Anyway, think about how your journeys will be because if you rent a car to move

downtown, this option could be wrong: the capital of Spain is a city with a lot of jams and traffic lights, as well as little space to park. So, Metro, taxi and bus are better to move downtown than to rent a car.

If you are going to visit other cities and towns in the surroundings or explore the nature of the Community of Madrid, to rent a car in Madrid is the best solution: the journeys will take less time and you will be able to plan the excursion without being worry about the timetable of the public transportation. Besides giving you more freedom, to rent a car in the city is sometimes cheaper than to use the train and other options, especially if you are going to travel many kilometres out of the city.

Where to rent a car in Madrid

Since Miguel Poveda won the Miner’s Lamp award in 1993 at the Cante de las Minas Festival, he is considered to be one of the greatest stars of the flamenco scene in Spain. His music is made of various influences, like Camaron de la Isla, Enrique Morente or Rafael Farina, but anyway the Catalan singer has got a personal style that will be evident in his concert in Madrid. Besides, Poveda has become a leader for the new generation of flamenco artists, guiding them by the new routes of this art.

Miguel Poveda has chosen a unique stage: the bullring of Las Ventas, a perfect place that evokes flamenco too. The date of this concert in Madrid is June 21^st and the price of the tickets starts at 25 euro. The nearest Metro Station is Ventas (Line 2 and 5).

Alegria is a play full of movement and excitement. The actors will astonish the public by jumping in acrobatic ways, dancing in the aerial high bar or performing hand-balancing, among other acts. The show in Madrid, which is now travelling around the world (Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Poland…), explores very different concepts, such as aristocracy, poverty, youth or old age. A vital, elegant and particular point of view is used in every piece.

The Cirque du Soleil will play Alegria for five days in the capital of Spain, at the Sports Palace (Palacio de los Deportes). The capacity of this building is more than 10.000 seats, but this show in Madrid will probably get the ‘Sold out’. The easiest way to get to the Sports Palace is getting off at Goya Metro Station (Lines 2 and 4) or at O’Donnell (Line 6). The prices start at 38.50 euro.

Morante de la Puebla remains one of Madrid bullfighting spectacle’s maximum attractions, not just in Spain but around the world. He is known not only for his ability, but for his uncanny appearance. This is also a publicity stunt that has worked wonders for him. He wears his sideburns long to give off the appearance of a torero from out of the past. When he struts into the ring   it is like he has come out of a Time Machine and been displaced from out of the era of Espartero in the 1890s.

Morante likewise smokes cigars, both in and out of the ring. While smoking in many cycles has become taboo, it again fosters the illusion of a torero from the past. Eben in the world of the bullfighter, where nerves may be wrecked easily, there aren’t nearly as many smokers as in the past. While Manolete preferred cigarettes many matadores in  the past such  Maera, Belmonte, El Gallo, Juan Silveti, Espartero and Frascuelo were known for a  love of cigars. The cigar was a trademark for all of them. Morante has revived the tradition and seems to be rarely seen without one in public.

Style-wise, Morante has also sought to  revive some of the traditions of the past, reintroducing  old capote passes that have not been seen in decades, while throwing in an occasional unnamed manipulation or two   of his own.  The same holds true with the muleta. It is however, with the banderillas that he truly excels and has again sparked a tradition from olden days. This again reflects back on Spain’s past.

From the 1900s into the 1950s the bulk of Spain’s matadores placed their own banderillas, but in thee 1940s Manolete who ruled the bullfighting in Madrid for several years prior to being killed, never placed the barbs himself without any effect on his popularity. After that, many toreros decided to just skip the banderillas themselves and leave it to their helpers. By the 1960s toreros from other lands such as Liceaga, the Giron family, Lomelin and the like were masters of the banderillas, while the top Spanish toreros were not. Throughout the decade of the 60s and 70s, the bulk of the top Spanish matadores did not place their own banderillas, such as Diego Puerta, Paco Camino, Linares, Ordonez and Pedres. They did not work with the sticks in spite  of their top tier status. Cordobes did so when young, but was gored so badly in Granada while doing so, he decided to eliminate this from his repertoire. Oh, there were a few top Spaniards who would place the sticks such as Paquirri and the aging Dominguin, but critics lamented the general passing of the tradition. From the 1980s onward, some Spaniards rebuilt the tradition, but there were only a few who were truly great at this part of the bullfight as opposed to the past.

Morante and a select crew of competitors have started reviving the act.  Though he does not place the banderillas with every bull he faces, when he does there are few rivals who can match him.

