Walking Through Old Town Madrid

Spain is one of our favorite countries to visit. We have visited Madrid several times and stayed in various parts of the city. However, this time, it was different. We were traveling with our parents, who are in their eighties and have never been to Spain. The aim was to find the best location to stay in old town Madrid, allowing them to participate in the fun activities when it all had to be done by foot. 

We chose an area close to Grand Via, within walking distance of Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol, and near the Metro. 

Best Area to Stay in Madrid When You Walk Through Old Town Madrid

We stayed Calle Grand Via no 48 and Apartment Gran View. It is a modern apartment with a full kitchen, bathrooms, and large, beautiful windows overlooking Grand Via. This area is perfect if you are walking through the old town of Madrid. Our parents arrived at 7 am after a sleepless night on the plane from Florida.  They were exhausted, but the apartment would only be available after 2 pm.  After both parents fell asleep on the couch in the lobby, the gracious attendant found an empty apartment and gave them the keys at 8 am.  What a blessing. There are still some good people in the world.

Fun On the Metro

Our apartment was just behind what I like to call the Schweppes building and easily reached from the Metro stop at Callao. Since we had no car, we depended on the Metro for longer distances and walked the rest of the time.

Sometimes, enjoying a Metro ride is about your perspective and willingness to embrace what is magically on your path. 

Upon boarding the train, two guys carrying a guitar, a portable amp, and a speaker got in.  Once the doors shut, one of the guys started playing the guitar while the other provided a drumbeat. We enjoyed their impromptu performance, but a lady sitting across from us was upset and expressed her dissatisfaction loudly in Spanish. Luckily, my Spanish was limited, and I could not understand a word she said. The musicians finished their song just before we reached the station. They passed around their hats for gratuity and exited the train. We assumed they went on to the next coach to perform again.

I have no problem supporting this kind of ingenuity. They provide a song and a smile for those who want to hear and enjoy it. There is no obligation to give. It is an honest but untraditional way of earning an income.

For that sour-faced lady on the train, I want to say. “Sit back and enjoy; keep your blood pressure under control. Life’s short; enjoy every moment.”

Take and Uber or Walk?

Taking an Uber in Madrid is easy. But it often takes longer than walking from point A to point B. We tested this often to see if we would send our parents with a ride-share option instead of walking. If your health allows for it and you want to make the best use of your time for short distances, walk. It is faster and cheaper than taking an Uber in the old town of Madrid.

Squirrel Hunting

When Johan and I go for a walk, he frequently complains about how I get distracted by things on the road. He amusingly calls these distractions “squirrels.” Initially, he measured these distractions in squirrels per mile, but lately, he has switched to measuring the distance in squirrels per minute.

On our first outing in Madrid with our parts, my father-in-law won the prize for spotting the first squirrel as soon as we stepped out of the apartment—literally 20 steps outside the door. That’s a new record—even for me. This is definitely not what you want to buy; there are many other nice gifts that come from Spain and not China.

It’s Not What It Looks Like 

In Spain, most people live in apartments, and many have dogs that must be taken for a walk at least once daily. You see people with their dogs everywhere, and it’s common to see male dogs lifting one of their legs to pee. While walking with my father-in-law, he realized he did not buckle his belt properly. We had to stop so that he could adjust it, which looked quite amusing. It reminded me of the dogs, and I couldn’t resist snapping a photo. He was innocent of wrongdoing, but unfortunately, I have an image that could set the internet on fire 🙂 Yes, we had a good laugh, and I realized that sometimes the things that give you the most pleasure are just next to you, not hidden in a museum.

How Much Time Do You Spend “On the Phone?’

Some of us are more guilty than others if spending time on our phones.  I loved this window display with its mannequins on the phone.  Take a moment to appreciate the window displays. Even pet stores have displays to lure you inside. Don’t rush to buy anything; instead, take a moment to admire the displays. I can only reflect back to the “good old days” when phones were for talking and not for ruling our lives. Let’s go back to rotary phones!

Nun Cookies In Madrid

One of Madrid’s secrets is finding the delicious cookies baked by cloistered nuns. Read about our experience finding these secret cookies.

