So much to do it Madrid this weekend - lucky ducks!

🎭 Sara Baras – Vuela (25th Anniversary Tribute to Paco de Lucía)

📅 Dates: 11 September – 12 October 2025 (Thursday to Sunday)
📍 Location: Teatro Gran Vía
💶 Price: From €30
✨ Prestigious dancer Sara Baras returns with a special performance celebrating the 25th anniversary of her company, paying tribute to flamenco legend Paco de Lucía.

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📸 Exhibition: Leica – A Century of Photography

📅 Dates: 10 September 2025 – 11 January 2026
📍 Location: Fernán Gómez Centro Cultural de la Villa
💶 Price: Free
✨ A commemorative exhibition marking 100 years of the Leica I camera, featuring 174 photographs, classic cameras, and unpublished material showcasing Leica’s impact on global photography.

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📰 Life Under Siege – Photojournalism Exhibition

📅 Dates: 23 September – 19 October 2025
📍 Location: Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza (Central Hall)
💶 Prices:

• General: €14

• Reduced (students, 65+, pensioners): €10

• Free: Saturdays from 9pm to 11pm
  ✨ Twenty-seven powerful photographs documenting life in Gaza since October 2023.

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🍸 Guest Bartending – Montana Cocktail Bar x Only YOU

📅 Dates: 30 September & 1 October 2025, 19:00–00:00
📍 Location: Only YOU Boutique Hotel Madrid (El Padrino Cocktail Bar)
✨ During Madrid Cocktail Week, Montana Cocktail Bar from Sevilla brings exclusive creations, including a collaborative cocktail available only on these two nights.

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🎶 International Organ Cycle – Royal Basilica of San Miguel

📅 Next Concert: Sunday, 5 October 2025 at 19:30
📍 Location: Real Basílica San Miguel, Calle de San Justo, 4
💶 Price: Free (until full capacity)
✨ Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the basilica’s reconstructed organ. The program Ars transcriptionis will be performed by Braulio Caballero-Figueroa.

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🍺 Oktoberfest at the Madrid Hippodrome

📅 Dates: Saturday 4 October (12:00–23:00) & Sunday 5 October 2025 (10:30–19:00)
📍 Location: Madrid Hippodrome
✨ Enjoy German beer, traditional food, live music, and the festive atmosphere of Oktoberfest in Madrid.

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🍽️ Hotel Tapa Tour 2025

📅 Dates: 22 September – 5 October 2025
📍 Location: Participating 4★ & 5★ hotels (e.g. Four Seasons, The Palace)
💶 Price: Tapas & wine pairing from €8
✨ A gourmet tapas route across luxury hotels, offering creative dishes from oyster croquettes to black pudding baos.

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🎉 Guadarrama Festivities (San Miguel & San Francisco)

📅 Dates: 28 September – 5 October 2025
📍 Location: Guadarrama (reachable from Moncloa via buses 682, 684, 688)
✨ Traditional local festivities with bull runs, concerts, children’s activities, communal meals, processions, and contests. Highlights include:

• 28 Sept: Opening speech + free concert tribute to La Oreja de Van Gogh

• 29 Sept: Potatoes with meat distribution

• 4 Oct: Hot chocolate in Plaza Mayor (09:00)

• 5 Oct: Cider pouring contest in Plaza Mayor

Madrid this weekend!

