Xmas in Spain - Holy Innocents Celebration

This is one of the most popular and entertaining Christmas traditions in Spain. December 28 is the day when everyone is allowed to play practical jokes and when it is customary to buy joke articles in Christmas markets.  It is a feast similar to our April Fool’s.

Its name comes from a religious holiday in honor of the young children who were slaughtered by the order of King Herod.

Nowadays the religious aspect has been forgotten and it's a day to play practical jokes. Even TV shows and newspapers are all about this topic. One of the most widespread jokes on this day is to stick a figure cut out of white paper on someone's back (without them realising). The word in Spanish for this practical joke is an "inocentada.

Frida Kahlo Expo

My question is why if it's a holiday in Spain, the Mexican Consulate is closed? It's not a holiday in Mexico. And furthermore, why is their expo place closed?  These were the questions I asked myself when I tried to see the Frida Kahlo expo at the Mexican Consulate in Madrid. Why advertise if you are going to be closed to the public?

As a Mexican-American living in Spain, I was really surprised to find that this expo was closed. We found other Americans perplexed and complaining that they had come all the way to Madrid for this expo and now they didn't know what to do or where to go.

Of course living here for so long, I had a second plan, but I felt sorry for them.

The Sixtine Chapel in Madrid

One of the best kept secrets in Madrid is this church. Most Spanish people, let alone Madrid citizens, don't know that this church exists. It's largely overlooked by tourists, although it's really close to Gran Vía.

On the outside it's very austere, almost incospicuous. I discovered it while my daughter was shopping for comics and manga.

But on the inside, it leaves you breathless. According to history, it was built in 1603 by Phillip III to house Portuguese warriors since Portugal at that time was part of Spain. Later on, its name changes since the monarchy changed. Either way, it's another example of the secrets Madrid has for those that want to discover them.

 

 

A Walk through Lavapiés

Plaza de Lavapiés

Lavapiés is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Madrid. It was a Jewish and Moorish quarter outside the city walls until the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. The name literally means "wash feet", and seems to refer to the ritual washing of one's feet before entering the temple, possibly in the fountain in Plaza de Lavapiés.

It has long been a neglected area of the city. But now it's a multicultural, bohemian neighbourhood full of bars, ethnic restaurants, art galleries, cafés and shops. Upon entering you'll find yourself surrounded by a myriad of different ethnic groups and that's the enchantment of this neighborhood.

Corrala

One building that catches the community spirit of Lavapiés is La Corrala, a tenement block, with long communal balconies built around a central courtyard. Few of these are still standing.

Eventhough the neighborhood seems a little run down and gritty, there are some interesting buildings to make your walk worthwhile. One example is the Pious Schools' Church. It was almost destroyed during the Civil War, but now holds a library and one of the best kept secrets in Madrid: a wonderful terrace on top to check out the great views.

Valle-Inclan Theatre

Following Goya's Steps in Madrid... San Isidro

Today is San Isidro's feast, Madrid's patron saint. Thousands of people take part in a pilgrimage to the shrine of the Saint, a small hermitage near the Vicente Calderon Stadium. San Isidro supposedly worked here as a laborer tending his master's fields. One of the many miracles he performed was striking the ground with his staff to let a crystal clear spring water flow from the ground. Tradition dictates that today everyone must drink from this fountain, which has healing powers. 

San Isidro's fountain

The place to see this feast in all its splendor is the Pradera of San Isidro, a meadow near the banks of the Manzanares River which is now a public park. People then enjoy a picnic, where a variety of food stalls offer all the typical dishes of Madrid.

You can find Goya's statue in the spot where it's said he painted two of his most famous paintings about this feast: "The Meadow of San Isidro" and "The Hermitage of San Isidro" both found at El Prado Museum. If you use your imagination and get rid of the modern buildings, the view from the meadow is almost the same as when Goya painted these pictures.

Books in Freedom

Whenever I visit a new city, I check out what's to do for free. Madrid is no exception. As most big cities go, it's packed with these kind of activities. But while I was visiting the Chamberi district, I happened to run into a unique free place. Its name is Libros Libres (Books in Freedom) and its put in place a really innovative concept, or is it? It gives out books for free.

With the crisis looming over our heads, it's surprising that a bookstore wants to give away books, but that's the way it works. The concept is pure solidarity and the process is very simple. You browse, take as many books as you want at no cost, or pay whatever you feel like or leave books of your own. That's it!

In this dreary economic climate we are living in, isn't it just great that something so simple as books and reading could hold the key to a better and more educated world? It's certainly an antidote for the crisis! Things that make you go hmm...

Libros Libres is located at Covarrubias 7 in the Chamberi District.

Libreria Libros Libres

Platform Zero: Madrid's Ghost Metro Station

As I was searching for a bookstore in the Chamberí district, I happened to run across a modern, steel-and-glass structure on the corner of the street that read Chamberí museum. Always keen for an adventure, I stepped into the spiral staircase never suspecting that it led down to Madrid's ghost metro station. The Chamberí metro stop was one of eight original stations that opened in Madrid in 1919, on a line running from Cuatro Caminos to Puerta del Sol. The station closed in 1966 due to the fact that it could not be adapted to take the new longer trains as the metro station was built on a curve. 

Four years ago the station was reopened as a museum after being restored to its past glory still featuring the original decoration, gorgeous tiled adverts and furniture from that era. What makes this museum special besides being free is that it makes you feel like if you stepped back in time. Of course, there are all sorts of ghosts stories surrounding this place. I didn't see any, but the station does retains a ghostly vibe as you might expect. While in the midst of letting your mind wander to a bygone era, all of a sudden you can get a glimpse of a modern train whizzing by in front of your eyes bringing you back to the present. Such emotions can only happen in a place like Madrid!