An Old-Fashioned Shoe Cleaner

While sipping on our drinks and enjoying some tapas in Plaza Mayor, a senior gentleman carrying a little chair and a shoe polish kit approached us. He asked us politely if he could clean our shoes. Despite our limited Spanish, we understood what he was asking for. Most of us wore tennis shoes, but my father-in-law wore leather shoes. At first, he was hesitant to let another old man clean his shoes, but in the end, he agreed.

With our broken Spanish, we understood that the shoe shiner had his wooden stool and shoe stand for over 30 years.  However, he is now finding it increasingly difficult to make a decent income because most people don’t wear shoes that require polishing. This is a lost trade and is seldom seen in the USA.

Mail Your Cats

We often walked past this store that said “Cats Postigo.” I loved my father-in-law’s interpretation: “Cats Post I Go.” This is where you take your cats to “post/mail” them. It’s a little play on words, but fun to imagine. I have no idea what the store sells or what the business does, but I am sure it has nothing to do with mailing cats.

The Official Symbol of Madrid

The official symbol of Madrid is “A Bear Eating a Strawberry Tree.” It can be seen in the Plaza de Sol. We lovingly call this statue “bear eating broccoli” because we have never seen a “strawberry tree” this size. In Texas, they don’t grow strawberry trees that big 😊, we can only manage a strawberry shrub. I think everything must be bigger in Madrid.

Grab and Go: High-End Knock-offs!

On the sidewalks and plazas of Madrid, vendors display luxury brand products on tarps. These vendors offer products like a Gucci bag for as low as 20 Euros. How can such expensive items be bought for such a low price? Alarm bells should go off in your head. The truth is that these vendors are selling cheap imitations of luxury brand products without permits. They display them on tarps, and when the police come, they grab the ropes and run away. Another group of ingenious people trying to make an honest living selling knock-off products.

Worth the Visit Even If It Is Not Free

Casa del a Buello 

Within easy walking distance from Grand Via is Casa del a Buello (home of the grandpa) and a must-stop if you are in Madrid.  Our visit was in the middle of winter in Madrid, and their shrimp with garlic comes in a sizzling hot terra cotta dish. Just what the doctor ordered on such a cold day.  I highly recommend this restaurant. It is not cheap, but with our own abuello (an abuella) in tow, it made for a special experience.  We left with a warm tummy, a happy smile, and a garlic breath.

Turon 1880

Another stop close to our apartment on Gran Via was Turron 1880. This brand is famous for its premium quality nougat, which is a traditional Spanish sweet delicacy. The nougat comes in different flavors and with different ingredients to suit every taste. The most traditional nougat is made with almonds, honey, sugar, and egg whites. The 1880 brand is renowned for its artisanal and traditional production methods, passed down through generations since its establishment in the 18th century.

This helped to eliminate the garlic taste, and we bought enough to last us for a couple of days. 

Librería San Ginés The Olderst Bookstore In Madrid

Another free sight close to Puerto del Sol and Plaza Mayor is Librería San Ginés. For book lovers, the store has been serving readers since 1650—longer than when Jan Van Riebeeck colonized the Cape. This makes it the oldest bookstore in Madrid and one of the oldest in Spain. It still has an extensive collection of books, including rare and second-hand books, across a wide range of genres. 

It is a true gem in the middle of old Madrid town with wooden bookshelves. We have visited this place a couple of times, and every time, there has been a long line to get inside the bookstore. This is a rare find in the city, as it doesn’t charge an entry fee. It’s a perfect place to lose yourself in time, even if you are not fluent in Spanish.

El Riojano Patisserie

A couple of blocks from Librería San Ginés, close to Puerto del Sol on Calle Mayor, is El Riojano. The patisserie, with its historic ambiance, is considered one of the most beautiful patisseries in the area. The patisserie has been serving delicious confectioners since 1855 in a venue that retained its original 19^th-century charm. Antique wooden display cabinets, tiled floors, and ornate decorations offer visitors a step back in time.

The store has a royal pedigree, and the original chef, Dámaso de la Maza, was the personal pastry chef to Queen Isabella II. It is well worth your time and a couple of ounces (or pounds, depending on how much you can contain yourself) on your hips to visit this prestigious and traditional pastry shop in the city.

The shop is a testament to Madrid’s rich culinary heritage. It preserves traditional recipes and techniques while delighting customers with its sweet creations. 

