Travel Diaries - Madrid

TRAVEL

DIARIES

MADRID

Madrid is the capital city of Spain. It has an estimated population of 3.3 million people and is the highest capital city in Europe at 650 meters above sea level.

The name Madrid comes from the Arabic 'magerit'which means 'place of many streams'.

It is 2989 miles (or 4809 kilometers) from Kuwait to Madrid and would take a minimum of 8 hours and 45 minutes to fly there.

KUWAIT

You would fly into Madrid-Barajas Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Spain. The main language spoken in Madrid is Spanish. English is also widely spoken in tourist areas and you may also hear Catalan, Galician and Basque.

Once in Madrid, you may choose to travel by bus, taxi or metro. The metro system consists of 12 lines and more than 200 stations. It is the second largest metro network in Europe.

The National Anthem of Spain is one of only four in the world without lyrics.

Madrid enjoys more cloudless days (250 days per year) than almost any other city in Europe. It gets particularly hot in the summer and has an average of 431mm of rain each year.

The Spanish National flag is called "la Rojigualda". It is a horizontal tri-colour of red, yellow and red, with the Spanish coat of arms offcentered in the double-width yellow band, towards the hoist. Legend says that the colours of the Spanish flag are based on the bullfight arena - the red representing the blood and the yellow the sand of the arena. People of Madrid (Madrillenos) are often called “gatos” which means “cats”. According to historical legend, during the Arabic invasion, a soldier climbed the outer walls of the city with the agility of a cat.

The official symbol of Madrid is the bear. It stands on its hind legs eating berries from the madro'o tree. It symbolizes the city's growth and represents the possession and ownership of the wood necessary for the construction of buildings. It is known as 'El Oso y El Madrono' which means 'the bear and the strawberry tree'.

The well known 'Flamenco' dance originated in Madrid. However, Flamenco is more than just a dance; it is combination of guitar playing and singing as well as dancing.

The red carnation is the national flower of Spain.

Two of the most distinctive buildings in Madrid are known as the Puerta de Europa. These two identical office buildings lean towards each other at a fifteen degree angle and contribute to one of the most unique skylines in the world.

The Royal Palace of Madrid is filled with many rare treasures including weapons, paintings, sculptures and important royal belongings. It is also the only place in the world where visitors can find a complete Stradivarius string quartet. Real Madrid play their football at the Bernabeu Stadium. The club, founded in 1902, is one of the most famous football clubs in the world. The stadium currently seats nearly 80,000 people, although at one time the seating capacity was 120,000!

Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas (more commonly called 'Las Ventas') is regarded by many as the home of bullfighting.

You can learn all about the art of bullfighting at the Bullfighting Museum (Museo Taurino). This gives visitors an insight into its history and changing trends in dressing style. It also displays the costume worn by Manolete, a young bullfighter who was gored to death in Linares's bullring.

The Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid makes intricate tapestries but they are very expensive to buy.

You could visit the 'flea market' instead. The 'El Rastro' sells everything from second hand junk to rare paintings. Madrid has three major art galleries which are known as the Golden Triangle. They consist of the Prado, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. A selection of world-famous art is housed in the three galleries.

When in Madrid, don't forget to try 'tortilla de patata'. In its simple form this potato omelette is just potatoes and eggs but you can add onions, pepper or even tuna.

Quiz

1. What are Madrillenos often called? 2. What is unique about the Spanish National Anthem? 3. Who was Manolete? 4. Where would you find a Stradivarius string quartet? 5. What is Flamenco? 6. What does the Arabic term ‘magerit’ mean? 7. What is the collective name of Madrid’s three major art galleries? 8. By what name are Madrid’s 2 famous identical office buildings known? 9. What is the national flower of Spain? 10. What is Madrid’s popular flea market called?