(Part 1 of this three-part series had historical tour guide Marik Michalsky takes us on a tour of his favorite parts of Madrid, Spain, starting out with what to do in the morning. Part 2 showcases his recommendations for what to do in the afternoon.)
Spending the morning touring a museum dedicated the history of Madrid can work up an appetite. When visiting the city in the colder months, one dish immediately comes to mind during the afternoon: El Cocido Madrileño (Madrileño Stew).
Usually when one thinks of a stew or soup, they think of a small bowl which isn’t super filling so it might be necessary to have a sandwich on the side — but this is not that way at all. A cocido can take you anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours or so to eat. Why? Because it traditionally comes in two courses (or you can order it all together like some prefer), the first course consisting of a bowl of broth, usually containing small noodles.
The second course is a massive plate containing beef, chicken, tocino (pork fat), chorizo (spiced sausage), morcilla (blood sausage), cabbage, potatoes, carrots and garbanzos, alongside a basket of bread and a small plate of guindillas (spicy pickled chili peppers).
What better way to wash it all down than to have tinto de verano con casera (red wine with a slightly sweetened sparkling water). This is a dish found all over Madrid and neighboring cities on their menu del día (menu of the day) but some of the best places to try it in the center are Posada León de Oro or Restaurante Malacatín.
After this meal, it may be really tough to stay awake. This is when going back to the hotel to take the famous Spanish siesta (nap) is highly recommended.
It’s a very common question asked by foreign visitors, “Do Spaniards really take naps every day?” The short answer is no. The siesta is not taken every day because that is impossible due to work and school. But on days off or especially during the summer months from June to August, the siesta is very commonly taken due to the time off and, more importantly, due to the weather.
If you’ve ever been to Spain during the summer, you know that it can get extremely hot and even in Madrid reach 45º C (113º F). The hottest time of the day is usually between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., therefore during this time (some debate the exact hours) many people take a rest, whether that be napping, reading a book or watching a show.
On days off or especially during the summer months from June to August, the siesta is very commonly taken due to the time off and, more importantly, due to the weather.
When waking up from the siesta, it’s possible to be a bit groggy so a coffee or tea and a walk is probably needed. Now, it’s time to head to a great cafe called Pastora Café in the La Latina neighborhood. Not only do they have a great selection of coffee, loose-leaf tea and local pastries, but just outside is one of Madrid’s most beautiful churches: La Básilica de San Francisco El Grande (Basilica of Saint Francis the Great).
This church, built between 1761 and 1784, is filled with many wonders from the massive dome, which is the fourth largest in Europe (33 meters/108 feet in diameter), to the side domes which all have different styles of architecture and are filled with works of art done by masters such as Francisco Goya.
Once a bit of energy is gained, it’s time to explore one of the best parts of living in Madrid: the Casa de Campo (Country House Park). From the moment Madrid became the capital in 1561 until Spain’s second republic was elected in 1931, this forest was used by royalty for hunting, vacationing, growing crops and raising livestock — almost as a homestead. During the second republic (1931-36), it was changed into a public park, as it remains today.
This massive park takes up the entire west side of the city, making it Europe’s fourth-largest domestic park at 16 square kilometers, 6 square miles, 4,000 acres or 1,750 hectares. This immense area contains nature trails for walking/biking, a lake, thousands of species of plants, over a hundred species of animals and on a darker note, many reminders of the Spanish Civil War, such as bunkers and trenches.
The park also provides a great view of the stunning Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) to the north and to the east, a panoramic view of the entire west side of the city.
AN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE IN DOWNTOWN MADRID
As it’s getting late now, there is no better place to watch the sunset than from a large hilltop facing west toward the Casa de Campo and containing an Egyptian temple called Templo de Debod (Debod Temple). The common question is, “How on Earth is there an Egyptian temple in the center of Madrid?”
To answer that, it’s necessary to go back to Egypt in the late 1950s and 1960s.
During this period, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser began plans to build a dam on the Nile River. There was already a dam to the south with enough storage water for the farmers for one year, but after constantly having to expand it, this new dam in Aswan would solve the problem by storing three years’ worth of water. However, a storage reservoir that large takes up a lot of space, so much that it would actually flood an area which stood dozens of Nubian temples. Of course, knowing they couldn’t just lose all the temples and thousands of years of history, Egypt decided to move the temples out of the way to preserve them.
Starting in March 1960, Egypt, along with a plethora of other countries under the leadership of UNESCO World Heritage, began moving the temples to safety, piece by piece. By the end of the decade, over 40 temples had been saved, including the most important: the temple of Abu Simbel built by Ramses II.
As a gesture of appreciation, many countries who played a large role in this project received temples and obelisks, including Italy, the Netherlands, England, Turkey and Spain. The temple given to Spain is dedicated toward the god of all gods, Amon, and the goddess of healing and magic, Isis. It is by far the oldest structure in Madrid, built between 200 and 180 BC and is able to be visited for free when booked online.
(Check out Part 3 tomorrow for what to do in the evenings in Madrid.)