Often, when on a card with others who place the banderillas, Morante will challenge them to direct competition with them, inviting to share the sticks with him in a phenomenon that always uplifts the crowd.

In Madrid, Morante’s drawing power assures a large crowd, with tickets going fast.  Thus again, do not put off buying a ticket fast if you want to see him. If he appears in some of the smaller towns around Madrid, as he also does on occasion, the   ring will usually sell out.

The evidence of Morante’s fan pull is so string, his most devoted of followers gave created a name for themselves,. Rather than calling themselves aficionados if fans of the bullfight they call themselves Morantistas or ones devoted to Morante. Some of these people share no interest in Madrid bullfighting as a whole and only go when he is on the card.

So, if you are in Spain and want to see bullfighting in Madrid, but the name of Morante is on the card, again get a ticket as rapidly as you can, for they go fast. If you get   to see him take heart as you will most assuredly not just witness a bullfight. You will see a modern man drawing from Spain and the bullfight’s past and long vanished traditions that he has helped popularize once more.

Between the months of October 2013 and April 2014 the capital of Madrid will play host to the III Ciclo Andaluica Flamenca, so this is great news for the Flamenco Madrid fans.

The festival will be held over the course of six months in the plush Auditorial de Musica in Madrid and the box office of the auditorium is linked to the network of theatres belonging to the National Institute of Scenic Arts and Music. Therefore, tickets for the festival may also be purchased at the Teatro María Guerrero, Teatro de la Zarzuela or the Teatro Pavón.

Flamenco Madrid

The festival will commence at 8pm on Sunday 13^th October with a grand inauguration concert in the Sala Sinfonica in Madrid and this extraordinary concert features Carmen Linares, Mayte Martin and Rocio Marquez.

The remaining concerts will take place in the Sala Camara of the auditorial de Musica at 19:30hrs.

Friday 25^th October 2013 - El Torta and Diego del Morao.

El Torta was born in Jerez de la Frontera in 1952 and he descends from a long tradition of flamenco artistes whose roots are firmly embedded in Jerez: his guitarist for the night will be Diego del Morao. Son of the late Moraito chico, this young guitarist also descends from a celebrated gypsy family of guitarists whose patriarchs, Juan and Manuel Morao, are among the most celebrated flamenco guitarists of the last century.

Friday 15^th November – flamenco/jazz guitarist Niño Josele.

Born Juan José Heredia in Almeria in 1974, he has become one of the new breed of flamenco guitarists that has taken the traditional flamenco guitar to another level.

 Friday 20^th December the young singer from Huelva Argentina will perform her personal styles of fandangos, bulerias and tangos, and on 31^st January 2014 - Duquende will deliver his unique style of cante. Duquende was discovered by Camaron de la Isla and his style of singing has definite undertones of the great Camáron.

On Friday 14^th March El Lebrijano will perform at the sala Camara and this will be one of the highlights of the festival because this renowned singer is one of the most respected cantaores of modern times. Son of the late Maria La Perrata and brother of Pedro Peña, El Lebrijano’s show will be spectacular because he is one of the orthodox singers who has experimented with numerous musical modes: with more than fifty-years in the business, this promises to be a night not to be missed.

Esperanza Fernandez will close the festival on April 14 in the Sala Camara and this promises to be a grand finale because Esperanza is one of today’s top fiesteras: her show will combine her excellent style of cante with her ability to perform vivacious gypsy baile, and she is one artiste that is sure to have to auditorium pulsating.

Opening hours of the National Music Auditorium Box Office (entrance on Plaza de Andrés Segovia) are as follows -

Monday: 4 pm to 6 pm / Tuesday – Friday: 10 am to 5 pm / Saturday: 11 am to 1 pm.

The “last minute box office” (in Plaza de Rodolfo y Ernesto Halffter) will open one hour before a concert is held if tickets are still available.

Box office telephone numbers:
91 337 03 07 ó 91337 01 34

The bicycle in Madrid is a way of transportation that is getting popular little by little for people visiting Madrid, but at the moment cannot compete against the car, the bus, the Metro or the local trains. The bicycle in Madrid is a solution for very short journeys and for sportive travellers.

Besides, the bicycle in Madrid cannot be compared to other cities in Europe, like Copenhague or Amsterdam, neither in Spain, like Barcelona. According to associations that promote the bicycle in Madrid, such as Pedalibre, the percentage of bikes on the Madrilenian roads is 0,5%, much lower than the European average.

Lanes for bicycle in Madrid

The users of bicycle in Madrid can ride along more than 260 kilometres in bike lanes. The main problem is that those lanes usually are located in the surroundings of the city and don’t link the boroughs to downtown. The bicycle in Madrid has to share the road with cars and buses, and the traffic signs addressed to cyclists are scarce.

