FACT FILE
History on THE STREET: 1 The royal Palace of Madrid is a popular tourist destination 2 A flamenco theatre promising wholesome entertainment to tourists 3 regal entry to Madrid 4 The city will astound you with its breathtaking architecture 5 An elaborately done exterior of a building 6 statue of King Philip III at Plaza Mayor 7 statue of Goya overlooking the Prado Museum 8 Paella, one of the staples of spanish cuisine 9 The santiago Bernabeu stadium, home of real Madrid 10 A traditional flamenco performance will leave you spellbound ping and feet kicking as the tempo increases. No problem if the lyrics are not understandable — the body movements and facial expressions of performers are good enough to charge up the emotions of spectators, irrespective of where they come from. After the show, the venue manager tells me, “You can give the bullfight a miss, but you can’t leave Madrid without experiencing flamenco in style!”
While I agreed, I have to say that Madrid has other attractions that also demand mandatory attention. For example, a Madrid visit will remain incomplete without browsing the generous art collection of the 16th and 17th century Spanish Royals, now displayed at t he Museo Nacional del Prado. The 197- year- old institution is one of world’s premier art galleries that exhibits works of several celebrated European artists from the medieval and Renaissance periods. The long list includes famous names — from Raphael and Titian to Rembrandt and Rubens. However, what specially lures art aficionados here are the works of Goya, Velázquez and El Greco, three prodigious sons of Spain, who were regularly commissioned by the royals to create art that continues to stun the modern generation.
Madrid lives as a royal city ever since it became the capital of the Spanish Empire in 1561. So it’s not unusual to see royal emblems such as statues of former monarchs, monuments, fountains, gates and noble houses powdering the cityscape. Most significant is the Palacio Royal, a lavish 3,000- room regal residence built in 1755 on the site of a medical citadel that crashed to ashes after a devastating
fire. The present king doesn’t live here, but the venue is regularly used for royal events and state functions. A part of the palace is open for the public, and provides a great opportunity to get a taste of Spanish royal lifestyle and see some outstanding samples of art.
The palace is located within walking distance from Plaza Mayor, where the city’s heart has been beating since the 15th century. Surrounded by old buildings with ornamented balconies, it’s a portico- lined paved space with nine arched entrances. The equestrian statue of the 17th century monarch, Philip III, at its centre is one of the most valuable works of art to be found on the streets of Madrid. Most visitors begin their Madrid itineraries from this plaza, after obtaining all necessary information and a copy of the city map from the Madrid Tourism Centre located in the historic Casa de la Panadería building. The eye- catching murals on the facade of this edifice represent mythological figures connected with the history of Madrid.
Plaza Mayor started out as a marketplace, then became a venue for bullfights, carnivals, coronations and important ceremonies of imperial Madrid. Nothing of this nature happens anymore; the quarter today is a great place for meeting, socialising and fine dining. The city’s most eloquent restaurants and tapas bars, serving authentic Spanish cuisine, are all pinned here. Some of them are over a century old, like Los Galayos, which has been operational since 1894. After dining there, I had no hesitation to bestow five ticks for their paella, the Spanish national dish of rice, seafood and meat cooked over an open fire.
While dining there, my focus on food gets suddenly interrupted by a loud roar from another table occupied by a large group of locals. Noticing my disconcerted face, a waiter passing by tells me, “They are just talking about football!” I then realise that, like Rio in Brazil or Milan in Italy, I am in a football- crazy city. No football fanatic will let visitors leave their city without visiting the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the home of Real Madrid, one of the top football clubs in the world. It’s a site of pilgrimage for them. Guided tours are available there to provide many examples to justify the football craze of the city — and its people.
So finally, it doesn’t matter whether it’s bullfight or football: Madrid has something for everyone.
wknd@ khaleejtimes. com