September sunset on a cloudless day over the haunting 2000 year old Egyptian Temple of Debod in Madrid
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By Jack Wright
Save your umbrellas for wet cities elsewhere. Chances are that in Madrid you’ll get six days of rain in the whole of September and only 20 mm! That’s nothing but the heavens going through the unconvincing motions of sprinkling.
What Madrid is not is a wet blanket!
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Madrid is a major European capital with cultural offerings for the season on a par with its status. For example, the Teatro Real, one of the most important opera houses in Europe, is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2016-2017 with an impressive line-up of operas beginning with Verdi’s Othello from 15 September to 3 October.
And there’s the Gran Via whose theaters will make your visit memorable. You can still catch The Lion King in its Spanish version (El Rey Leon), a monumental production!
The half-mile Paseo del Arte (Art Walk), where the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofia Museums are located, is arguably the world’s greatest concentration of awesome art. Unbeatable outdoor setting. Tree-lined. Old historic trees.
It isn’t culture-ish. But you’ve got to spend a night at the discos. They simply vibrate with enormous energy.
Try the Teatro Kapital for size. It isn’t by far the only great disco-theater that makes Madrid nightlife pulsate like no other but it’s true that it’s one of the biggest favorites, what with its themed bars and clubs (Cheers!) and lots of space to dance up and down its seven floors.
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Madrid is a city where you can give your wardrobe a Fall overhaul without making a great big dent on your bank book which is doubly great if you’d been splurging gleefully during summer.
Madrid is beginning to earn a well-deserved reputation for outlet shopping. For example, there’s the Las Rozas Village for top international and local brands at enormous discounts, awarded the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.
In September the mercadillos (open air markets) will begin to sprout. In their own way, these are harbingers of Christmas, even though the sunny days seem to say that’s still way off. Here’s your chance to shop to your heart’s (and pocket’s) content!
Major chains (Zara, Mango, Springfield, C&A, H&M . . .) are right on Gran Via. Perfect for shopping binge.
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When is the best time, and the best place, to enjoy your tapas if not in the Fall out on the plazas and sidewalks of Madrid, morning, noon, night, and dawn!
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Bullfight in Madrid. The Barrera is the bullring’s front row, the most expensive section of which is the one in the shadows (Barrera de Sombra) since bullfights are held in the afternoon when the sun could cause great discomfort
If the cartel is really good, and you’re ready to shell out €135.50 to €147.50 to watch from the Barrera de Sombra, you might get lucky and sit beside King Emeritus Juan Carlos of Spain, savvy and unrepentant bullfight aficionado.
Did you miss the famous running of the bulls in Pamplona? You can still join a festival in some pueblos of Madrid.
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Images
Featured image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/jiuguangw, CC BY-SA2.0
Sun by Jenny Downing-Flickr, CC BY2.0
Rainy day by Ricardo Bermardes-Flickr, CC BY 2.0, cropped
Peñalara by Miguel303xm, CC BY-SA2.5
Smiling male by Luis Guerrero-Flickr, CC BY2.0
Madrid crowd by Tom Brogn-Flickr, CC BY-ND2.0
Theaters from the Teatro de la Luz website
Prado by losminimos-Flickr CC BY-SA2.0
Mercadillo by Chainless Photos-Flickr, CC BY-SA2.0
Sidewalk cafe by Michael Coghllan, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped
Bullfight by Johnc24-Flickr, CC BY2.0
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