew of Harvey Milk. Stuart was swinging back to the US after opening gay pride in Istanbul. Apparently the city had brought out the riot police and street tanks to stop the parade, but it was finally allowed to continue. Congrats to Stuart on his courage and leadership. Stuart is being slammed with interview requests from all over Madrid and Europe, so we have done almost no touring, but I am glad I was able to hook him up with the media here. It´s very important that the message that Harvey carried continues today.
If you can read Spanish, here is the link to the El Pais story on Stuart. Tonight he will be receiving the Muestra T award and I will be giving my first gay rights speech in Spanish (very short). I am so used to doing speeches and television, but in another language, it will be interesting to see how it feels. Barcelona and the rest of the country had their parties last weekend, but Madrid is this week. It is one of the biggest in the world, with more than 1,000,000 participants (compared to 60,000 in Barcelona). If you don´t think of Madrid as an LGBT tourist spot, you really should.
Tags: guide, holidays, Madrid, parades, Spanish Culture, special events
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Friday, June 12th, 2009
It is the first really hot day of the Spring in Madrid today. The weekend will continue the heat wave. And, yes, a dry heat does make a difference.
Madrid is interesting when it is hot. My apartment is actually pretty cool in temperature, I have an interior unit without a lot of sunlight and it just hasn’t heated up that much. So, I, like many in the city who can, will work from home today. Since my day generally includes talking to India in the AM, Spain in afternoon, and the US and Paraguay later in the day, the schlep to the office on a day like this is a nice option. Not sure my boss likes that I take it, but its effing 100 degrees!
So when I went out with the dog to buy the paper and a pack of smokes, the streets were pretty quiet. There is a distinct difference in the shade. But tonight is when the streets will be alive.
I still remember my first time in Madrid about 6 years ago. It was a day like this, and I had arrived late in the afternoon by train from Malaga. I took a nap. The city streets were pretty empty at 7 PM, but when I woke up at 2 AM and looked out the window, the streets had come alive. Like rush hour anywhere else in the world.
Tonight there will be people out all over the streets. There will be botellones in the plazas. Botellones are (illegal) outside drinking parties, mostly youth, who are getting blasted early in the evening so that they can save their money to go to the dance clubs later at night. The clubs really won’t start hopping until about 4 AM. Restaurants will be full from 10 or 11 PM onward, filled with families, including babies and toddlers. The entire city will be out and strolling.
Fuencarral Street, a fashionable and hip street near the gay neighborhood is being turned into a pedestrian only zone and is almost done. So a lot of people will be out there too.
I will be with the crowds. Sweating, walking, bringing the dog, swigging a beer on a terraza and being thankful for a perfect madrid night like this.
Plaza Cheuca, Madrid's Gay Heart
Tags: guide, Madrid, neighborhoods, night life, parties, Spanish Culture, walks
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Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
While less known than its southern neighbor, Sevilla, for its processions and events surrounding Holy Week (Santa Semana), it is a terrific time to be in Madrid. Many of the Madrileños will have left as part of Operacíon Salida (Operation Exit) as they head for the beaches for the holiday. Many are taking the entire week of from work. Most offices in Madrid are closed Thursday and Friday.
Here are some of the things to watch for this weekend:
Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday)
Perhaps one of the most spectacular moments of Easter weeks occurs on Holy Thursday. This takes place at Calle Toledo, 37, at around 7.30 to 8pm at the Colegiata de San Isidro. The religious images of the Virgin Maria Santísima de la Esperanza and Jesús del Gran Poder are brought out of the church by the “costaleros” and through the main door. To do this, they have to get down almost on their knees to slowly make their way through, an immense effort which is noisily rewarded with much applause and shouts of encouragement from the watching crowds.
The processions of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, El Pobre, and María Santísima del Dulce Nombre leave Church of San Pedro in Calle Nuncio at around 7pm, and the image “El Divino Cautivo” is paraded from the Colegio Calasancio in Calle General Díaz Porlier, 58.
Viernes Santo (Good Friday)
Good Friday brings perhaps the most emblematic religious procession for Madrid, that of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, which leaves the Basílica del Cristo de Medinaceli in the Plaza de Jesús at around 7pm and parades central streets including the Puerta de Sol and Plaza Cibeles.
The “Procesión del Silencio” or Procession of Silence starts from the Church of Santísimo Cristo de la Fé in Calle Atocha 87 and the Ayuntamiento or City Hall organises its own procession called the Santo Entierro which leaves the Parish Church of Santa Cruz in Atocha, 6 with the image of Lignum Crucis.
Sábado Santo (Holy Saturday)
The procession of “Nuestra Señora de la Soledad” leaves the Corpus Christi Monastery at around 4:30pm.
