I am so thrilled! Going to Madrid next weekend for 3 nites with a few friends. This just came up and couldn't pass it up. Now was wondering if anyone in Madrid now knows of any plays or museum exhibits that are MUST SEES. We all have lived in Madrid and have our favorites to do, eat and see , but was just wondering if there is something that is happening NOW that cannot be missed. I have been looking in the Guía del ocio, but nothing has really hit me. Any suggestions? Antonio? anyone? gracias.

I've been monitoring responses to your post and it's a bummer that no one has responded. I say that because when I log in to www.usairwaysvacations.com , I can get a package from the West Coast, SF, to Madrid for 3 nights over the MLK long weekend, for about $750, airfare and lodging included. To sweeten the pot, if you book a package and use you MC card, you even get a bonus gift of either free domestic roundtrip airfare, $100 MC card, or Samsonite luggage. However, just like you, I have been to Madrid several times and I was trying to find some "justification" for going. So all you Madrid lovers out there, please respond to Esperanza's query post-haste!

Hello Esperanza, if you like old films there is a ciclo in the Filmoteca of old Spanish films (1930-1950 more or less). You can check here the program:
http://www.mcu.es/cine/filmoteca/programacion/pdf/enero2003.pdf
If you like futbol, this Sunday will be the famous Real Madrid-Atlético de Madrid, the bars will be crowded, I gess it'll be difficult to get a ticket.
And then the habitual things ...

Thanks Miguelito, the movies sound interesting...I will check that out. I didn't know about the Real Madrid game, so that is important information if we are in the bars on Sunday. I was thinking about possibly going to see Don Juan Tenorio. Has anyone seen the current Madrid production?

I don't know if it is still there, but "My Fair Lady" in Spanish was playing at a theater on the Gran Via near Plaza de España. It was incredibly good. Fully up to New York or London standards.
Hopefully the Madrileños who monitor this board can report on its existence.

In Hertford, Herriford or Hampshire, hurricanes hardly happen becomes...en un jardín Japonés hay una jaula...

Buena suerte

Lee

I still can't believe that I will be in Madrid in two days! patatas bravas , chocolate con churros , las rebajas en el Corte Inglés , el Rastro el domingo , El Espejo ( calle Recoletos) my head is going crazy...I couldn't sleep last night just thinking about this weekend. Yeah! Madrid.

Esperanza,

I just wanted to tell you that we all wish you have a TERRIFIC TIME while you're here!

I have a culinary suggestion....since the weather is SOOO COLD these days....how about a nice 'cocidito madrileño'?
(My British bf prepared one last weekend, and it was MMMMMMMMMMMMM....

Hi Esperanza,

My sis was just here for 3 weeks. There are lots of art expositions around. At the Santander Foundation, right by the Villa Magna Hotel on Calle Marques de Villa Magna there's the Lazaro Galdiano collection showing. Small musuems are nice too if you haven't seen them all: The Decorative Arts Museum, The Sorolla Museum, the Bearfoot Nuns Convent (Descalzas Reales - it sounds weird, but really nice). Also, the Prado and Reina Sofía both have the excellent permanent plus visiting stuff and so does the Thyssen.

Enjoy! El Zorro musical might be another fun thing?!

Val

esperanza writes: Poor Marisa! I guess she doesn't get to go this time.

I like the churros con chocolate at Toribio's Churreria on the Plaza in Barajas pueblo.

If Sunday is a nice day, I would recommend a visit to el Parque del buen Retiro over el Rastro.

And try to use this trip to do some 'up front' research for a later student tour. You may even be able to 'write off' some of your expenses.

Have a wonderful time, Esperanza! We'll be looking forward to your 'trip report' when you get back.

Thanks everyone for your good wishes! Eddie, I think the weather calls for rain and cloudiness all weekend in Madrid. but that will not stop us! I will be with friends that I studied with in 1979 at NYU in Madrid. we haven't been all together for too many years. Yes, my daughters are pouting about not being able to come this time. But I am bringing an empty bag that i will fill up with goodies for them. Thanks Pim for your suggestions for cocido. Yum! I know the food will be a definite high point to the trip. I will tell you all about it next week.

Espe, (may I call you Espe?, my best friend is a 'tocaya' of yours )

I have no clue about the weather forecast for the upcoming weekend, I'm just hoping SO MUCH that it stays exactly how it is today....not as cold as the past few days and without a cloud in the sky! B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!!