 

🎭 Culture / Arts / Exhibitions

1. Prado Museum — “Paolo Veronese (1528-1588)” exhibition is on until 21 September. A chance to see a major monographic show of this Venetian Renaissance master. Museo del Prado

2. Art Galleries Exhibitions — There are several contemporary art shows open now:

   • “MYTHS OF OUR TIME” at Arma Gallery (runs into October). Artsy

   • Álvaro Barrios: “The Multiplication of the Paintings” at Galería Fernando Pradilla. Artsy

   • Other gallery listings via Artsy (various places around Madrid). Artsy

3. Museo Nacional del Thyssen — Current special exhibits and regular collections are open; worth checking what temporaries are live. museothyssen.org

4. Exhibitions via FeverUp — Something a bit different:

   • Frida Kahlo: Live Art Experience & Gastronomic Showcase at Pintor Rosales 30 (starting ~18 Sept). Fever

   • Banksy Museum Madrid is showing exhibitions. Fever

   • Goya Flamenco Live Art Musical Sensory Experience. Fever

5. L.E.V. Matadero Festival — From 18-21 September; experimental/electronic sound, audiovisual & digital art experimentation. Plenty of installations, immersive experiences. Great if you like art + technology. Location: Matadero Madrid. Madrid Secreto

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🏛 Theatre / Performance

6. “Los Amores Feroces” at Teatro de La Abadía — Starting 18 September, a play based on texts by Octavio Paz exploring desire, sensuality, etc. El País

7. Other theatre shows — Several plays are back or opening in September: e.g. titles such as Los cuernos de Don Friolera, Los que hablan, Orlando etc., plus newer works from emerging artists/schools. ElHuffPost

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🏃 Outdoor / Community / Events

8. “Madrid corre por Madrid 2025” (Ibercaja Madrid Race) — A 10 km race on 21 September. It’s a sporting event, but also cultural: celebrating Hispanic ties, inclusive etc. Good way to run and see city in a different way. Diario AS

9. Five free / budget-friendly plans:

   • Visit the Leica centenary exhibition (“Leica. A Century of Photography”) which is free and showcasing historical cameras etc. El País+1My Art Guides+1

   • Concert by Ede in the Templo de Debod — outdoor and free. LINK

September 12 - 14

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🚂 Mercado de los Motores

Fashion, décor, music, gastronomy… On the second weekend of every month (except August), the former railway station transforms into a vibrant flea market.

🛍️ Discover second-hand clothes, retro and designer furniture, vinyl records, refurbished bikes, and more. It’s also a great family outing, with children’s activities, plus plenty of food and drink to recharge after shopping.

📍 Paseo de las Delicias, 61
📅 Second weekend of every month (except August)

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🎭 Ibiza Paradise – Dinner Show at Cines Callao

Starting this Friday, the Callao Cinemas swap films for a dazzling musical dinner show. Ibiza Paradise follows two Americans who travel to Ibiza in the 70s, mixing theater, dance, music, and gastronomy. The performance is in English with Spanish subtitles and celebrates the great musical milestones of the era.

📍 Cines Callao (Callao)
💸 Tickets from 25€

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🌊 River Procession of the Virgin of Alarilla – Fuentidueña del Tajo

This Saturday, September 13, Fuentidueña del Tajo celebrates its traditional river procession, one of the most unique in Spain. The Virgin descends 800 meters down the Tagus River, accompanied by swimmers, songs, and water choreographies, in a spectacle illuminated by torches and nearly 2,000 light bulbs. The night ends with fireworks and a lively community celebration.

📍 Fuentidueña del Tajo
📅 Saturday, September 13, 2025

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🍺 Ruta de la Tapa “Ven a Vivirlo” – Carabanchel

Until September 14, Carabanchel hosts the Ruta de la Tapa, offering a tapa and beer for just 4€ at over a dozen local bars. Dishes include shrimp in black tempura, “ear pizza,” and rice with Iberian secret.

📍 Carabanchel, Madrid
📅 Until September 14, 2025

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🌿 Círculo de Bellas Artes’ Climate Shelter

This weekend, the Círculo de Bellas Artes transforms its Ballroom into a cool, shaded indoor plaza with plants, ergonomic seating, drinking water, and quiet areas to rest, read, or work. The free space promotes well-being, sustainability, and community encounters, alongside workshops, cultural activities, and even a summer nursery for plants.