Mercado San Miguel

The Mercado San Miguel is one of Madrid’s most iconic and popular food markets. It is in the city’s heart, near the Plaza Mayor. This market is a vibrant culinary hub. Visitors can explore various Spanish and international foods in a lively and bustling atmosphere.

The beautiful iron and glass structure, built in 1916, showcases typical early 20th-century architecture. It was one of the first markets in Spain to be converted into a large food court. During a previous visit, the market’s ground floor was still a fresh produce and meat market, but now both floors are filled with food stalls offering the most delectable tapas you can imagine. It was hard for us to contain ourselves and not buy everything we saw. 

The market offers a variety of stalls and vendors selling everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to high-quality meats, seafood, cheeses, and baked goods. Additionally, there are numerous tapas bars, wine stalls, and specialty food shops offering a taste of Spanish cuisine and international dishes. I loved that you could gather tapas and other delicacies and meet up with friends at a table. You can learn a lot from a person by what tapas he orders.

Pop Goes the “Eel”

As adventurous eaters, we are willing to try most things at least once. During our last visit, we tried a tapa with a bread disk as a base and a topping resembling thin pasta. This pasta was like nothing I ever had. I was surprised when it popped in my mouth, yet the taste was neutral. It was a weird sensation, and I didn’t know what it was until I learned it was called anoga or baby eel. This Spanish delicacy can cost up to 1,000 Euro per kilo, or 2,200 Euro per pound! I could buy another plane ticket to visit Spain with that kind of money. For me, anoga falls under the category of “trying something only ONCE.” Don’t judge us…we did not know.  I know this is no legal defense, but I hope it will go through as a culinary defense.

Mercado San Miguel is more than just a food market. It’s a social and cultural hub where people gather to enjoy meals and snacks, making it a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts exploring Madrid. Its central location and wide variety of food and drinks make it an ideal place to experience the diversity and richness of Spanish gastronomy.

Stop and Look Around (Kyk op, kyk af, jou broek val af 😉)

While walking through the city, take your time to appreciate the architecture. Look up and enjoy the sculptures and statues on the buildings. 

I love the mystery of the golden figure of a woman with a bow and arrow atop the Edificio Metrópolis, one of the most iconic and photographed buildings in Madrid. This grand building is located at the corner where Calle de Alcalá meets Gran Vía, two of the city’s most important and bustling streets, and close to where we stayed.

The figure is not actually a woman but rather a representation of the Greek deity, Victoria (or Victory), the Roman equivalent of Nike. The sculpture is made of bronze and covered in gold leaf, making it a striking feature against the Madrid skyline. Victoria is standing on a globe, with her wings spread wide and holding a laurel wreath in one hand and a palm frond in the other, both symbols of victory and peace.  Victoria is beautiful when she is illuminated at night.  

If you’re looking for a hidden gem in Madrid, try finding the arrows on the sidewalk in front of the Edificio Metrópolis.

There is art sprinkled throughout the city, not all of it in art museums. Below is an example of an artist’s work just outside the train station.

Oh, after you look up, remember to look down. Make sure you don’t step in the dog poo; the Spanish are not good about cleaning up after their dogs.

Chocolate and Churros / Porras

During winter in Madrid, one of our favorite treats is chocolate and churros. The hot chocolate is thick, rich, almost mud-like, but incredibly satisfying. Dipping a freshly fried, crunchy, warm churro in the hot chocolate is a delight. The chocolate is so thick you can even eat it with a spoon. If you have difficulty choosing between churros and their “fatter” cousin, Porras, you can easily solve this dilemma by ordering both.

Street Musicians

You can find street musicians all over Madrid. Some are talented and sound like they could be in larger city orchestras. Our favorite for this trip was a guy who created his own “organ” with PVC pipe. He used an old flip-flop as a paddle. It was surprising how harmonious that homemade contraction was. That ingenuity deserves a large tip.

A Photo With The Pope

It’s important to respect the Pope’s personal space, but a photo can still be taken to spread joy and bring a smile to your face.

