Header

Real Jardin Botanico (Botanical Garden in Madrid)

June 18th, 2010 | Posted by sawidner in Stephanie | What's Happening Madrid - (1 Comments)

While living in Madrid, one thing that my husband and I enjoy doing on a sunny Sunday afternoon, is strolling through the Real Jardin Botanico in Madrid.  Conveniently located next to the Museo de Prado, the garden offers a nice quiet refuge in the heart of the city.

On our first visit (last November), we were pleasantly surprised to find plants still in bloom and trees with leaves of gold and red hues.  The golden Ginko trees in the fall were one of our favorites, along with the large vegetable garden with every gourde imaginable on the vines.  Our second visit in May rewarded us with new rose buds and a large tulip, daffodil, and lily display.

Besides the ever changing floral exhibits, they also have different visual arts exhibits.  Currently there is a photo exhibit, Photoespana, running through July 25th, and a sculpture exhibit, Aequibrium Naturaleza en Equilbro Esculturas de Jose G. Onieva, now through June 30th.  They also have their permanent exhibits of cacti and palms, which I admit makes me homesick for Hawaii.

The garden also prides themselves on various educational opportunities for both children and adults.  During the month of July, they have a daycamp for kids, this year the theme is Biodiversidad vegetal; Biodiversidad cultural.  They also have a Science Week or Semana de la Ciencia, usually the second week in November with various visual exhibits and lectures.  In their medicinal garden they are constantly researching and instructing the public on the various uses of this special class of plants.

The other thing I like about this garden is its open year round and until 9pm in the summer and their admission is only 2.50 euros for general, and 1.25 euros for students with i.d.  A good place to walk off a large lunch during siesta, take visitors, or just beat the summer heat.

Real Jardin Botanico Plaza de Murillo, 28014 Madrid, España 914 203 017 Metro Atocha

Wine Bars and Shops in Madrid

June 11th, 2010 | Posted by sawidner in Food and Restaurants | Lifestyle | Stephanie - (3 Comments)

After tasting some wonderful wines in the Rioja region of Spain, we decided to explore some of the wine bars and shops in Madrid.  We found that most of the wineries ship their wines to various bodegas in Madrid.

First off, I would start at Lavinia where you can compare wines from Spain with other wines from around the world.  Here, they have a least 10 reds and 4 white wines to try ranging from 2 euros to 35 euros per 2 oz tasting.  I especially like their debit card that allows you specify the amount you want and then you can taste at your leisure from their automatic dispensers.  I found the Spanish wines here to be able to hold their own when compared with some of the French and Australian wines.  They also have a restaurant upstairs that offers food and wine pairings.

Another wine shop that I enjoy, that is a little more cozy and locally owned is called Gonzalez in Barrio de las Letras.  This shop offers mainly Spanish wine, with a couple of Ports.  They also have a wonderful cheese selection at reasonable prices.  I’ve also enjoyed their buffet lunch they offer M-F for 10 euros and includes a glass of wine.

Last but not least the wine bars, my husband and I enjoy Miranda in Barrio de las Letras or their sister bar Amaya right next to Plaza Mayor.  They both usually have at least four different Rioja wines to taste.  Both bars have a nice variety on their menu, only Amaya’s prices are a little higher.  Amaya also has a cool downstairs area that looks like an old wine cave, and is a perfect place for a large party.  A place that the Guiris (Courtney, Jodie and I)  frequent for an occasional copa de vino or glass of wine is Lounge Coffee in Salamanca.  They have a couple different Riojas to choose from that you can enjoy while sitting on cow hide print chairs.

Information:

Lavinia Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 16 28006 Madrid, España  914 260 604  Metro Nunez de Balboa

Gonzalez Calle Leon 12,  28012 Madrid, Espana  914-295-618  Metro Anton Martin

Miranda Calle Huertas, 29 28012 Madrid, Espana 913 691 025 Metro Anton Martin

Amaya Plaza de la Provincia, 3, 28012 Madrid, España 913 668 207‎

Lounge Coffee Calle Ayala, 82 Madrid Espana 91 431 87 69 Metro Principe de Vergara or Goya

Fashion Do’s and Don’ts in Madrid

May 28th, 2010 | Posted by sawidner in Lifestyle | Shopping | Stephanie - (3 Comments)

Since living in Madrid for seven months, I have had the pleasure to live through three fashion seasons.  The big difference that I have noticed in Madrid vs other parts of Spain is that the madrillenos or locals dress more conservatively.

For men in the workplace, its the basic dark suit and tie.  The only thing that changes from winter to spring, is the color of the corbata or tie.  I noticed recently that this Spring most men opt for a salmon colored shirt with a solid satin baby pink tie (or vice versa) or a lavender shirt and solid colored tie instead of the dull white dress shirt and dark tie that is so common here in the winter.  Most of the brightly colored ties didn’t appear until after Easter, though.  Also, even if its 80 F or 30C outside, it is still customary to see men in a suit coat and tie.

For women, the trends go with the seasons.  Boots that are ankle high and knee high are very popular in greys, black, and browns and usually worn September-April (even if its hot outside)  Dark colors for fall and winter are very popular, but a colorful scarf or bufanda can be worn.  In the spring and summer the skirts get shorter and the material becomes more pastel or floral prints and everyone stores their boots and starts wearing espadilles.  The key thing to remember here again, is that Madrid dresses very conservatively so many women here won’t even think about wearing shorts or dresses without leggings or hosiery until June.  I noticed a local madrillena waiting at the light last week in a cute short sleeve knit dress with sandals , and even though it was 30C, she still wore thick nude clothed hosiery.  In the clubs at night, we’ve even seen young senoritas recently still in heavy tights or leggings as well.