📍 Calle Alcalá, 42 (Downtown)

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First weekend in Madrid

 

🌟 Things to Do in Madrid 

🌆 Explore the City

• Retiro Park – Rent rowboats on the lake, visit the Crystal Palace, and just stroll the gardens.

• Templo de Debod at Sunset – Egyptian temple with amazing views of the city.

• Gran Vía & Sol – Walk Madrid’s bustling center, check out shops, street performers, and the vibe.

• Chueca & Malasaña – Fun neighborhoods for wandering: street art, quirky cafés, vintage shops.

🎨 Arts & Culture (student budget-friendly!)

• Free/cheap museum times:

  • Prado 

  • Reina Sofía 

  • Thyssen 

  • Foundacion MAFRE 

• Matadero Madrid – Old slaughterhouse turned arts center: exhibitions, design shops, and cafés.

• Lavapiés street art walk – Explore murals and multicultural food spots.

• Photo España - Until September 24, 100+ galleries around Madrid 

🍴 Foodie Adventures

• Mercado de San Miguel – A little touristy, but fun for tapas hopping.

• Mercado de San Ildefonso (Malasaña) – Trendy food hall for casual eats.

• Churros & chocolate at San Ginés – A Madrid classic.

• Picnic at Retiro or Casa de Campo – Grab empanadas, jamón, or bocadillos from a local bakery.

🎶 Fun & Social Activities 

• Picinas Publicas - Municipal pools all around the city LINK

• Rastro Market (Sunday morning) – Huge flea market, great for vintage finds. (Metro La Latina or Tirso de Molina) 

• Flamenco show (student-friendly venues like Casa Patas or Cardamomo offer discounts).

• Cine Doré – Retro cinema showing classic films (great local vibe).

• Board games café (e.g. Café Manuela in Malasaña).

🏞️ Day Trip Options (if you want to get outside the city)

• Manzanares el Real – 45 min by train, castle, good hiking options.

• El Escorial – 40 min by bus, Monastery + mountain views.

• Cuenca – Famous for cliffside homes (perfect for a day trip with friends).

Music and Film at "El Matadero" This Weekend and a Warm Farewell to Our Scholars

"Matadero" is the city’s old slaughterhouse, located at Madrid Río Park. It was transformed into a vibrant cultural megacomplex some years ago. If you stay in Madrid this weekend, you can enjoy some events in this amazing location. 

Getting musicians out into the street to share their art is the aim of this event held every year on 21 June. The DEMM (European Music Day at Matadero) is one of the events that has become a classic of this contemporary creation center. More than 15 years have passed since its first edition back in 2009, and over time, the plazas of Matadero Madrid have borne witness to the ups and downs of the indie scene, the birth and rise of national and international bands, and have served as a beacon illuminating the emergence of new genres and musical trends.

Adding to the experience, Cineteca Madrid will host a series of music documentaries, offering a deeper understanding of the creative processes behind some of the most influential musicians and creators in our environment.

MUSIC

Program:

• Friday 20 June, 8pm - Hot Chip (DJ set) / Moxie / Sofía Kourtesis / Emilia Grima
• Saturday 21 June, 12pm - Remate & Wild Honey
• Saturday 21 June, 8pm - Baiuca / Hinds / Error 97
• Sunday 22 June, 12pm - Creativa Junior Big Band

Sources and tickets:

https://www.esmadrid.com/en/european-music-day

FILMS

Program:

https://www.cinetecamadrid.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/CINETECA_JUN_25_PROGRAMA.pdf

Sources and tickets:

https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/cineteca-matadero

And we'd like to take this opportunity to bid a fond farewell to our group of Scholars. May you be very happy, and you already know where your home in Madrid is!

