Puerta del Sol in Madrid New Years Eve 2010-2011

Latest Blog Entry: "Puerta del Sol in Madrid for New Years Eve 2010-2011"

Puerta del Sol is Madrid's premier place to spend New Years Eve in Spain. Why? Because 1) it's the capital of Spain and 2) it's the scene nearly all Spaniards see on TV (or on Internet) when counting down to the new year.

People come from all over the world to eat the 12-grapes (seedless, preferably), one grape at a time and with each stroke of midnight, (IF you can hear the bells over the din of the crowd, that is) with thousands of others in Madrid's packed central plaza.
(Read on, McDuff...)

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!

Saludos, MadridMan

Its a great event to be there at least once in your life. I will be seeing replays on TeleMadrid Tv sat thus. Enjoy it.
And yes Happy New Year to you too

Let's see if I go afterall. They're expecting rain tomorrow/Friday so I'll make a last-minute call. If it's raining or looks like rain I won't go. That would be a shame because I really wanted to take a lot of photos and video of the event this year.

Saludos, MadridMan

So you peel the grapes? Does it matter if they are white or red grapes?

Happy New Year (early) from Nashville!!!!!

No the grapes are not peel, just wash them before eating ::) and they need be of any particular color, although I always use white grapes just for habits.
enjoy the event MM hopefully it wont rain. I am ready to go out too but the grapes will do tomorrow morning ::)

Just peeled and de-seeded 36 of the total 48 grapes for tonight. Man, that's a pain in the rear. Every year I say I'll buy them prepared but I never do. Plus, there's a kind of painful tradition/rite in doing it, saying goodbye to the previous year.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Saludos, MadridMan

Do the grapes really need to be peeled?

MadridMan, himself, in Madrid's Puerta del Sol just after midnight, celebrating New Year's Eve - actually, then, New Years DAY, 2011.

It was very crowded, as you can imagine, but a lot of fun too. Saw/Noticed only a few Spaniards. Most were international persons.

Saludos, MadridMan

MadridMan's own video of Puerta del Sol on this New Years Eve/Day 2011. Enjoy!

never in my life have peeled grapes, but then again at Puerta del Sol maybe they do it now for the cleaning folks so you do eat it all ::)
Back in my times there it was not done like this peeling thingy.

I had a feeling this was the reason for the peeling at Puerta del Sol
"El servicio municipal recogió 17.370 kilos de residuos, 6.430 menos que en la celebración del año pasado"

meaning the municipality collected 17,370 kgs of waste or 6,430 less than what the celebration caused last year.
cheers