Anyway, there are some lanes that make the bicycle in Madrid more attractive. One of them is the ‘Anillo Verde Ciclista’ (the ‘Green Cycling Ring’), a road for bikes that surrounds the city. Another lane of bicycle in Madrid is the one that links the Buen Retiro Park to calle Mayor, through calle Alcalá and Puerta del Sol. It is one of the newest lanes, but the most central as well.

Advices related to bicycle in Madrid

The detractors of bicycle in Madrid argue that the capital isn’t a friendly city for this way of transportation. First of all, because there are a lot of slopes, as Madrid was founded on the top of a hill in order to become a fortress. Besides, because the weather isn’t the appropriate for the bicycle in Madrid: it is too cold in winter and to hot and sunny in summer. Finally, because there is no culture of bicycle in Madrid, especially among the car and motorbike drivers.

The associations related to the bicycle in Madrid are working hard to promote this way of transportation: sensitizing drivers and pedestrians about the need of the bicycle in Madrid and organizing routes to ride from home to work.

Anyway, it is advisable to wear a helmet, even if it is no mandatory by the moment (a national law could impose it). At night, if you are using a bicycle in Madrid you’d better use a reflective vest and lights to warn about your position, as bikes and cars bust share the road.

In fact, it is prohibited riding your bicycle in Madrid by the sidewalks. If you want to go with your bike on them, you must get off the bike and walk. Otherwise, municipal police could punish you with an economic penalty.

MyBici, the future public service for bicycle in Madrid

Unlike other cities, there is no public service for the bicycle in Madrid. The system that already works in Copenhague, Barcelona or Sevilla, whereby you can borrow a bike using a card or paying a reduced fee, is not present in Madrid at the moment.

The City Hall has a project called MyBicy that will offer this service to the users of bicycle in Madrid. But due to the crisis, the implementation has been delayed a couple of times. The Mobility Area of the City Hall has announced that in 2014 could be ready and it will include dozens of stations where people can take and leave a bicycle in Madrid. But it is still not clear if tourist could use this service, as bike shops have complaint about money losses.

Besides, this opera in Madrid will also commemorate David Catán, the Mexican composer that wrote this play, who died in 2011. This way, the Royal Theatre wants to tribute Catán by performing ‘Il Postino’, his latest opera.

This opera in Madrid tells about the special relationship that grew between the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and a postman that helped him to get his beloved woman in Italy. Neruda, the main character, will be starred by Plácido Domingo, who has already made this role in 2011, while he was the director of Los Ángeles Opera: in that occasion, the Spanish tenor sang in the Theatre du Chatelet, in Paris.

The Royal Theatre is located in central Madrid, close to the Royal Palace. The entrance is located in Isabel II Square, where the Opera Metro Station is (Line 2, 5 and Shuttle to Príncipe Pío). The tickets are available since 8 euro; the most expensive places cost 363 euro.

Things to do in July

This year, the Madrid Pride will be hold from July 3^rd to July 7^th and it proposes many activities related to music, art and leisure. MADO is one of the festivities in Madrid that take place in the city’s downtown: in this case, all the activities come about the Chueca district, a part of the city known in the whole world by being lively for LGTB community.

The Madrid Pride has a central appointment: the Statewide Parade, which is scheduled on July 6^th, Saturday. That date, the main streets of the city will get crowded to see the floats of dancers and disguised people trooping by. This event gathers thousands of visitors and gives the city a colourful atmosphere, as no other festivities in Madrid achieves.

The central place for the Madrid Pride will be Plaza de Callao, but there are other important locations those days: Plaza Vázquez de Mella, Plaza de Chueca and Calle Pelayo.

Herencia del Tiempo

ISBN 978-84-9727-479-1

AUTHOR  – TONY BRYANT

PUBLISHER – EDICIONES FLAMENCO SAPIENS (MUSEO DEL BAILE FLAMENCO, SEVILLA)

A new book by the English author Tony Bryant, has just been released by Flamenco sapiens, the Seville based publisher that produced the authors last book concerning the art of flamenco - Flamenco; an Englishman’s passion.

Bryant’s latest offering concerns the genealogical line of one of the biggest gypsy flamenco clans to be associated with flamenco, or in fact, any musical genre.

The author has researched and charted this family’s history from their arrival in Andalucia in the seventeenth century until the present day and he has proved that many of the most renowned performers of flamenco are actually related via blood or marriage connections.