Domingo Santo (Easter Sunday)
The main event on Easter Sunday takes place at mid-day in the Plaza Mayor. This is the “Tamborada del Domingo de Resurección“, whereby whichever Brotherhood has been chosen for the year, assembles dozens of drums of all shapes and sizes and beats out a constant rhythm which almost shakes the timbers of the nearby houses. This represents the earth tremors that were supposed to have occurred when Christ died on the cross.
Tags: guide, Madrid, Spanish Culture, special events
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Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
The weather has been so beautiful for the last couple of weeks. While walking down Calle Montero towards the Plaza de Sol, I noticed that some of the tables are back out on the streets. It made me feel happy to think about the upcoming Spring. Nothing beats a beautiful dusk sitting with a beer and chatting with friends al fresco.
This from a New York Times article about terrazas in Madrid:
“Terrazas,” said Jesús, a teacher who sees them as quintessential Madrid, “are for talking, not tourism.”
And it’s very true. I feel most at home in Madrid when I’m sitting at a table in one of the plazas or streets of the city. The best is on a Sunday afternoon in the La Latina neighborhood.
Tags: guide, parks, restaurants, Spanish Culture, walks
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Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
So you are here on vacation and have heard that Madrid has a bit of a nightlife. To say the least. The nightlife, or la marcha, is legendary. There a few things to remember when you are looking to go out to a dance club in Madrid.
One thing is that they don´t open early. It would be very unusual for you to show up before midnight, and if then, the place may be empty for an hour or two. People here have just eaten at 10 or so, or they are out eating tapas with friends to get the night off to a slow start of a beer and some nibbles. The clubs will stay open until 6 or 7 AM.
Most clubs do charge a cover charge. It can be as high as 15€. Look for fliers giving discounts to clubs and you should be fine.
This is a very good list of some of the night clubs and dance clubs in Madrid.
Tags: guide, Madrid, night life, parties, Spanish Culture
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Thursday, January 15th, 2009
I mentioned yesterday that I really enjoyed going to a bar with some friends and having a bit of food with some beer. Tapas are, of course, popular in other countries, especially in North America and Great Britain, where they have taken on a bit of a fad and sit down restaurants serve tapas as the main meal. This is not really how it is done in Spain.
The history of tapas is interesting and has no one story that is proven to be the real start of the tradition. What I´m more interested in is how it works today in the city of Madrid. You should be aware that if you are visiting or planning to live in Spain that the eating hours are tremendously different than nearly any other part of the world.
Breakfast is usually a small meal in the early morning. Lunch generally is eaten between 1 and 3 PM, but in Madrid it tends at times to be even later than that. Dinner is generally eaten after 9 PM, but many restaurants don´t even open until 10 PM. So there are long gaps between meals and between work and the final meal of the day. Thus tapas.
Many people will tapear on their way home from work and stop at one or more bars for a caña (small beer) and some free or purchased tapas. Usually eaten while standing up, these small dishes help to tide you over until your dinner at home or in a restaurant.
They can also be eaten as a main meal among a group of friends, and I´ve seen this done many times. Last night four of us could not decide on where to go for dinner and it was almost 11 PM, so we headed of to a place that served good tapas. Here we sat at a nice table (in a heated room, no less!) and shared some terrific food.
When looking for a good place to go, follow the locals. Remember that the free tapas will small. But if you are dining later, that´s all you need. Have fun!
Tags: eat late, guide, Madrid, night life, restaurants, Spanish Culture
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Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
One of my friends from the States asked me recently if I´ve been overcome by a daily diet of paella, Spain´s most famous meal.
The easy answer is no. In fact, I rarely have paella and since one of my good friends here in Spain is from Valencia (home to this wonderful dish), it could be said that I´ve never had good paella. In fact, it is more likely that there will be a heated discussion of how the word is pronounced properly (at least by me) than to actually eat it.
Much more likely in Madrid, you will find your most common meals in restaurants made up of ham, beef, or seafood. One of my favorite things to do in Madrid is to stop by a bar, order a beer, and enjoy some wonderful ham or other tapas. The ham here is not like anywhere else in the world. It is wonderfully flavored, textured, and a favorite among the Madrileños.
I did have paella the other night for the first time in years and it wasn´t bad. This was a black rice paella with the rice colored by squid ink and eaten in an empty restaurant with friends on the way home from work. Not bad, and you´ll easily find all sorts of opportunities to eat rice dishes here in the capital, but for the best regional foods, stick to what the locals are eating and take a trip to Valencia for the fallas.
Tags: holidays, neighborhoods, Spanish Culture
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