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it) mitt
Madri enos madnese
Let it all hang out in Madrid, Spain’s buzzing capital. “."Jiitrlui Mererid Williams
I all \tartx to go urong “hen lll_\ eoinpanion Kat l‘eelx her
trouxerx rip in l.uton .-\irport. \otieing her hottoni lip \tiek
out. I a\k her “here the hole\ are. 'l)o\\tt there.’ \he mt.“ through gi‘itted teeth. We both knou \he\ ottl) brought the one pair and \\ill ha\ e to parade around Madrid in her pantx. Well. not quite. hut \\ ith her pantx \lio\\ ing.
Ital}. then. that the Madrilenm don't gix e a burning paella ahout p;i\\ei‘\ h}. preterring to get on \\llll their omi
hux} lixex in the inoxt hedonixtie ua}. With a population ol
alnioxt .‘ million. Spain'x eapital ix hu/Iing: people \pill otit ol' itx man} tapax harx and ta\erna\. later in the night. or \liould l \a) later in the morning. earx are heard hooting their hornx at (iain in a l‘tl\ll to get home from nighteluhx helore the “oiling da_\ \tartx e\peeiall_\ around Sol. a toned doun l’ieeadill} (‘ireux \\ ith prettier huildingx and ten er eoekney. \Vith \o inueh part) ing going on. it'\ little wonder that the loealx need a rejmenating \iexta lllltl-illlL‘l’lltMl]. l"inding a bed ixn't important: people do/e oil in park. behind \ltop eounterx and ex en on the metro. ha\ ing long llll\\L‘tl their \top\. Shopping in Madrid ean he li‘tixtrating and unpredietahle. ll.\ lk‘\l [U ll\Ultl lliL‘ littl} \iexla period ;t\ mle plttL‘L‘\ \\ ill lk‘ elo\ed. though not at the \anie ltout'x nor lor the mute length ol time. Better to lill _\our da_\ \\ ith a \ ixit to one ol Madrid'x art galleriex or ltlll\L‘llttl\. ()r hop on Madrid \'i\ion. an unxe\) but damn hand} open-top eitytour l‘lh that‘ll let )ou oil at major attraetionx. In the grandl} dexigned Reina Sotia. _\ou'll lind \xorkx h} Spanixh artixtx ol‘ the 20th eentur} ineluding l’ieaxxo. Dali and (irix. Or take a eahle ear t’l‘eleterieo de Madrid) aeroxx (‘a\a de (‘anipo park for a ehildlilte thrill and a great \ie\\ ol‘ the eit}. You can hit the \hop.\ attemat'dx. ax tlie)'re open until 9pm. at “lilL‘lt point the \treetx eonie to life and rextaurantx heginx to till up. Dinner: :1 \ot‘e point. lla\ ing eontraeted lood poixoning in.
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\urprixingl). one ol' the eit_\'\ text \egetarian rextaurantx. \\ e aren't able to take lull ad\antage ol Madrith reputation lor eulinar} e\eellenee. ()ur hodiex eaxe in like ingrouing ltiettttil\ and the \L‘ettt til» deep-l'ried \tltlitl l‘ingx tlUC\ lillle lot" our \enxitne \lHlllttL'll\. ()ur jealoux} ol' llltixL‘ \\llU eould order tripe. pig\ ear and other \ueh traditional tapax \\ itliout llinehing groux a\ \\e looxe height on a diet ol \xater and Pl\lilL‘lllt)\.
Keep an e} e ottt lor independent \liop\ on ('alle tlL‘ l'llIL‘llL'ill'Hll: one til. \ltttll‘ltlx lt'L‘lltliL‘\l \treet\ niohhed \xith an} eleett'ti—l}pe\ \\llll \llill'P attitude\ and \harper liaireutx. liightiex \}nth\ \et'eeeh l'roin hottliqtiex in the Mereado l‘uenearral. an areade l'axeinated xx ith meathandx. leg \\;tl'lllL‘l'\ and the l’ouerpull ( iirlx.
Mueh later. the tunk} )ouhg lltilig\ \xho pi'aetieall} li\ e in thix emporium danee at \axti or ()L'ltt) _\ \lL‘tliU l\\() til the Cll_\\ L‘lcell‘t) ltigltlx \xith eool Barcelona \ihex and a t)pieal Spanixh thirxt tor pan) ing hard.
;\ rela\ing \angria in l’la/a Ma}or in the old eit}. lollou ed h} a quiet \troll through the atnioxpherie l.o\ .I\u\tria\ \hould \ettle hangmerx. Beautil‘ul haleoniex adorn the niajextie huildingx. eotitt'axting eonxiderahl} uitli Madrith neu er toner lWlUL‘l\\ in Mini Manhattan. near \etnox Minixteriox. Haek iii the old eit}. “e lind Del Sur. one ol' Madrith hex! record \lttip\ \\ ith a large \ in}l \eetion on (‘/( ~anox del l’eral.
We hold on tight ax the uni dri\ er u hi//e\ ll\ to the airport. lia\ing laughed at our ell'ortx to lind \eatheltx. l-eeling like eharaeterx in lite ('i'lr. \\ e latiin at our had luek. ()ur llltpl'L‘\\lttlt\ ol‘ Madrid aren‘t marred. lio\\e\er; itx inipaet ax a \trong. happening eit} \urpaxxex an} t'eehle ll'Ull\L‘l' lttl\ltil'illlic and it tltitlg} \H) it pie.
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Home time is 6am for Madrid's hard-living party people
They don’t give a burning paella about passers by, preferring to get on with life