Prado, Reina Sofia, Thyssen (hope you like art).

Wander round the center and sit on a terrace having a beer watching the world go by. Don’t order food in the Plaza Mayor, or indeed anywhere with photos on the menu.

Go for pintxos / tapas in Mercado de San Miguel then walk 500m to the Cava Baja street and have some more.

Retiro park on a Sunday morning.

Wander round Chueca (the gay / alternative area) and go for a meal in one of the restaurants round there.

Clothes shopping in Zara, it’s a lot cheaper in Spain.

Take a train out to Segovia for the day and admire a) the excellent trains and b) the amazing Roman Aqueduct.

If it’s this week there are probably some religious processions. When are you coming?

are you con or sin girlfriend? can you bring a bike? superb mountain biking to be had an hour or so outside Madrid if you fancied that for a day. You’re too late for skiing and in any case it’s sh*t to be honest. Another option for the great outdoors is to get the bus from Moncloa up to Manzanares el real and spend the day hiking in La Pedriza.

Or another option if its a city break: Get the cable car (Paseo del Pintor Rosales) to Casa del Campo then walk back through the park stopping off at the boating lake for a big steak and a bottle of red wine at Urogallo (if you don’t fancy steak and wine they do surprising sturdy tapas which comes free with a pair of (expensive) beers).

When are you coming? If it’s this weekend be aware that a lot of shops and all the museums will be closed tomorrow and particularly Friday and Sunday.

If it all gets a bit much there are quite a lot of “Irish”* pubs in the centre where you can get a pint and watch the Premier League – seems a bit of a waste to go abroad and then do the same as at home but if things get tense it could be a lifesaver 🙂 Email me if you’re desperate and need directions!

* quotes as most of them are about as Irish as I am, ie not at all.

ah the weather will be nice – try to find time for one of the many roof terraces in Madrid. There’s a good one at hotel Oscar, another (less well known one) on Hotel Las Letras and then there’s the daddy of roof terraces on Hotel Me.

My Bro lives in Manzanares, I will be there again in 8 weeks. Brilliant place. Great countryside. Great bars and eating in Madrid. Pretty cheap.

C