A Last Minute Idea for Tonight

 We assume you have big plans for tonight, but if not, here's a cultural idea:

The Museo Nacional del Prado, in collaboration with Samsung and Radio 3, is offering free evening openings of "El Prado de Noche" (The Prado by Night) on the first Saturday of every month from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

On this occasion, visitors on the evening of June 7th (TODAY!) will be able to enjoy the recently opened exhibition "Paolo Veronese (1528-1588)," the first major monographic exhibition in Spain dedicated to one of the most brilliant and admired masters of the Venetian Renaissance. The exhibition, sponsored by the AXA Foundation, brings together more than 100 works from the world's best museums.

You can also visit the ground floor of the Villanueva building and take a tour from Romanesque and Gothic painting, through the Renaissance, and ending with the 19th century. You can also take advantage of the final days of the exhibition "Shape Change: Myth and Metamorphosis in the Roman Drawings of José de Madrazo."

Welcome to Madrid and Ideas for This Week

We're kicking off the summer with a fantastic new group of students! And soon the Scholars group will join us to fill the AU Madrid classrooms with even more excitement and adventure. Welcome to our blog!

We invite you to browse the fixed sections of our blog, but also these short suggestions for this week (you can find information on dates, locations, and how to purchase tickets at the links below):

MUSIC:

The Tomavistas Festival: A music festival held in Madrid, known for its diverse programming and commitment to independent and emerging music. It is characterized by its openness to different musical styles and proposals, both from national and international artists, and by its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. https://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on/festival-tomavistas

Ed Sheeran's Concert: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on/ed-sheeran-metropolitano-stadium

DANCE

Contemporary Dance: Martha Graham's Company: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on/martha-graham-dance-company-centro-danza-matadero-nave-11

Flamenco: The Flamenco Biennial 2025: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on/bienal-flamenco-madrid

BOOKS

The Madrid Book Fair is a large annual literary event held in El Retiro Park, showcasing books from Spanish-speaking countries and promoting the literature of a guest country. It's a major cultural event for literature lovers, featuring over 300 booths, book signings, and opportunities to meet authors: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on/ferialibromadrid-parque-de-el-retiro

Easter in Madrid… Not only “procesiones” :-)

I am guessing most of you will be traveling around a lot, but you might be spending the last few days of your holidays in Madrid. If that's the case and you're curious about how they celebrate Holy Week in Madrid (those who celebrate it, of course), you can see all this year's information here (the locations and times of the processions and music, the food (this is what Catholics and non-Catholics eat), etcetera.

https://www.esmadrid.com/en/easter

You might also be interested in these previous short posts from our blog, where we explain some key points for understanding this peculiar cultural phenomenon (I suggest you do... these Spaniards are crazy 🙂)

https://exploringwithauspain.blogspot.com/2023/02/already-planning-what-to-do-in-easter.html?m=1

https://exploringwithauspain.blogspot.com/2024/03/what-about-easter.html?m=1

https://exploringwithauspain.blogspot.com/2023/03/for-students-with-sweet-tooth.html?m=1

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!!!

A Market Unlike Any Other

If there is one weekend market that is a must-see in Madrid, it is the Mercado de Motores. Not only because it is the oldest (it has been held almost uninterruptedly since 2012), but also because of the number of designer stalls that can be found, including a space for second-hand clothes and items in the outdoor part of the venue.

In addition, there are food, coffee and drink stalls to replenish your energy. And finally, workshops, free concerts and DJ sessions throughout the weekend. All with the added bonus of doing it in a setting as iconic as the platforms of the Railway Museum, a jewel of Madrid's industrial architecture that is still standing.

Although the museum is open every day in the morning except Wednesdays, the market is only held once a month, usually on the second weekend of the month. This February it will be on the 8th and 9th of February.

Reserve your free tickets in https://mercadodemotores.es/proxima-edicion-mercado-de-motores-madrid-2/

And if you go in costume, you can participate in a contest and win a free drink (read how here):

https://www.eventbrite.es/e/carnaval-disfraces-y-rondas-gratis-en-mercado-de-motores-tickets-1232947963549?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tips for those who are staying in Madrid next weekend

This week some students will travel to Andalusia as part of their program. Others who do not belong to that cohort will probably travel to other places. We wish them both a happy trip!

