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