Updated 10/2/2026 On Ash Wednesday, while much of the Catholic world begins its solemn observation of Lent, the streets alongside Madrid’s Manzanares River erupt in a boisterous bacchanal. The Burial of the Sardine (Entierro de la Sardina) stands as one of the city’s most enigmatic festivals, where religious tradition meets carnival spirit in a uniquely […]
What are typical mealtimes in Madrid? Mealtimes in Spain can drive you crazy, especially if you arrive at a restaurant ravenous, only to find the kitchen won’t be open for an hour yet. As Madrid is always full of tourists, there will be places willing to serve you lunch at 12pm. Unfortunately, these are often
What is a gato? Gato means cat in Spanish but in Madrid, it also refers to someone who can count their ancestry back two generations within the city. This means that both their parents and grandparents were born and raised here. While there’s a little bit of debate on whether this should be on both
It’s 11 pm and all is clear The call of the sereno or nightwatchman was a sound that was a familiar part of the acoustic patina of Spain’s city streets for more than 200 years: “Son las once y sereno” (It’s 11 pm and all is clear). For most, this was a reassuring sound informing
This August, Spain’s women’s team won a huge victory, not just in the realm of football but over sexist machismo attitudes in sport. To celebrate, I wanted to take a moment to honor the brave women in Madrid’s history who stood up for themselves during tumultuous times. Give it up for Madrid’s female heroes! The
Home alone This summer finds me home alone or, as the Spanish would say, “de Rodríguez”. With my husband off on holiday, I’ve been left free to roam the sizzling streets of Madrid, to stay out late, to daydream and to wonder exactly where this phrase “estar de Rodríguez” came from. My research first took
The murder of a 15-year-old boy earlier this year might have left many wondering if Madrid was a safe city to visit. This machete attack was particularly shocking as it took place outside a nightclub on Calle de Atocha right in the centre of Madrid. Reported widely in the English language press, the incident led
Nobody knows quite why Philip II moved the royal court to Madrid back in the 16th century, but one credible theory is that its location, right at the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, made it the perfect spot to rule from. Only, if this was his true motivation, he was ever so slightly off.
The story of Madrid’s colonias When Madrid’s city walls were demolished in 1868, a construction boom got underway, with smart apartment blocks springing up all over the place. Areas like Salamanca took on a distinctly Parisian feel as the wealthy moved into grand flats furnished with every modern convenience. But little provision was made for
Madrid’s Colonias: Social Housing to Hot Property Read More »
The exhibition “Las Pequeñas Cosas“, on in the foyer of UNED until January 31 (but closed over the holiday period) is part of Mapas de Memoria, a project that couldn’t have been realised before the Ley de la Memoria Histórica was passed. During the transition to democracy, a political consensus to leave recriminations aside in
