Latest Blog Entry: "Madrid Tio Pepe Sign Will Find New Home in Puerta del Sol"

News that the famous, HISTORIC, landmark, neon Tío Pepe sign, synonymous with Madrid's Puerta del Sol as much as the "Oso y el Madroño" statue, won't return to the address Puerta del Sol, 1, causes nothing but discomfort in one's heart and mind. "How can they do this?" we ask.

"Tío Pepe", the sombrero-wearing, guitar-toting bottle, went on "holiday" in April 2011, reportedly only for a few months while the building was being renovated for the new tenants, the new APPLE STORE. It seems the Jerez-based bodega González Byass wasn't aware, until now, their contract with the building's owners, Mexican family Díaz Estrada, wouldn't be renewing their contract at the end of this month. Bet that was a shock!
(Read on, McDuff...)

Saludos, MadridMan

So now my photographs of Puerta del Sol will represent the "Old" Madrid. I will hate to see the Apple logo replace it and Apple does represents a successful American company.

Apple will win, its like anything else. I just keep my tio Pepe photos for the memories of my old Madrid....

Madridman,

In your post you mention moving the sign over to the building where La Mallorquina is. Mallorquina is one of my top 3 pastry shops in the WORLD. Can't wait to get back there. Thanks for the reminder.

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They do have great pastries, so true. But I doubt the sign would fit atop that building. It has just 4-windows wide while the building which held-up the Tío Pepe sign - from 1936 until 2011 - is 7-windows wide. It'll be interesting to see where they do finally put it.

Saludos, MadridMan

It pains me to think that an American icon will now grace the Puerta del Sol instead of a purely Spanish one.

I'd have to agree. There are international brand neon signs in Times Square of New York City, but... APPLE is certainly garnering A LOT of free publicity for this. (although not the positive kind it's used to) Who knows, maybe this was all planned. In the end, APPLE may just put Tío Pepe back where he was and come out looking like "The Good Guy" - for MORE free publicity.

Saludos, MadridMan

I hope you are correct on this one!

Me too!

This gotta be a joke, right!?