Quiet Days in a Rainy Madrid

The semester is coming to an end! Oh, oh, oh! Some ideas for a few quiet days before the big Easter break.

First things first: The Museo Nacional del Prado, in collaboration with Samsung and Radio 3, continues its free evening opening of "El Prado de noche" (The Prado by Night) on the first Saturday of every month from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm (last admission at 11:00 pm), entering through the Jerónimos door. You can enjoy the full opening of the ground floor of the Villanueva building and also visit the recently opened exhibition "Shapeshift: Myth and Metamorphosis in the Roman Drawings of José de Madrazo."

Also, if you haven't already, this is your last chance to chat with Spanish people and practice your language exchange skills: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/language-exchange-venues (this one is from the tourism website, but there are many in Madrid and it's a very common activity for Spaniards).

Looking for some dance shows? Dancers Andrés Marín and Ana Morales are bringing a show to the Centro Danza Matadero (https://www.centrodanzamatadero.es/) that blends traditional and modern flamenco to explore human desires.

It's been 160 years since Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland' was published. Since then, it has been translated into more than 170 languages, films inspired by the novel have been made, and works of art, fashion collections, and plays have been produced that primarily reference the striking world of Wonderland. The Caixaforum exhibition (https://caixaforum.org/es/madrid) explores how this 19th-century publication has become part of our collective imagination and how it has permeated various artistic and even scientific fields, leaving room for play and reflection.

Some Tips to Celebrate the Good Weather

Spring is finally here! Aren't you bursting with energy? Here are some very different ideas to get you going! :-)

PROUST IN THE THYSSEN MUSEUM The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza is offering an exhibition from March 4 to June 8, 2025, showcasing how art influenced the work of the illustrious Parisian writer. Proust is considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, who also excelled in philosophy and art history. In his literary production, one can observe the influence of past and contemporary artists, as well as the recreation of landscapes and monuments that captivated him in his day, along with the artistic environment he experienced. This period was marked by the renewal in the arts brought by the Impressionist artists in a modern and cosmopolitan Paris – where Marcel Proust already lived – illuminated by electricity, with Parisians traveling by car and filling cafés, restaurants, and shows. It is precisely the environment in which he lived and developed his life and work related to the arts that is the fundamental element on which this exhibition is based.

IFEMA (Institución Ferial de Madrid) is a major event venue in Madrid, Spain. It hosts a wide range of fairs, congresses, and exhibitions throughout the year. Located near the Campo de las Naciones and Barajas Airport, IFEMA is known for events like FITUR (International Tourism Fair), ARCO (International Contemporary Art Fair), and MOTORTEC. Two current events:

**WAH MADRID_In true Las Vegas and Broadway style, you can enjoy a musical and gastronomic show from Thursday to Sunday at ESPACIO WAH, located at the IFEMA MADRID fairgrounds. It features a cast of artists and professionals who have worked on the Oscars ceremonies, Eurovision, London's West End, and Broadway, as well as for the world's leading bands and singers from Sting to AC/DC. An unforgettable playlist. Puccini, Paco de Lucia, Guns & Roses, David Guetta, or Lady Gaga, among other music giants, take the stage, starring in a fusion of styles ranging from opera to house, flamenco, electronic, gospel, or rock. Designed to thrill and move the audience through music and its original gastronomic performance. https://wahshow.com/en/

**FRIENDS' EXPERIENCE_The experience inspired by one of the most popular television series in history arrives in Spain for the first time, bringing fans closer to their favorite characters with life-sized recreated sets, iconic backdrops, costumes, and a wide variety of accessories and memorabilia. It can be visited from March 17 to June 29 at the IFEMA MADRID fairgrounds (Pavilion 14.1). Fans of the series will find numerous interactive recreations full of nostalgia and can recreate some of their favorite scenes, such as posing behind the famous purple door of Monica and Rachel's apartment, relaxing in Chandler and Joey's recliners, and, of course, lounging on the legendary orange couch at the famous Central Perk café.  https://madrid.friendstheexperience.com/en/

 A LITTLE OUTDOOR EXERCISE_And next to the Manzanares river, on its west bank, you will find Madrid's largest public park, the Casa de Campo. With its more than 1,535 hectares, it is the ideal setting not only for hiking and cycling along various routes but also for enjoying the outdoor terraces located next to its impressive artificial lake, whose origins date back to the 16th century. If you're up for it, you can even embark on the adventure of rowing in one of its recreational boats available at its large dock.

Free movies and Good Food

 If you like films that don't usually make it to multiplexes, take note: from March 13 to April 10, Cines Embajadores is showing the five finalists for the LUX European Film Audience Award for free.

The menu includes films from Greece, France, Latvia, Ukraine, and Belgium, and themes such as cultural identity, misinformation, work pressure, and the devastation of the planet.

Admission is free: you must register online at this website and then pick up your ticket at the box office 72 hours in advance. Voting for your favorite will enter you into the drawing for a trip to Brussels for the ceremony.

And since spring never seems to arrive, I recommend two traditional Spanish dishes for colder days, because paella isn't everything in Spain. You'll already be familiar with one if you've been on our Rural Spain trip. The other is typical of northern Spain, specifically Asturias.

The Madrid Stew Route celebrates its 15th edition from this Saturday, February 15th, to March 31st, offering 90,000 servings of this iconic dish in 42 restaurants in and around Madrid. Prices range from €14 to €40, with options for vegans and celiacs. Participants can also vote for their favorite stew and win prizes, such as one of the 100 stews raffled off or a prize draw worth €2,000. Find out all the information here (I am sorry, it is only in Spanish) or here.

