Spanish highs
After months of homeworking, Martin Gray finds the heat, beauty and hospitality of Madrid is well worth two weeks of quarantine
Escape to Madrid, plus 48 hours in Kyle of Lochalsh
There are some things worth two weeks of home quarantining. Madrid is one of them. Admittedly, when we booked a long weekend there – other holidays having been canned and desperate to escape the home office for at least a few days – Spain wasn’t on the UK government’s list of nonexempted destinations. Non- essential travel was fine.
Still, we weren’t actually banned from taking the plane to Spain, and as we’d booked before the advice changed, our travel insurance held up. So, with extra sanitiser packed, plenty of face masks, temperatures taken and a good read of the rules, we headed for Edinburgh Airport.
What a breeze that was – with no big bags to check in and hardly anyone around, we were through Security in two minutes flat and able to enjoy a toastie while waiting for the flight. On board, the vessel was perhaps a third full, with all the social distancing you could wish for and masks on for the two- and- a- half hour trip.
On landing at Madrid Barajas airport, the heat hit us like a brick... but a strangely welcome one. Back home it was 55F here it was 90F but low humidity meant it was bearable. We travelled the eight miles to the Spanish capital via the Metro, a
12- line system connecting more than 300 stations. A ten- journey card costing just over € 12 is worth buying – Steve and I shared one the whole weekend and still had a couple of trips left. There also a € 3 per person airport supplement each way.
After a couple of changes, we emerged at the Opera station on Plaza de Isabel II, where a statue of the 19th- century monarch stands in front of the Royal Theatre, one of Europe’s great opera houses. A few hundred yards away is the Hotel Opera, our base. A modern hotel with everything you’d expect – air- conditioned rooms, gym, wi- fi, restaurant – its biggest asset is the staff. Every request was met with patience and a ( masked) smile by staff, most of whom seemed to be called Luis.
After dropping off the bags, it was time for an early evening exploration. The sun hat came on, the shorts came out – I’d packed two pairs, and travelled in jeans, but the latter stayed in the wardrobe all weekend – and the cares of the last few months evaporated. After months of living in a shrunken world, it felt like I was part of something bigger once more.
The first thing you notice is that everyone is wearing a mask. No one is moaning about infringement of civil rights, all the young people haven’t suddenly developed asthma – it’s normal life, but adjusted. Colourful coverings are on sale everywhere, and we were glad to swap our standard black UK masks for something a little more festive. OK, it means the selfies look a little different, but it might be good to be reminded of the mistakes that made these measures necessary in years to come.
And it’s surprising how quickly a couple of peely- wally Brits can get used to being constantly covered under the Spanish sun.
So far as things worth a snapshot were concerned, Puerta del Sol,
‘ Gate of the Sun’ – a more relaxed Leicester Square – has the iconic Tio Pepe billboard, featuring a bottle of sherry dressed in a bullfighter’s jacket. While beloved by citizens, global corporation Apple were less attached, refusing to allow the neon knight to remain where he had stood for three quarters of a century when they took over the building that was his home. Taken down in 2011, the drink sign was returned to the square, on another building 130m away, in 2014 after a 28,000 strong petition. Cheers!
Our first meal in Madrid was taken at the Museo del Jamon, an eatery just off the square on Carrera de San Jeronimo. We were enticed in by the sight of jolly locals standing around the shiny downstairs bar, snacking away on tapas, surrounded by hanging hams. It’s not quite ham with everything, but an awful lot of the menu options in the upstairs
At El Retiro, people visit the Palacio de Cristal, stopping off at the monuments, listening to the wonderful musicians
restaurant favour the old jamon. After a shockingly huge, madly cheap, melon and ham starter, I had the very tasty Huevos con jamon o bacon – ham, egg, chips and salad, think Sainsbury’s cafe but posher – while Steve went for Fabada Asturiana, a gorgeous pork and tomato stew, followed by a syrupy baked apple whose name I never caught. It feels like a family deli, but in fact the ‘ Museum of Ham’ is a chain, so you shouldn’t have to go far to find one.
Saturday saw us up bright and early for a walk around the city, taking in the stunning architecture ranging in period from the strongholds of the Middle Ages to the ostentatious buildings of the 19th and 20th century. Highlights included, two minutes from the Hotel Opera, the 2,000- room Royal Palace, the largest such in Europe – and, opposite, the 16th- century Almudena Cathedral, the city’s grandest Catholic church.
Over the course of a 23,438- step day we also took in the Gran Via, a swanky, long shopping street with architectural styles ranging from Vienna Secession to Art Deco, and the city’s number one tourist attraction, the Prado Museum, which houses masterpieces by Goya, Titian, Rembrandt and Picasso and is currently open.
We beat that step count by a good thousand on the Sunday, with two walks separated by a couple of hours back at the hotel for a masks- off, cool down session. The morning saw us saunter through the characterful streets and city squares, admiring the elegant tiled shop fronts and earthier street murals, to find the famed El Rastro open air flea market. On arrival, we caught a bunch of pedlars bundling up their tatty treasures as they were chased off by police. Moral: check Covid hasn’t cancelled regular attractions before setting out.
We saw more local colour as we wandered back to the centre, as chanting El Rastro locals brandished picket signs protesting the gentrification of the area. And good on them, it would be a real shame if the quirky antique and specialist traders were priced out of the area.
Maybe a deal with the devil could help? Only kidding, but our next stop, El Retiro park, does host one of the world’s few public statues of Lucifer, his fall from Grace crowning a grand fountain – gorgeous water features are everywhere in Madrid – sited at 666m above sea level...
El Retiro is a haven in the city, 350 acres of greenery enjoyed by joggers, yoga fans, in- line skaters, outdoor fitness aficionados and... very few cyclists. For some reason, you barely see a bike in Madrid – e- scooters and even one- wheels are more popular. And it’s not like cars are all over the place, the only ones we saw were taxis, and police.
People like to walk, and walk they do at El Retiro, visiting the Palacio de Cristal, stopping off at the monuments, listening to the wonderful musicians, relaxing at the cafes and feeding the hefty fish at the lovely lake. It’s a piece of paradise in a city that doesn’t lack for beauty.
The previous day, shamefully, we ate at Mcdonald’s – it was the truffle burger that dragged me through the doors – but after the park it was time to eat authentic Spanish fare again. Tapa Tapa on the Calle del Arenal offers sumptuous little servings of patatas bravas, croquetas, albondigas caseras con trigueras and more to share. Tasty, quick and cheap – perfect – and followed by a creamy gelato from one of the Puerta del Sol stores.
Monday morning was a chance to pick up last- minute gifts for the work pals I don’t see any more. Vicens on Calle Mayor is a confectioner specialising in soft nougats mingled with such tastes as G& T, curry and popcorn. Delicious, but quarantine meant we had to eat them all ourselves – sorry, Scotsman Magazine pals!
After a relaxed flight home, I’m now stuck in the house for two weeks – a small price to pay to get a taste of one of the world’s great capitals.
Martin Gray took a package tour to Madrid comprising flights with easyjet and three nights at the Hotel Opera, Cuesta Santo Domingo, £ 536.40 for two people, arranged by Connoisseur Travel, Edinburgh. Tel: 0800 1707 233, www. connoisseurtravel. co. uk www. esmadrid. com/ for Covid- 19 advice; www. gov. uk/ foreign- traveladvice/ spain for general guidance