The author says, “Many flamencologists and aficionados are aware of the gypsy custom that all gypsies are cousins, but in the case of this family, and after nearly three years of research, I have come to the conclusion that this statement may well have some foundation”

His new book, Herencía del Tiempo is based on the family of Fernando Peña Soto- El Pinini; a legendary singer who was born in Lebrija, Seville, in 1863, but who had spent nearly his entire life in the neighboring town of Utrera.

The mythical El Pinini was patriarch to a family that has produced some of the most respected flamenco singers of the twentieth century.

La Fernanda and Bernarda de Utrera, Bambino, Miguel El Funi, Bastian Bacán or Pepa de Benito are just a mere few, but the author has also included many anonymous performers from with-in this family, whose reputation has rarely left their birthplace.

The author spent much time in Utrera and he soon made contact with some of the great-grandchildren of Pinini, who helped him to patch together the family’s immense genealogical tree; a chart that contains more than one-hundred flamenco performers, all of whom are included in the book.

Bryant said that it was necessary to understand the life style and customs of these people to truly understand the meaning of their music and “although at first I felt as though I had gate-crashed their village, I was quickly welcomed into the homes and lives of the most welcoming people of Spain; the gypsies!” The fruit of these unusual friendships are contained in this book.

The author had access to birth, baptism and death certificates as well as numerous other documents concerning this family; all of which has given him information that has never previously been published.

Through his friendship with members of the fourth and fifth generations of the Pinini clan, Bryant was able to witness this family’s flamenco tradition firsthand whilst also charting much of their family tree.

Luis El Marquesito, a great-grandson of El Pinini, endorses the book with a preface, in which he thanks the author for his relentless work concerning his family.

El Marquesito continues to say that it gives him great satisfaction to know that his grandchildren will be able to go to the library to read about their family.

But the book does not only concern the Pinini family; it also traces the links that this family has with other renowned families of Utrera like that of El Perrate and La Serneta.

The book contains the author’s opinions and knowledge, which has been based on extensive research and a relentless investigation of one of the biggest and most illustrious families in flamenco history.

This book is an excellent follow-up to his last book and it will be an informative read for anyone interested in flamenco, or indeed in Andalucia.

The service of local trains in Madrid receives a specific name: Cercanias Madrid. Its symbol is very recognizable: a red circle with a white curved line inside. If you see it on an iron tower or in a placard, there is no doubt: you are in a station of local trains in Madrid.

Renfe is the national company responsible of providing the service of local trains in Madrid. The net of these commuter trains arrives to the most important villages in the surroundings of the capital and even beyond, for example to cities like Toledo and Segovia. That’s why the local trains in Madrid are a good solution to move between the capital and the peripheral towns. Cercanias Madrid is also a good way to move inside the city because it has dozens of stations in its urban centre.

Zones and lines of local trains in Madrid

Local trains in Madrid are a bit more expensive than buses and Metro service, but it is also a bit faster: as the net of Cercanias has less stations (89) than those of bus and Metro, it takes less time in going from one point to another one. In other words, you can cross the city more quickly by local trains than by other ways of transportation.

The network of local trains in Madrid consist of 9 lines, most of them connecting the city to other towns in the surrounding areas:

• C-1: Príncipe Pío – Aeropuerto T4
• C-2: Guadalajara – Chamartín
• C-3: El Escorial – Aranjuez
• C-4a: Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes – Parla
• C-4b: Colmenar Viejo – Parla
• C-5: Móstoles Humanes
• C-7: Alcalá de Henares – Fuente de la Mora
• C-8a: Atocha – El Escorial
• C-8b: Atocha – Cercedilla
• C-9: Cercedilla – Cotos
• C-10: Villalba – Fuente de la Mora

Prices of local trains in Madrid

The map of the Community of Madrid is divided in 7 zones, depending on the distance to the centre of the capital. This division is not only valid to local trains, but also to bus and Metro service. According to this, the price of the ticket depends on the number of zones you cross. These are the most common possibilities:

• If your local train crosses 1 or 2 zones:
  • The single ticket costs 1,60 euro
  • The 10 journey pass costs 9,70 euro
• 3 zones:
  • Single ticket: 1,70 euro
  • 10 journey pass: 13,20 euro
• 4 zones:
  • Single ticket: 2,50 euro
  • 10 journey pass: 17,98 euro

 The frequency of local trains in Madrid depends on what time it is: in rush hours, it is easy to get on board every 5-8 minutes. The rest of the day, the local trains travel every 10-15 minutes.