📍 Location: Madrid and surrounding areas

🗓️ Dates: until March 31st

Until March 23, Madrid hosts the eleventh edition of the Fabada and Verdinas Route, an event that pays tribute to Asturian cuisine. During these dates, several restaurants in the city will offer special menus focused on traditional fabada and verdinas. This event coincides with World Fabada Day, celebrated on March 15. For more details on the participating restaurants and their offerings, you can read the full article in Madrid Secreto.

📍 Location: Various locations.

📅 Dates: Until March 23, 2025

What to Do a Rainy Tuesday in Madrid

 First of all, I want to welcome our Nairobi-Madrid Cohort, who arrived in Madrid last Sunday. You will meet them next Friday in Paco’s “kingdom” ;-)

Just dreaming about good weather back, I was wondering if you are talented writers. If that is the case, every first Tuesday of the month, an open mic event is held in the Malasaña area. Mainly in English but not only, writers present their work in a nice cafeteria. The “master of ceremonies” is a Californian writer who has been living in Madrid for many years.

Have fun if you dare ;-)

Carnival and Other Ideas for the Weekend

Of course, one of the star cultural activities these days will be the Carnivals, which in Madrid are a bit peculiar (nothing to do with Rio 😉). If you want to read a very brief explanation about their origin you can find it in an old post on our blog: https://exploringwithauspain.blogspot.com/2023/02/carnivals-and-gastronomy.html

This year it will be from March 1 to 5. From Carnival Friday to Ash Wednesday, Madrid surrenders year after year to the party of the game of identities, with parties, parades, musical performances and many more activities. Do you remember that in the previous post I told you about the beautiful Matadero cultural center? Well, that will be where most of the activities will be held. You can find all the information in English here: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on/carnaval-madrid

I've been told that the Iberian Experience group is going to participate in the Burial of the Sardine! On that website you can see some photos and read about the "burial", but also about the previous days, the parade, the music groups, dance, theatre, magic...

📍 Location: Matadero (and much more). Metro Legazpi, lines 3 and 6.

📅 Dates: March 1-5, 2025.

💸 Price: free entry.

Another option for the weekend is the following: The Vegan Association of Madrid organizes Madrid Vegan Market, a vegan market that this Sunday (from 10:00 to 16:00) returns for its third edition with different stalls that will show food products, cosmetics, gastro area... there will also be talks. We will find the delights of Freedom Cakes, Urban Nomad Cooking, Good Shit Vegan Kebabs, Vegasun and Vegasauria or Pastelería Macchi, among others.

📍 Location: Espacio Rastro, on Calle San Cayetano, 5 (La Latina)

📅 Dates: Sunday March 2, 2025.

💸 Price: free entry.

And if you want to travel nearby: Chinchón, considered one of the most beautiful towns in the Community of Madrid, is celebrating its traditional Medieval Market once again this year. Jugglers, knights, musicians and itinerant artists will fill its streets with life and activities – check out the full programme here –. They will also be joined by craft stalls, traditional cuisine and a children's area for this date with the past.

📍 Location: Various locations in Chinchón

📅 Dates: From February 28 to March 2, 2025

Little Secret Plans ;-)

In this post we are going to share with you some not-so-well-known places to enjoy Madrid (but remember that the almond trees have just blossomed, check out my post from last week!).

If you are a movie lover, you can find many movie theaters with current films in their original version in Madrid (for example Los Cines Ideal, Los Renoir, Golem...) with much cheaper prices than in the US. However, there are other less-known cinemas, which are wonderful. One of my favorite places is the magical Cine Doré (one of the first cinemas in Madrid, in art deco style). Prices are ridiculous (3 euros per session! and even less if you buy multi-session passes. The films can be old classics from many different countries, or come in thematic cycles, or be current, and they are different every day. Next door is the Antón Martín market, where you can eat well for a low price. 

WHERE: Calle Santa Isabel 3 (Metro Antón Martín, line 1).

TICKETS: https://entradasfilmoteca.gob.es/ (up to 72 hours before).

Another fantastic place with the same system of changing films is the Cineteca del Matadero. If you don't know this cultural centre (Matadero), you should go and have a look! (https://www.mataderomadrid.org/en) They offer electronic music concerts, dance shows (in particular, this weekend it looks very interesting!: https://www.mataderomadrid.org/en/schedule/it-dansa), theater, art exhibitions, and much more. Also, the Madrid Río Park is very close by (check the picture below). But coming back to the movies:

WHERE: Plaza de Legazpi (Metro Legazpi 8, lines 3 and 6).

TICKETS: https://tienda.madrid-destino.com/es/cineteca/

If you need information about bookstores specializing in film, don't hesitate to ask us. There are some great places with a cafe where you can grab a bite to eat in the meantime!

The Winner of the Photo Contest and What Spring Brings :-)

All the staff members (except Eva, because she knew the author of each photo sent) and the professors Patricia from Art and Pilar from "Paseos" voted for their favourite photo anonymously. The winning photo is the following one and its author is the student Víctor Pagan-Viera. Congratulations! 

Below you can also see the rest of the participating photos as the members of the jury saw them. thank you for participating!:

On the other hand, spring is here! And so are the exams! If you want a quiet weekend, we recommend you take a walk through the gardens that have almond trees in bloom... they are the first trees that announce spring in Madrid! In this link you can find a description of a very little-known park, full of almond trees in bloom: https://exploringwithauspain.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-chilean-poet-pablo-neruda-once.html

And here are some other options: https://www.timeout.es/madrid/es/que-hacer/parques-jardines-almendros-en-flor-madrid

Enjoy your weekend, focus on your exams, but feel the Spring coming step by step! And by the way... Happy Valentine's Day!!!