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by Chris Collins
Based on visual observation — no formal polls here — Madrileños are more cautious than usual, even more subdued than usual, but are still struggling to keep up their inherent alegria de vivir (joie de vivre, as the French would say) after a punishing year of the pandemic. So if you’re looking to escape from the habitual grim, enjoy a spot of bright life to celebrate Valentine’s Day, and come to Madrid, you’ll find yourself celebrating with kindred spirits, as scores of young French people are finding out lately.*
For those flying in from the outside, there are fabulous Valentine deals in fares and hotels on offer.
You’d better be warned, though, that open-arms Madrileños are tolerant only up to a point; they don’t take kindly to those who break the rules against the spread of the coronavirus. The local police are on alert for those illegal parties organized in private homes and clandestine venues by scoundrels. The police could be tipped off by civic-minded Madrileños themselves.
Having said that, Madrileños are inherently fiesteros (party guys) and there are still many perfectly permissible places in Madrid where you could have a memorable Valentine celebration. Perhaps the best to be had in any major European capital. In Madrid, there are so many bars and restaurants to choose from. Many parks. Shows.
Moreover, if you’re in the mood for a romantic escapade into the Madrid mountains, outside of the capital, you can do that too. You can come and go as you please but do go check out because there are some areas with perimetrical restrictions on mobility due to the prevalence of COVID-19.
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Here are some of the pandemic constraints in Madrid:
When in doubt as to any of the restrictions, check with the police station nearest to where you are.
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* So popular has Madrid become with the French, and other nationalities to a lesser extent, the French government and the media are warning their people that it isn’t safe to come to Madrid where the rate of corona contagion is much higher than in Paris. This after it has been noted in the French media that in Madrid many shops and restaurants are open and life is “almost normal”. See related post.
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Images
>Featured image/Prettysleepy from Pixabay
>Sign/OpenClipart Vector (text supplied) from Pixabay
>Madrid park/Nicolas Vigier via Flickr, PD
>Mountain escapade/Otto Garcia from Pixabay
>Restaurant terrace (Casino Restaurant terrace) ©PromoMadrid/Max Alexander, CC BY-SA2.0 via Flickr
>Hearts/Gerd Altmann (text supplied) from Pixabay
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