Getting to the airport by local trains in Madrid

There are several ways to get to the airport of Barajas: by bus, by Metro, by taxi and, of course, by local trains in Madrid. But they only arrive to the Terminal 4, the new one. The airport of the capital has a station inside this terminal, which is reachable by the lines C-1. These local trains circulate every 30 minutes and they are a good solution if you are coming from another regional or high speed (AVE) train because in this case the ticket is free of charge. Otherwise, the price of a single ticket is 2,40 euro.

These local trains in Madrid are equipped with shelves to keep the luggage and they are more spacious than usual. If your flight departs from the terminals 1, 2 or 3, the best way to get there is by Metro, Shuttle Bus or taxi.

Fans of literature have an essential appointment in Feria del Libro 2013, a fair in Madrid that is considered to be the most important in Spain and Latin America. This edition is the 72^nd and will be held from May 31^st to June 16^th, more than two weeks in which readers have the occasion of meeting their most admired authors.

The Buen Retiro Park hosts this fair in Madrid that includes stands dedicated to specialized bookshops, publishing houses and public organisms. Totally, 457 stands that show in Feria del Libro 2013 the best books they sell at the moment.

But Feria del Libro 2013 is an awaited event because dozens of writers, especially those who are releasing a novel, come to this fair in Madrid to spend hours in signing books to their fans. Most of these authors are Spanish, but public can also meet writers coming from Latin America, Europe and other places around the world.

The official poster of Feria del Libro 2013 has been also released: Juan Gatti, an Argentinean designer, has created it. This fair in Madrid will hold in the Paseo del Duque Fernán Núñez, in the Buen Retiro Park. The best way to get there is by Metro (Retiro Station, Line 2).

Image: Official poster of Feria del Libro 2013

Keywords:

Fair in Madrid

Feria del Libro 2013

]]> http://www.bookespana.com/fair-in-madrid-feria-del-libro-2013/feed/ 0 http://www.bookespana.com/velazquez-portraits-at-the-prado-museum/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=velazquez-portraits-at-the-prado-museum http://www.bookespana.com/velazquez-portraits-at-the-prado-museum/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 20:38:48 +0000 tom.valentine http://www.bookespana.com/?p=1037 Exhibition in Madrid: Late Portraits by Velazquez, coming soon to the Prado Museum

The Prado Museum is determined to show the world the best of its collection: the late portraits by Velazquez. The Spanish gallery will organize an exhibition in Madrid that will gather this kind of paintings that belong to his maturity period and will be held from October 8^th 2013 to February 9^th 2014.

Diego de Velazquez is probably the most important painter present in the Prado Museum collection, and the gallery wants to increase the level of its temporary shows. Experts and tourists coming from the whole world already arrive to the city to admire the late portraits by Velazquez, so this exhibition in Madrid could be one of the most successful events of the season.

Some of the late portraits by Velazquez to be displayed in this exhibition in Madrid are ‘Portrait of Philip IV’ and ‘Las Meninas’, a highlight of this genre. The style of the Spanish painter shows a free brushstroke and a liking by neutral backgrounds. This technique has influenced many later painters, such as Francisco de Goya, Joaquín Sorolla or even Pablo Picasso.

To get to this exhibition in Madrid, the nearest Metro Station is Atocha (Line 1). The ticket price of Late Portraits by Velazquez is 14 euro.

A prominent torero in the time of Manolete, Vazquez alternated several times with the ill-fated Cordoban in the 1940′s. His brothers Manolo and Antonio were also recognized as top matadores, while his son Pepe Luis Vazquez hijo also enjoyed a brief career as a    bullfighter.

Pepe de Vazquez was born in 1921 and took the alternativa in Sevilla in 1940 at the hands of Pepe Bienvenida, confirming it to Madrid the same season via Marcial  Lalanda.

During his long career, he was a regular in both Madrid and Sevilla, where he had a tremendous fan following. During his lifetime, he was the subject of numerous books, documentaries and songs.  His nickname of “Torero de Toreros” or “The Bullfighter’s Bullfighter” stayed  with him for life.

During his long career, Pepe Luis Vazquez was known for moments of extreme artistic beauty with both the  capote and muleta. He was also good with the sword. Even a goring in the face early in his career failed to dampen his spirits or detract from his performances.

Pepe Vazquez also traveled to Mexico where he became a top attraction, usually competing with the Mexican phenomenon, Carlos Arruza.

In the late 1950′s, Vazquez saw retirement on the horizon and looked to set himself up in other places of work connected to the bullfight from the  sidelines. One such endeavor was the creation of a bull ranch, but such was marred by the superstitious, giving his bulls a dreaded reputation from the onset. When the animals made their debut in a  Spanish bullring for the first time ever, one of them killed a man. The incident took place as the rising novillero, El Zorro, placed a sword in his animal. The thrust killed the bull, but the dying beast drove a horn into his stomach and intestines. The torero died in the infirmary a half hour afterward.

