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Caves, meat and El Molar

August 4th, 2011 | Posted by Erin in Erin | Food and Restaurants | Lifestyle | Traveling outside Madrid | Us: Author - (0 Comments)

I’ve had a guest or two come visit in Spain, and the last night before they leave, I always like to take them for dinner in the famous caves of El Molar. The non-touristy spot boasts a unique atmosphere and meat so stupidly good that even vegetarians might very well face an identity crisis.

Spaniards often flock to the pueblo about 40 minutes north of Madrid on the A1. The lower part of the town might not be anything to write home about, but up above, in the tunnel-filled mountainside, the charm overtakes you.

The caves, once used mostly as bodegas, now often inhabit restaurants. At El Bodegón de Olivares, my favorite for meat, you can cook a kilo of raw carne on a heated clay plate. The fact that you’re dining in your own personal mini-cave while noshing on fresh mouth-watering meat is just the icing on the caveman cake.

If meat isn’t your thing (which, honestly, it will be after a trip to El Bodegón de Olivares), then you should hit up La Taberna Marinera. Of its two locations (the other called El Matador – it’s connected by a cave!), this one, which specializes in fish, is an essential stop. The rustic restaurant is muy chulo, the food riquísima, and the service can’t be beat (the same Columbian waiter is always there – really nice fellow). And to top it all off, ask for a candle and they’ll let you take a little mosey through the cave. Just be sure to watch your head.

El Bodegón de Olivares: 918410000 / Calle La Cuesta 2
La Taberna Marinera: 918410393 / Calle La Torreta

Weekend in: A Spanish Pueblo

August 2nd, 2011 | Posted by JLynch in Jamie | Traveling outside Madrid - (1 Comments)

If you have been living in Madrid this summer chances are you have overheard a Spaniard talking about heading to their respective pueblo in August for the annual fiestas. As the novia of a Spaniard, it is my duty, nay, privilege, to attend the pueblo fiestas every August as well.  When Raul first started telling me about the parties in his village, I was confused as he was born and raised in the city of Valencia. He explained to me that when a Spaniard says “mi pueblo” that he or she can be referring to the village of his or her mother, father, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc.  Essentially, there is a village party for everyone.  Please note, however, this is not like your typical block party in the States…

In my case, I have only been to the party in Raul´s village (and only once for that matter) but according to Raul there are certain underlying activities that are present in the annual parties of most pueblos. The fiestas, which almost always take place in August and usually last around a week, typically include an afternoon devoted to a bullfight. Since the village I went to (population: 161) did not have its own plaza de toros, obviously, the main square was boarded up with plywood and a makeshift arena was born. We all put on our matching t-shirts, cracked open a can of Mahou and tried to enjoy the show. Now, I am not a fan of bullfighting in general, so this rowdy, village-style, amateur bullfight was a bit more gruesome than I could handle. 

Another (more pleasant) evening was spent in the pueblo´s meeting place. It is essentially a type of salón used for village parties and gatherings.  It is here that we enjoyed a long night of dancing, courtesy of the music of the neighboring village´s DJ, or Day Jota as I like to call him, complete with Spanish 80´s music and a smoke machine.  Now we´re talking.

We also spent a lot of time in the various peñas of the pueblo. A peña is a sort of clubhouse that groups within the pueblo (and their various family members that come for the parties every year) use to hold parties. We spent an entire night going from peña to peña in the village and meeting the various groups of friends. Prior to our “club hopping”, we grilled a fresh pig in our peña (face and all) to provide the proper base before the long night ahead (see photo).

In the nearly two years that I have been living in Spain, the time spent in an authentic pueblo have by far been the most “Spanish” and foreign to me. If you happen to be driving through the Spanish countryside this summer do not be surprised to see a makeshift concert on the street, a foam party (yes, there was one last year), rides, games, street vendors, etc.  If you are feeling particularly brave, you can even make a quick stop and grab a churro to take in the action.