Another little tidbit to remember is that athletic wear and swimwear should be worn in the appropriate places.  It is acceptable to wear futbol jerseys to a game, when playing, or cheering for your favorite team at a bar, otherwise you don’t see people on the metro commuting to work in them.  The same thing applies for swimwear, normally worn only at the pool or occasionally you will see young madrillenas in them as they soak up the sun in Parque Retiro.

The fashion in Madrid can be very festive and colorful, just make sure you don’t over do it, and if all else fails you can always consult The Satorialist. (Madrid is featured in Nov 2009 post)  Good luck and happy shopping!

Weekend in: Rioja Wine Region

May 21st, 2010 | Posted by sawidner in Stephanie | Traveling outside Madrid - (3 Comments)

Living in Madrid, we were excited to realize we were close to the Spanish wine region of Rioja.  We decided to go over Easter weekend since my husband found a great rate for a hotel online in the heart of wine region.  Just over three hours drive outside of Madrid is a little pueblo called Laguardia.  We arrived there late afternoon, the Saturday before Easter, and we checked into our hotel only to learn that a lot of the wineries close from 2-5pm for siesta, and/or you have to call ahead to some of the bodegas to make a reservation for a tasting.  Since we would have to wait another three hours until some of the tasting rooms opened again, I decided to drag my husband to the spa in the hotel.

This spa is one of the nicest I’ve been to.  They specialize in treatments with local olive oils and wines of the region.  We first chose the 30 min float in the warm therapy pool with soothing music and lights.  We then had a 30 min couples massage, which was nice since our muscles were warmed up from the pool.  Afterwards, we spent an hour in their large therapy pool, complete with skylights, two jacuzzis, four therapy showers, and a chilled  pool.  They also had a wet and dry sauna to choose from.  We were much more relaxed than we’d been in weeks.

The hotel arranged for a tour and tasting at one of the family wineries, just a 10 minute walk from the hotel.  We arrived at Carlos San Pedro Perrez de Vinaspre and found that we were the only two on the tour.  Carlos’ son led us down into the caves below the shop which were once connect my tunnels to other family caves and used to transport food and supplies during times of war.  Then, in the late 1800′s they realized that their mountain protected valley was perfect for producing wines.  They then closed their cellar caves off in order to prevent others from stealing their wine.  We got to smell the large original fermentation tanks made of clay and mortar, that they still use today.   Then we had a barrel tasting and compared it with a glass of their Crianza and their Reserve.  After living in Napa and seeing many wineries, this was one of the most interesting tours for us.  The father and son were proud to share their story and their good wine, and understandably so since they were awarded gold in 2008 in the International Wine Challenge with their Vinasperi Seleccion Limitada.

We went around the corner to a tapas bar that Carlos the winemaker had recommended.  Bar Velar was filled with locals watching the futbol game.  We went to an area in the back where we feasted on a lamb stew and jamon.  The glass of crianza paired well with the lamb.  Opened back in 1940, they offer over 80 different pintxos.  I also love the fact that even their house wine was a very good wine.  We went a couple of doors down to another recommendation, Bar Hiruko, which was a more modern style tapas and wine bar.  We each had another glass of wine from Laguardia before calling it a night.

The next day, before heading back to Madrid, we drove to the next village down the road, Elciego.  We stopped at the world famous vineyard Marque de Riscal, for a tour.  They are known not only for their crianzas, but for their award winning hotel designed by Nobel peace prize winning architect, Frank O. Gehry.  Gehry’s masterpiece was definitely the focal point of the tour, and really the only way to see it up close. (unless you’re willing to pay to stay in a five star hotel)  At the end of the one hour tour they reward you with one of their whites and reserve red as well.

The Rioja region is one of hidden secrets in the wine world, but is gaining notoriety quickly.  Many of these winery don’t ship outside of Spain, nor within Spain, so you have to go and savor them in person at the wineries.

Information

Pharmacies in Madrid

May 7th, 2010 | Posted by sawidner in Health | Stephanie - (1 Comments)

When moving to Madrid, health care was one of my biggest concerns.  We also went with Sanitas and have been happy with their service.  The one thing I found different with Sanitas from other insurance companies in the States, though,  is that they don’t  have a prescription drug plan. (or at least our plan doesn’t)  So, I wondered what the out of pocket expenses would be for prescriptions.

A couple of months ago I had to go to my doctor in Madrid to ask for a new prescription.  She then instructed me to take the the slip to the pharmacy, they’ll fill it, and then you keep the prescription.  That sounded simple enough.  She also said that the prescriptions here normally don’t have a certain number of refills, so theoretically you could have it filled indefinitely.

I head over to the pharmacy by our place, and notice this doesn’t resemble a CVS or Walgreens drugstore.  Most pharmacies or farmacias in Spain, are stocked with moisturizers, anti-aging creams, but no true first aid supplies.  (I go to Corte Ingles for bandaids.)  While the pharmacist is busy filling the prescription, I decide to go across the street to finish some grocery shopping.  I returned and gave them my name, but they were unable to find my order.  A different pharmacist was now at the counter and had to end up fishing my prescription out of the pile of discarded filled prescriptions.  So lesson learned, when you drop off a prescription, wait there in person while they fill it.

Most prescription drugs are relatively inexpensive in Spain.  For instance, my name brand med was half as much here as it was in the US.  They are also a lot more relaxed here when it comes to refills, you just bring the empty package back and they refill it right away without any identification.  We also found that some of the drugs that are considered a prescription drug in the US, are over the counter here.  For instance, when my husband had a bad cold, he went and explained his symptoms to the pharmacist, and he walked away with a higher dose cold tablet than what you’d find on your drug store shelves in the states.  With a pharmacy on every corner, (some even open 24 hrs),  it is much more convenient to have a prescription filled here.

24 hour pharmacies in Madrid