While he continued to breed fine animals for years, the fatal goring made many toreros afraid to face his bulls.

Pepe Vazquez personally survived over two decades in the bullring. He outlived his competitors to the man, including Manolete, Marcial Lalanda, Dominguin, Arruza, Gitanillo and the Bienvenidas.

His death was mourned by not only those old enough or remember seeing him in action, but many newer aficionados who did not know him, but only of him.

He was truly one of bullfighting’s most beloved personalities.

The recent Madrid showing was made all the more spectacular when considering the elements. Silveti, along with his alternates, Bautista of France and Alamo of Spain, faced bulls in a tremendous  rain storm which turned to hail. The three matadores split the awards between them, cutting an ear apiece in front of what may be considered the toughest audience in the world.

Bullfighter Diego Silveti excelled with his first bull of the afternoon, performing well with the capote and giving a long showing with the muleta, which included the pendulo, a family trademark where he shifts the lure behind his back in a pendulum motion. An effective kill summed things up and won the forenamed ear.

As Silveti fought, the arena floor resembled a sea of mud, covered with hailstones and puddles which made performing all the more difficult. At various tines, the bull paused to shake hail pellets out of its fur.

As far as personal history goes, Silveti has been recognized prior to this as an oncoming phenomenon. He took the alternativa in Gijon in 2011 and confirmed the same in 2012. He has been triumphant before on both Spanish soil and in his native Mexico, where Mexico City, Guadalajara and Aguascalientes have been scenes for magnificent showings as of late.

Diego Silveti is the son of the ill-fated David Silveti, who committed suicide some years back, Though the truth may never be known, many contribute this man’s death to depression over a forced retirement from bullfighting, due to repeated goring’s in one leg. During  the 1980′s and 1990′s, David was an international star but multiple goring’s took their toll on him both physically and mentally. Watching Diego in the ring is in many ways like seeing the father return from the grave, due to extreme similarities in style.

In any case, look for Diego Silveti to receive a number of new contracts in Spain based in his recent Madrid showing alone. Look for him to return to Las Ventas as well.

The momentum has been set. The Madrid bullfight world hopes he will keep it going.

]]> http://www.bookespana.com/diego-silveti-returns-to-spain/feed/ 0 http://www.bookespana.com/taxis-in-madrid-getting-around-madrid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=taxis-in-madrid-getting-around-madrid http://www.bookespana.com/taxis-in-madrid-getting-around-madrid/#comments Wed, 22 May 2013 23:10:24 +0000 tom.valentine http://www.bookespana.com/?p=1028 Taxi’s in Madrid

Taking a taxi in Madrid is a very good decision in almost every situation. As the city centre is not huge, you can get to many places for less than 10 euro. The taxi service in Madrid is also safe because it is well regulated by the City Council, so it is not easy to get  scammed.

How to recognize a taxi in Madrid

A taxi in Madrid is easy to recognize: they are white coloured with a red band crossing the car in a diagonal way. They also have a sign on the roof of the car with the word ‘Taxi’: when the vehicle is available, a green light is switched on, and when the car is occupied, that light is switched off. Every taxi in Madrid must display a number of identification on the driver’s door.

When you get in a taxi in Madrid, you should see a taximeter switched on so that it is calculating the price per kilometre. Other documents that the driver of a taxi in Madrid must have on board are: the license of the car, the driver’s permit, a complaints book and a list of the official prices, among other things. It is not mandatory to be separated by a screen, but many of them have it.

Prices of taxi in Madrid

When your taxi in Madrid departs, you will be charged with one of these taxes:

• 2.30 euro, from 6 AM to 21 PM, from Monday to Saturday
• 2.35 euro, from 6 AM to 21 PM, on Sundays and holidays
• 2.35 euro, from 21 PM to 6 AM, from Monday to Friday
• 3.10 euro, from 21 PM to 6 AM, on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays

 Then, your Taxi in Madrid will charge a price per kilometre:

• Zone A (urban centre): 1,05 euro, from 6 AM to 9 PM, from Monday to Friday, and from 6 AM to 3 PM on Saturday
• Zone B (surroundings): 1,20 euro, for the precedent cases
• Zone A: 1,20 euro, the rest of the days and hours
• Zone B: 1,25 euro, the rest of the days and hours

If the traffic is heavy and your taxi in Madrid isn’t moving, the driver will apply a rate per hour: 20 euro in the daylight (6 AM to 9 PM), 23 euro by night.