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(Bachelorette) Weekend In: Ibiza

July 23rd, 2011 | Posted by JMurphy in Entertainment | Food and Restaurants | Janine | Traveling outside Madrid - (0 Comments)

When moving to Spain, lots of friends may ask you about coming to visit Madrid and taking a side trip to Ibiza.  Located in the Balearic islands off the east coast of Spain, the island is legendary for it’s party atmosphere and club scene during the summer months.  Popular with people of all ages and nationalities, a visit to this sunny isle might leave you exhausted, but it will be a trip you won’t forget!

I recently took the 45 minute flight on Easy Jet to celebrate the final single days of a good friend (another budget airline option is RyanAir).  As you can imagine, with 11 girls trying to cram in as much sun and fun as possible, we hit a lot of beaches, bars and clubs in our 5 day stay.  Salinas beach was one of our first stops which, while famous and beautiful, was very crowded and we subsequently thought it easier to stay on the Figueretas beach near our apartments.  This also made for an easy walk to some great bars and restaurants.

Some of the best tapas I have had in Spain came from Home Loos, a small restaurant in Figueretas run by a very friendly and helpful Dutchman.  Given our large group, he suggested bringing out a selection of dishes and we happily tucked into a wide variety of dishes that included piripiri prawns, meatballs, grilled veggies, cuttlefish and patatas bravas.  The food was delicious and a welcome respite from some of the cheesy and overpriced spots that line the beach.  For a more upscale dining experience, both Aura and KM5 delivered excellent food with a great atmosphere.  At Aura, we ate in a beautiful and very private garden … a lot of girls wished their partners were along!  Some favorite dishes included slow-roasted lamb and chargrilled squid.  After dinner, we headed inside for a few drinks and a little dancing inside the small club.  KM5 provided a more extensive after-dinner experience, with several areas reserved for groups with large couches and tents as well as a separate dance floor and multiple bars.  They also had a live singer on staff who was truly amazing!   The food and service were also excellent during our meal.  The menu included a large selection of Argentinian beef; however, my sea bass and tastes of the roast lamb were delicious!

A good spot for a bite along the beach is the newly renovated Ushuaia beach hotel.  With long tables beach-side, a DJ pumping out a bit of techno and plenty of sun, it’s a great spot for hanging out for a few cocktails during the afternoon.  I also heard that their parties on Sunday are a lot of fun with a big stage setup poolside, but unfortunately we were too busy checking out another of the islands legendary events.  Sundays at Space, one of the islands mega-clubs, are well-known and the club is packed from afternoon until early morning with partygoers from all over the world.  It’s an anything-goes environment where people wear everything from bikinis to stilletos.  The dancing moves from room to room as the night progresses and you also have the option of chilling out on the terrace for a bit of fresh air.  Be prepared to boogie and to be out all night!  Other club options include Pacha (related to the one right here in Madrid) and Amnesia.  It’s impossible to miss the promos plastered all over the island advertising what DJs will be there during your visit.

Ibiza has lots of options available for you to create your own special holiday.  A trip like mine definitely requires a lot of sleep beforehand, some comfortable dancing shoes and maybe a few pairs of funny sunglasses (what’s a bachelorette party without a little dressup??).  If you prefer a calmer weekend, check out Jodie’s post (Quiet) Weekend In: Ibiza. Safe travels!

