September sunset on a cloudless day over the haunting 2000-year old Egyptian Temple of Debod in Madrid
–
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!
–
–
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.
–
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 your summer vacation.
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.
–
Calle Serrano along Milla de Oro (Golden Mile), with the luxury Carrera y Carrera boutique in the background
If you must go high-end shopping, head for the Golden Mile along posh Serrano and neighboring streets in Barrio Salamanca. The order of the day: Dior, Hèrmes, Dolce&Gabanna, Chanel, Armani, Gucci, Blahnik, Bulgari, Tiffany, Cartier. . .
Watch out for Fashion’s Night Out precisely this September. On that one night in the Serrano-Ortega y Gasset-Claudio Coello golden enclave, champagne and live music will partner you while you shop for fabulous items in the high-fashion demigods’ New Collections.
And if you care about rubbing elbows with some of the celebs of the Spanish fashion world, you’re likely to get that too.
–
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!
–
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.
———-
Images
> Featured image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/jiuguangw, CC BY-SA2.0
> Sun by Jenny Downing via Flickr, CC BY2.0
> Rainy day by Ricardo Bermardes via Flickr, CC BY 2.0, cropped
> Peñalara by Miguel303xm, CC BY-SA2.5
> Madrid crowd by Tom Brogn via Flickr, CC BY-ND2.0
> Prado by losminimos via Flickr CC BY-SA2.0
> Mercadillo by Chainless Photos via Flickr, CC BY-SA2.0
> Serrano Street by Antoine One via Wikipedia, CC BY-SA3.0
> Sidewalk cafe by Michael Coghllan, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped
> Bullfight by Johnc24 via Flickr, CC BY2.0
Texts, prints, photos and other illustrative materials depicted in GUIDEPOST have been either contributed by the authors of each published work or, to the Magazine’s good-faith knowledge, are in the public domain or otherwise benefit from the allowances of Articles 9(2), 10, 10(bis), and applicable others of the Berne Convention for the Protection of literary and artistic works.