You can usually pay by credit card inside a taxi in Madrid, but not all cars have this payment system.

Taxi in Madrid: getting to the airport and other extras

The taxi service in Madrid applies an extra rate when the car departs or arrives to/at the airport: 5,50 euro, everyday and every hour. If the destination or the origin is a bus station (Méndez Álvaro, Av. América), a railway station (Atocha, Chamartín) or the IFEMA fairgrounds, this extra is 3 euro. Apart from this, the rates are the regular ones for the taxi in Madrid.

Radio Taxi in Madrid: how to call a cab

An easy way to use the taxi in Madrid is Radio Taxi. This is a phone service that sends you a cab after just making a call. Anywhere and at any time, and it costs an extra tax 5 euro maximum. These are the phone numbers for this taxi service in Madrid:
+34 914 473 232 and +34 914 475 180.

Besides, the sector of taxi’s in Madrid have developed other ways to call a cab. One of them is MyTaxi, an app that is available for smartphones and tablets of Android and iOS. This app lets you make a reservation, consult routes and other interesting services related to a taxi’s in Madrid.

There is a fair in Madrid that kicks off the season of art, awaited by the professionals of the sector and loved by collectors. Its name is Summa and fills a gap that was in the calendar after the summer: this event will be held from September 19^th to 22^nd.

The mission of Summa is to gather the most innovative artists of the country and abroad and introduce them to the collectors, a kind of art consumers that is always growing. That’s why this fair in Madrid focuses on the luxury market and looks for new ways to express feelings and visions of the world, using of course the new technologies.

Photography is a discipline that stands out in this fair in Madrid. One of the sections of the event will be MadridFoto in its fourth edition, as well as another section focused on Design. In order to exhibit the best pieces of the moment, Summa has a Selection Commitee composed by experts coming from different countries.

This fair in Madrid will be held in Matadero, a space dedicated to modern art and located southward. The best way to get there is by subway, getting off at Legazpi Station (Line 3 and 6). The General Admission ticket costs 15 euro.

Spain is one of the most important countries in the production and consumption of rum. That’s why Spirit Cane has decided to organize a congress in Madrid about this drink, called Congreso del Ron 2013, to be held from June 4^th to 7^th.

This congress in Madrid will gather the most important brands of the sector, coming from all the countries that produce rum, one of the most consumed alcoholic drinks in the world: 22 million boxes or 9 litres per year in Europe, where France, United Kingdom and Germany stand out as the main consumers.

Congreso del Ron 2013 has scheduled several activities in this congress in Madrid. For example, conferences about production methods and trends, given by professionals of the sector. There will also be a challenge between some of the greatest bartenders of Spain, who will show how to prepare a cool rum cocktail. Visitors will be able to try different rums in a competition of tasting.

Congreso del Ron 2013 will be held in Silken Puerta de América Hotel, one of the most exclusive hotels in the capital. The nearest Metro Station is Cartagena (Line 7). This congress in Madrid is a perfect event to feel the difference between all the brands and know how to prepare and enjoy a rum cocktail.

]]> http://www.bookespana.com/discover-rum-at-the-congreso-del-ron-2013/feed/ 0 http://www.bookespana.com/the-madrid-metro-subway/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-madrid-metro-subway http://www.bookespana.com/the-madrid-metro-subway/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 06:44:46 +0000 tom.valentine http://www.bookespana.com/?p=1014 Metro in Madrid

The Metro in Madrid (subway) is the easiest way to move around the city. It’s a relatively cheap mode of transport and also fairly frequent too. The Madrid Metro is also clean and safe, as well as very extensive, covering much of the city, so you can get to almost everywhere by tube.

The network of the Madrid Metro System has 238 stations on 12 lines (plus one shuttle and a tram system) and almost 300 kilometres of rail-roads  That makes it the second largest network in Europe and the sixth largest in the world, only behind Shanghai, London, New York, Moscow and Tokyo. The Metro in Madrid moves about 2.5 million passengers per year.

Lines and distribution of the Madrid Metro

The network of the Metro in Madrid includes 12 lines, one shuttle and 3 lines of  tram, called Metro Ligero. Each line is numbered and represented by one colour.