 

Aura: Ctra San Juan km 13.5, San Lorec, Ibiza / +34 971 32 53 56 / info@auraibiza.com

KM5: Ctr Sant Josep km 5.6, Ibiza / +34 971 396 349 / +34 696 255 100 / reservas@km5-lounge.com

Ushuaia: Carretera Playa d’en Bossa 10, 07817 Ibiza / +34 971 39 67 10

Space: Playa d’en Bossa s/n 07817 Sant Josep de Sa Talaia, Ibiza / +34 971 396 793

Pacha: Avinguda del Vuit d’Agost, 07800, Ibiza / +34 971 31 36 00

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Outlet Shopping in Las Rozas Village

July 9th, 2011 | Posted by JMurphy in Janine | Shopping | Traveling outside Madrid - (3 Comments)

Since moving to Madrid, I have found lots of great shops throughout the barrios, but sometimes it is nice to get a little bit of an extra discount!  Las Rozas Village is a great option for outlet shopping and bargain hunting in addition to the Centro Commercial Xanadu that Anne wrote about earlier on Guiri Guide.  I visited last weekend and saw savings of 20-60% off retail.  It’s an easy trip – taking about 25 minutes by bus from Madrid’s Moncloa metro stop.

The shops are organized a lot like an American outlet mall, where you can stroll from shop-to-shop outdoors via the tree-lined pathway.  International luxury brands such as Burberry, Armani, Polo and Calvin Klein are represented along with Spanish clothing from Custo, Desigual, El Ganso and Punto Blanco.  There are also a few select home and décor stores, including one of my favorites, Bodum, that sells all sorts of goodies for your kitchen.  I want to buy everything when I go there!  Bodum also has a coffee shop inside and there are a few other dining options inside the village.  Check out the map below to see the layout and full list of shops and restaurants.  If you feel like a more substantial meal, there is a complex of restaurants across the street in easy walking distance.

You can get to Las Rozas via car or bus.  I opted to take the bus from Moncloa –numbers 625, 628 and 629 all drop you off across the street from the complex.  Catch them within the bus station that you can enter on the southwest corner of the roundabout.  The fare is €2 each way.  By car, you can take the A6 motorway from Madrid to exit 19.  The village is well sign-posted.

The trip is a fun and easy excursion from Madrid and they are open 7 days a week so there’s no excuse for not finding a good deal!  Happy bargain hunting!

Las Rosaz Village

Juan Ramon Jimenez 3

28232 Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain

+34 91 640 49 00

Open Monday – Sunday 10am – 9pm (including holidays); Saturday and Summer Hours 10am – 10pm.  Closed December 25, 2011.

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Pueblo Inglés – volunteering in an English immersion program

June 17th, 2011 | Posted by allisonstendardi in Allison | Traveling outside Madrid - (0 Comments)

Are you looking to volunteer? To get involved in the local culture? To see a new part of Spain? Check out Pueblo Inglés!

Pueblo Inglés operates 8-day English immersion programs for Spaniards to improve their English skills. I volunteered for one of these programs this past January (and why did I take so long to write about this? I have no idea, really). Each program has an equal number of Spaniards and Anglos (us English speaking folk), and it’s all English, all the time. From when you meet the bus here in Madrid, to when it drops you back off the following week, you’re talking. Talk talk talking.

The first morning that we Anglos met the Spaniards we could tell they were nervous. There was a lot of furious cigarette smoking before boarding the bus, along with many awkward hellos and sweet smiles. Even us Anglos were a bit nervous. It was an entirely new experience for me, and though a bit nervous, I was mostly just excited.

Throughout our 8 days in La Alberca, a town near the Portuguese border, I got to know so much about these people. From the simple first conversations (where are you from? what is your profession? can you tell me about your family? why do Spaniards love ham so much?), to the much deeper conversation that followed later in the week, this random group of people became close. We took long walks in the country, acted in home-made theater, laughed and joked at dinner, and danced up a storm. By the end of the week I could really see the improvement in their English fluency, especially in the level of confidence they showed when speaking English.

I left Pueblo Inglés with a greater appreciation for Spanish culture, a better understand of Spanish people, and some great new friends. If you’re here in Madrid for while and have the time to participate in one of their programs, I would highly encourage you to do so. Check out their program calendar here to see what dates could work for you, and get ready to start talking!

Pueblo Inglés

More than English

Tel: (+34) 913. 913. 400