Madrid City and Travel Guide
Madrid – Not Just Another European Royal CityMadrid is known to be the residence of the Spanish Royal Family. But aside from being a home to Spanish aristocracy, Madrid is also important because it is where vital banking, and industrial businesses (such as metal working, food and textile companies), choose to operate. Branches of government and government agencies such as the Spanish Parliament, and Public Administration agencies, presently make Madrid their home base in Spain. More than 3 million people live in Madrid, the capital of Spain.
Festivals in MadridAs Spain is a predominantly Catholic country, Madrid (like other Spanish cities) is often the site of festivals being celebrated to mark certain Catholic holidays. Frequently such festivals of Madrid are used to honor specific Catholic saints. For example, on May 15 a month-long observance of celebrations to honor the patron saint of Madrid begins. These series of celebrations are dubbed the Fiestas de San Isidro and are considered the among the liveliest of the popular festivals of Madrid. A pilgrimage is demanded of the Catholic faithful by Madrid tradition to head for the hermitage of the saint where miraculous water is said to spout from a fountain and must be drunk by the people. The obligatory pilgrimage is made more cheerful by the presence of vendors offering traditional Madrid sweets and pastries such as rosquillos, buelos, and barquillos for sale to pilgrims and tourists alike. Bullfighting in Madrid - Feria Taurina, Plaza Monumental Las VentasThe feast of the patron saint of Madrid also marks the start of the Madrid bullfighting fair called Feria Taurina. This fair, which is conducted at the bullring within the Plaza Monumental Las Ventas, begins somewhere in the middle of May and lasts until middle of June. Later on in the year, another saint is honored in Madrid on June 13. On the feast of San Antonio, young Madrid girls pay a visit to the San Antonio de la Florida hermitage where unwed Madrid girls have to each stick 13 pins in the baptismal font. By Madrid tradition, a girl who gets a pin stuck to her finger is predicted to get married within the year. Many Madrid districts observe August 6 to August 15 as the time to celebrate the Fiestas de San Lorenzo, Feast of San Cayetano, and Feast of the Virgen de la Paloma. Sidewalk concerts, open-air dancing, and processions mark this time.
Summer camp in MadridIf you have a child aged 5 – 18 years of age, perhaps he or she would like to attend a summer camp in Madrid when school is out for the summer. Madrid summer camp is divided into the Junior program and the Teen program. Children from foreign lands are allowed to mingle closely with Spanish and Spanish-speaking children and youth their own age. Your child might even get to live with a host family in Madrid so that he or she will become completely immersed in the Madrid language and culture. You might be surprised at how fluently your child will be able to speak Spanish and converse about his stint at the Madrid summer camp afterwards.
Weather in MadridOne thing about Madrid is that it is not true that “the rain in Spain falls gently on the plain”. Actually, it rarely rains in Madrid, making it one very dry city. It is advisable to visit Madrid in the winter when, though cold, the climate is more refreshing to visitors and natives alike. Snow occasionally falls in Madrid but generally does not accumulate to allow American-style snowball fights. Bear in mind that Madrid temperatures may drop below zero degrees so get lodgings in Madrid with adequate heating.
This city is great!The festivals of Madrid alone are one reason to visit. They prove that Madrid is not just another European royal city. |
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