Currently, the Madrid Metro lines consist of:

• Line 1 (light blue): Pinar de Chamartín – Valdecarros
• Line 2 (red): Las Rosas – Cuatro Caminos
• Line 3 (yellow): Villaverde Alto – Moncloa
• Line 4 (dark brown): Argüelles – Pinar de Chamartín
• Line 5 (light green): Alameda de Osuna – Casa de Campo
• Line 6 (grey): Circular
• Line 7 (orange): Hospital del Henares – Pitis
• Line 8 (pink): Nuevos Ministerios – Airport (Terminal 4)
• Line 9 (purple): Mirasierra – Arganda del Rey
• Line 10 (dark blue): Hospital Infanta Sofía – Puerta del Sur
• Line 11 (dark green): Plaza Elíptica – La Fortuna
• Line 12 (light brown): Circular (Metrosur)
• Shuttle, called ‘R’ or ‘Ramal’ (white): Opera – Príncipe Pío
• Metro Ligero Line 1(light blue): Pinar de Chamartín – Las Tablas
• Metro Ligero Line 2 (purple): Colonía Jardín – Estación de Aravaca
• Metro Ligero Line 3 (red): Colonía Jardín – Puerta de Boadilla

The Metro in Madrid covers all the territory of the city and also extends to other cities located in the surrounding areas, such as Coslada and San Fernando (Line 7), Rivas and Arganda del Rey (Line 9) and the main cities of the south thanks to Metrosur (Line 12): Alcorcón, Leganés, Fuenlabrada, Móstoles and Getafe.

General and special fares of Metro in Madrid

The price of the Madrid Metro has increased a lot in the last years but it is still considered to be cheap.

Current fares are as below:

 How much is a metro ticket in Madrid?

• Single ticket: 1.50 euro for 5 stations (plus 0.10 euro each additional station, up to a max of 2 euro’s)
• Combined ticket (Madrid Metro and Metro Ligero): 3 euro’s
• 10 journey ticket: 12.20 euro’s
• Combined 10 journeys ticket: 18.30 euro’s
• Ticket to the airport: from 4.50 euro’s, depending on the station of departure

There are special passes for tourists to travel on the Metro in Madrid. Prices start from 8.40 euro’s (1 day) to 70.80 euro’s (7 days), which include unlimited journeys.

There also are special monthly passes for the Madrid Metro from 54.60 euro’s (35 for young people and 12.30 for the elderly).

Metro in Madrid at night: timetable

The Metro in Madrid doesn’t run24 hours a day, but its timetable is still extensive. It starts at 6.00 AM and finishes at 2.00 AM. The last Metro trains in Madrid depart at 1.30 AM from the first station on the line.

At night there is a service called ‘Buhometro’ that replaces the Madrid Metro service: the route of each line is covered by bus overground, except for a few sections with low demand in the outskirts of the city. This Madrid Metro service  is available on the nights of Friday, Saturday and on the eve of major public holidays.

Although he is only 31 years old, Fernando Alonso’s life and career will be the subject of an exhibition in Madrid. The Spanish driver, a member of Team Ferrari, has announced the news in his Twitter profile, confirming that this exhibition in Madrid will be ready by the end of the year.

Fernando Alonso – Exhibition in Madrid

The place chosen for this exhibition in Madrid will be the Canal Art Centre, a gallery that usually hosts significant historic events and Culture, but rarely exhibits sport related subjects. On this occasion, Fernando Alonso will display objects of great importance to his career, such us the first kart’s and prestigious trophies.

This exhibition in Madrid will also display photos showcasing the entire career of Fernando Alonso, especially since he got to Formula 1, being the youngest driver to reach pole position and winning a competition, both achievements while with Renault. Nowadays, Alonso is fighting to win his third World Championship, the first one with Ferrari, trying to get over the dominance of the German Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull).

The Canal Art Centre is located in Paseo de la Castellana 214, close to Plaza Castilla Metro Station (Line 1, 9 and 10).

Spanish fans of Selena Gomez will rejoice! The Latin artist has announced the date of her concert in Madrid. It will be held on September 12^th at the Palacio de Vistalegre, a big enclosure with a capacity of 15,000 fans. Even so, it is likely to be insufficient to accommodate all the people that are eager to watch the show.

This concert in Madrid is just one part of Selena Gomez‘s world tour. This tour will start in Vancouver on August 14^th and will take her to other cities in Canada, like Montreal. Then, the singer star will cross the Atlantic and visit European cities full of her fans, such as Stockholm, Amsterdam, Paris and Madrid, finishing back in some of the main cities of the United States, such as Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles.

The most recent album of Selena Gomez is ‘Come And Get It’. As she admits, this is her most mature work: “My music has grown up and I want my fans to see it”, declared Gomez before her concert in Madrid.

The Palacio de Vistalegre is located in Calle Utebo 1, not very far from Vista Alegre Metro Station. Ticket prices start at around 35 euro’s.

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