However, other students will stay in Madrid, and the ideas of this post are for them 💕:

On the first Saturday of every month from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. you can visit the Museo del Prado for free. On February 1st you can visit the exhibitions: “Shaking hands. Sculpture and color in the Golden Age”, sponsored by the AXA Foundation, and “Sigmar Polke. Revealed affinities”, the painter’s first solo exhibition in Madrid, presented by the Museo del Prado and the Fundación Amigos Museo del Prado, in collaboration with the Madrid City Council. In addition, you can enjoy the exhibition of the Resurrected Christ, the first work by the artist Giulio Clovio in the collections of the Museo del Prado, thanks to the recent donation from American Friends.

Radio 3 will liven up this evening event in the Sala de las Musas with the station's DJs María Taosa, José Manuel Sebastián and Nacho Álvaro El Patillas Dj, highlighting the uniqueness of the proposal. Visitors will be offered the chance to pose in a photocall designed for the occasion by Samsung, and Café Prado and the Museum shop will also be open.

The celebration of the Chinese New Year, which has more than 4,000 years of history, coincides with the beginning of the crop cycle, despite the winter, and welcomes a new season, hence it is also known as the “Spring Festival”. In 2025, the Year of the Wooden Snake is celebrated (which begins on January 29) and as in previous years there is a complete program of activities (Jan 29 to Feb 15) to celebrate it (mainly in Usera, Madrid's Chinatown).

You can find all the activities in https://madridchino.com/distrito-usera-madrid-chino/ (it is only in Spanish and Chinese, but I am sure that you can figure out what it is said).

Also, in https://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on/china-taste, we can learn about the Chinese gastronomy for these celebration days:

"Celebrating Chinese New Year, which begins on 29 January 2025, the eighth edition of China Taste will be taking place from 20 January to 16 February. This ground-breaking culinary event promoted by the Chinese Embassy, the China Cultural Centre in Madrid, Madrid City Council and the Regional Government will be celebrating the arrival of the Year of the Snake in 2025. In addition to this culinary celebration, there will be several show cooking sessions at the China stand of the FITUR fair from 22 to 26 January.

To celebrate and promote China’s rich culinary tradition, this festival is being held in conjunction with Chinese restaurants throughout Madrid that are known for their use of high quality ingredients, excellent wine menus and efficient service. They have designed a special menu for the occasion that you can enjoy at all participating restaurants for a month at very reasonable prices.

In the 2025 edition of this event, 30 restaurants throughout Madrid and Mallorca will be delighting diners with Chinese haute cuisine guaranteed to satisfy even the most discerning food lovers. The Dim Sum Market is one of the unmissable venues taking part in this edition, known for its modern and authentic approach, which takes the art of dim sum to another level, combining tradition and creativity in each dish.

Other exceptional restaurants taking part include "Le Chinois", which prepares delicious dishes based around duck; "Soy Kitchen", a restaurant known for its creativity where chef Julio Zhang has created a dish known as Fire Fish especially for the occasion; and the restaurant "Chi-La" specialising in dishes from the province of Hunan, offering flavour and spice in equal measure. They also participate "Asia Té", "Bao Li", "El Buda Feliz 1974", "El Bund", "China Crown", "Chunli", "Cocina Lú", "Gran Café Shaghai", "Indochina Brasa", "Kököchin, Kzen", "Lelong Asian Club" and "Xiaolongkan".

China has a broad culinary culture classified into eight culinary styles or schools  (Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan and Anhui). China Taste aims to make people more familiar with Chinese cuisine through the participating restaurants.

This culinary festival has also partnered with the Spanish Red Cross, which gives it even greater added value. For each menu, China Taste will make a donation to projects run by the charity organisation."

Have a nice weekend wherever you are!