Posts Tagged ‘night life’

City Hall in Madrid to Contribute 500,000 Euros to LGBT Tourism Next Year

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.

 

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Posted in Bars, Copas, Dance Clubs, neighborhoods, night life, special events | 2 Comments »

Everyone is Gay in Madrid This Weekend

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

tour-infinita-2009Madrid’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.

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Posted in Bars, Copas, Dance Clubs, neighborhoods, night life, special events, surprises | 2 Comments »

It’s Friday, 100 degrees, Madrid. It’s Gonna a Be a Fun Night

Friday, June 12th, 2009

botellonIt 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

Plaza Cheuca, Madrid's Gay Heart

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Posted in Bars, Copas, Dance Clubs, expat, living in Spain, neighborhoods, night life, surprises | 1 Comment »

A Night of Zarzuela

Friday, April 24th, 2009

I had the wonderful chance to see the last rehearsal of Una Noche de Zarzuela last night, and recommend you go if you enjoy operetta.

According to Wikipedia

Zarzuela (pronounced [θarˈθwela] in Spain, [sarˈswela] in Latin America), is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance. The name derives from a Royal hunting lodge, the Palacio de la Zarzuela near Madrid, where this type of entertainment was first presented to the court.

There are two main forms of zarzuela: Baroque zarzuela (c.1630–1750), the earliest style, and Romantic zarzuela (c.1850–1950), which can be further divided into two. main sub-genres of género grande and género chico although other sub-divisions exist.

¡Una noche de Zarzuela…! (Operetta night!) (click for ticket sales) is a lyric dream in two acts with songs by the greatest composers in the history of Spanish operetta. Some of them are Asenjo Barbieri, T. Bretón, R. Chapí, F. Chueca, Fernández Caballero, G. Giménez, J. Guerrero, P. Luna, V. Lleó, Moreno Torroba.

With Luis Olmos as scene director and singers like Carlos Bergasa, Susana Cordón, Manuel de Diego, Vicente Díez, and the actress Esperanza Roy, this penultimate production of the season at Teatro de la Zarzuela includes a libretto by Olmos and Bernardo Sánchez.

The plot of ¡Una noche de Zarzuela…! (Operetta night!) takes place in 1941, during the Spanish post-war period, when a company of operetta singers led by Úrsula Caravia struggles to stage an operetta show: an anthology of famous songs by well-known Spanish composers. An adventure in which the protagonists try to survive and please a Maecenas whose decisions will outline their future.

The theater is beautiful and the only theater in the world specially designed for Zarzuela.  The dancing is not to be missed.  And you will recognize some of the music.  It´s a pretty good time.

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So, What to Avoid in Madrid?

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

I love Madrid.  Obviously, I moved here.  But there are a few things to avoid, as there is any large city.  Here´s a good list for tourists in Madrid that I can sign on to.

5 Things not to do

1. As a rule, avoid flamenco music in Madrid…

…It’s generally put on for the tourists and lacks the genuine Spanish flamenco “duende” (spirit) i.e. tired journeymen going through the motions. Having said that, if you can’t imagine going to Madrid without checking out some flamenco, we totally recommend a visit to Candela, in Calle Olmo, 2. There you can witness wonderful live Flamenco performance while drinking wine (probably more than one glass) with the local crowd.

2. The big pick-pocket area is “Puerta del Sol”….

Beware, these people are professionals. Don’t carry important valuables with you, especially not your passport or large amounts of cash

3. If approached by a policeman…

…unless they are in uniform, and when asked to do anything (show ID, open your handbag etc), insist on doing it at the main police station. Obviously do not go with them in their car! Spain is not a police-state, so if they object, do the same loudly! (Note. Posing as police is a common trick used by petty thieves in Spain: So, remember your rights and don’t get tricked!)

4. Avoid using Chequepoint to change money.

Some tell horror stories of the rip-off rates charged by Chequepoint when changing currency.

5. Plaza Mayor……Watch out for the tourist shops in the Plaza.

High prices and tacky junk. Walk a few blocks and get the same stuff for less. Also, El Rastro, the giant outdoor flea market is more about tourist/cheap junk than antiques or unique finds

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Chocolatería San Ginés

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

There is one place in Madrid that I have not tried yet, that I would love to.  So when you are in town, throw me a note and we´ll go together.

What I´m talking about is a must on any tour of Madrid, and a favorite of the locals, the Chocolatería San Ginés.  It´s been in the same place for over 100 years and still is packed every night, which is why I haven´t been there yet.  A friend is coming into town from the States this weekend and we´ll make an effort to check it out and let you know how it is.  What everyone is there for is the thick and gloppy hot chocolate into which you will dip your churro.

A churro is a longish fried dough stick covered in sugur.  It is very popular early in the mornings after a night out on the town dancing and partying.

If you get there before I do, let me know what you think!

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Dance the night away in Madrid

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.

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The world of tapas - or when do I eat!?

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!

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Perfect Madrid - An American´s Guide to Madrid, Restaurants, Night Life and much more

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

This guide will help you plan a perfect day - or week - in Spain´s capital city. I´ll tell you the about the great restaurants, museums, cafés, perfect walks, and hidden treasures of this paradise for tourists. As a foreigner living here, I can help you avoid the “guiri” mistakes.

I´m an ex-pat living here in Madrid after years of visiting and loving my time here.  You´ll find out about the things I love and cherish here, and hopefully you will add your´s.

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