Dress for the Season

The Spanish dress for the season and not for the weather. So if you go to Madrid in the winter, be prepared to see people in thick coats. Even on nice days that could go through as a Spring day – they still dress for the season. It’s easy to see a foreigner, they are the ones wearing shorts in February. The Spanish women love to dress, and some love to wear short skirts in the winter.  But they all wear stockings, there is not a bare leg in sight. For this Texas girl…seeing the woman wearing stockings was a treat. The Texan ladies don’t wear stockings. We only wear boots with our miniskirts.

Meeting up with Jack Daniels

View from Corte de Engles

I have been dreaming of a night photo of Gran Via, and all my research said you can get it from the 9^th floor of Corte de Engles (a store). We expected to pay for the privilege of visiting the restaurant and bar. But it was our lucky day (or maybe they changed their policies); we did not have to pay. The floor has several high-end food stalls where you can order your food and drink. The setup is similar to the Mercado San Miguel but is just pricier.  At least here, I could get several kilograms of steak in exchange for the baby eel I got at the market.

The night was cold and rainy, and we never got that perfect shot. But that is OK, it just means we need to come back on another day.

Seven Chimneys or Five Roman Pillars?

With the luxury of time and no agenda for the day, it is nice to walk in old town Madrid without a plan. We did just that and came upon these 5 Roman-like pillars. Could this be part of a story we have not yet discovered?   When we got home, I did a Google search to see what the pillars were about, just to find that the historic building was behind the pillars. The Casa de las Siete Chimeneas is known for its distinctive seven chimneys and Renaissance architecture (our photo only shows one chimney). The pillars contribute to the rich tapestry of Madrid’s historical and cultural landscape, once influenced by Roman architecture. 

So don’t judge a book by its pillars; judge it by its chimneys.

FYI – Madrid’s eclectic architectural heritage includes influences from Roman, Moorish, Renaissance, Baroque, and modern styles. There is definitely more to explore.

The Most Important Inhabitant of Madrid – Raton Perez

With grandbabies (OK, not babies anymore, but I still think of them as such) losing their teeth, we are all familiar with the US tooth fairy.  But did you know just like in South Africa, there is no tooth fairy in Madrid, there is only Raton Perez, the tooth mouse.  He is so famous here that he has his own museum and a spot just outside the Metro stop at XXX. Here kids can deposit their teeth and a letter to Raton Perez, and with a bit of luck, they might get a piece of candy or a little coin in exchange for the tooth.  Next time you are in Madrid, search for Raton Perez; who knows what else you might find during your expeditions?

Celebrating 60 Years of Marriage

We are blessed to share this vacation with Johan’s parents on their 60^th wedding anniversary.  We had fun, visiting little stores and taking crazy photos, followed by a lovely lunch at el Cogollo de la Descarga.  Read the full review here.  We had a wonderful time and enjoyed everything, from the octopus/pulpo, patatas brave (potatoes with a spicy sauce), black ink-fish croquettes to the famous Hamon iberico and their specialty veal complete. We finished the meal with the most delicious torrijas (bread pudding) and a free mango digestive (on the house to celebrate the big day).  Well done mom and dad, you are setting a great example for the rest of us!

Does it snow in Spain?

And does it snow in Madrid? Yes, if you are lucky, you see snow in Madrid. And as always it feels like we were at the right place at the right time without planning for it. Really, none of us are in charge of the weather, so getting snow in Madrid was a gift. It was cold, but layering helped, and we all survived the light dusting downtown. Looking at the news on the train station we saw the havoc that snow created on the highways.  Just like in Austin, the people cannot drive in snow. We felt right at home.

How Expensive Is Madrid?

Madrid is definitely more expensive than Valencia and much more expensive than our home base in El Cabanyal. Having said that it is still way cheaper than the USA.  Food is at least half the price of what we pay in Austin. Wine in restaurants is 20% of what we would pay for a similar product at home. Even hotel rooms are cheaper. Not to mention the Metro, which allows you to go from one part of town to the next for pennies to the dollar. I also thought Madrid was cheaper than Barcelona.

Conclusion to Visiting Old Town Madrid

We had a fantastic time in Madrid. It was so nice to see the city through the eyes of newcomers. I highly recommend staying close to Plaza de Sol and Plaza Mayor; this makes visiting the old city on foot a breeze. Traveling with Johan’s sister Paula and his parents was a treat. So don’t wait—book that ticket. A lot of fun awaits.