Weather in Madrid @ http://www.MadridMan.com/weather.html - this includes several links to 5-day forecasts, Madrid live cam, and weather maps.

Have a nice weekend fling in Madrid! ¡AZUCAR!!

Whatch out MMan, too much ¡¡¡AZUCAR!!! can make you start to turn into....HABANAMAN! :p

(I doubt that could ever happen though, don't you? )

I am here and just wanted to let you all know it is AMAZINGLY FUN. I love every sight, every sound and every smell...weather was iffy yesterday but it didn´t stop us from going around for tapas. Too bad it has to end tomorrow. but, it is so wonderful to be here and to be enjoying Madrid with my friends. hasta luego.

Please share more info when you get home!! Trips like these can be so much fun!!

Esperanza: here has several suggestions. You can visit the Museo de la Ciudad (Principe de Vergara 140 (Metro: Cruz del Rayo). They have wonderful models of Madrid (El Madrid de los Austrias, all houses from Plaza de Colon to Plaza de Castilla, old "tranvias", etc.

In Centro Cultural de la Villa (metro: Colon) an exhibition: Madrid, three centuries of Capitality (it is very good).

In Museo del Ferrocarril (Paseo de las Delicias 61 there is a temporal exhibition of royal trains.

Teatro Pavon (Embajadores ,9): Don Juan Tenorio de Zorrilla (theatre) .

Teatro Principe Gran via : La cena de los idiotas de Francis Veber.

Do you like Zarzuela?, in
Teatro de la Zarzuela actually: El niño Judio.

There are several good musicals: My Fair Lady, El Fantasma de la Opera,El Zorro, Tangana (tangos)

Regards
ABP

Phew! the weekend fling is over but it was FANTASTIC! Here is a quick recap: We went Lufthansa by way of Munich on the way over. It was efficient and comfortable, and they did NOT lose our suticases so , it was just fine.

We stayed at the Apartamnentos Gran Vía, which I will write about in another post, but it was very central and just perfect. Our first day we spent walking around Puerta del Sol and went to Casa del Libro to stock up on books. I was able to get a wonderful Antología Personal with a CD of my old professor/poet José Hierro, so I was thrilled! We stopped for some delicious café con leche that just warmed our souls. Walking around Sol was such fun...hearing the Madrileños talking around me, hearing the lottery vendors shouting "para hoy!", etc. I just love it. In the evening we ventured to the Corral de la Pacheca for dinner (mediocre---but a good gazpacho) and the flamenco show. It is an enormous place and quite touristy, but the show itself was rather good.
The next day we hit Zara and the Corte Inglés in the morning and ate at Casa Botín for lunch ( alcachofas salteadas con jamón, setas segovianas, and cochinillo asado...scrumptious!) Botin's has such good memories for us...it was wonderful to be there. We hung around the Plaza Mayor for a while and then down to Plaza Santa Ana for Café Irlandés in a wonderful café on the plaza. We were there for ages...my friends and I hadn't been all together for 15 years...lots to catch up on. and what a place to be. That night we had some rain, yet we went for tapas all around the Plaza Santa Ana and Sol. Most memorable are the pimientos de Padrón. I adore them!

Sunday we were off to the Rastro in the morning...quite empty in January! and we got some goodies there. We went to the Museo del Jamón ( how could you not go to the Museo del Jamón when you are in Madrid? )and it was SOOOOO good. We went for lunch in a simple pub nearby that was quite good, but I don'tr remember the name. Although I wanted to see a play or movie, we never did get to do that...we ended up visiting with some other friends who live near Pueblo Nuevo so we weren't near the theatres.

The next day we were on our way again. Again thru Germany to get home to NY, a long yet comfortable trip back.

Thanks for your encouragement and for indulging me everyone. P. S. I brought home so many things for my daughters, that although they were a bit envious of my trip, they were able to handle me being away. I now have Fanta de limón in my fridge...and conguitos...and Paladín chocolate ...and Vda de Solana caramels, etc.

Glad you enjoyed your 'weekend fling.' Sorry you didn't get to visit el Parque del Buen Retiro Sunday morning.

I hope you didn't put the Paladin in the 'Fridge!'
I mentioned on an earlier post that I had brought back several cans of Paladin (My granddaughters love it). My supply is dwindling. I guess it's time to go back to Spain for some more.

Does anyone know if Paladin (hot chocolate mix) is available in the U.S., or if it's widely available in the E.U.