Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor

Puerta del Sol

Puerta del Sol means ‘Gateway of the Sun’. It got this name because in the 15^th century it served as the city’s eastern gate when, under the Habsburg Kings, Madrid was surrounded by churches and monasteries. The sun simply refers to the sun drawn on the gate.

In terms of location for Madrid Apartments, it doesn’t get more central than Puerta del Sol. On the pavement outside the former main post office is the kilometer 0 marker. This indicates the exact centre of Spain and all road distances in the country are measured from this spot.

Facing this marker, in the middle of the square, is a large equestrian statue of King Carlos III. He is joined in the square by a 20 ton statue of a bear eating fruits from a tree which stands as a symbol of Madrid. The official name of the statue is 'El Oso y El Madroño’, meaning ‘The Bear and the Madroño tree’ (the Madroño is a tree related to the strawberry tree). However, one of the main symbols of this area is the Tio Pepe sign which rises high above the square. Long a hallmark of the Puerta del Sol, public outcry resulted when a few years ago the Pepe sign was removed. Today, visitors can view the sign standing proudly on its old perch.

 

Visit the Puerta del Sol during the day and you will see a very busy, somewhat drab plaza that houses one of the main bus transfer stations of Madrid. Return at night though and the plaza becomes awash in lights, giving the square almost the look of a fantasyland. Those Puerta del Sol shops that were barely noticeable in the daylight now seem much more inviting with their large neon signs.

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor has had a few face lifts over the years. It was originally a small market square, but was completely rebuilt by Philip II after Madrid became the capital of Spain. It became the center of festivities, bull fights, royal coronations and executions. These would be attended by as many as 50,000 spectators. It is still used today for public celebrations.

Fires have destroyed all the buildings around the Plaza Mayor three times in history: in 1631, 1672 and 1790. The restored buildings surrounding the plaza now house bars and restaurants along with novelty shops selling hats and coins. The most prominent building on the Plaza Mayor is the Casa de la Panaderia, the seat of the powerful baker's guilt. Its current design with symmetric towers dates from after the last fire in 1790. The colourful allegoric murals were only added recently, in 1992.

At the center of the square is a bronze statue of King Philip III, constructed in 1616 by the Italian sculptors Giovanni de Bologna and his apprentice Pietro Tacca. In 1848 it was moved from the Casa de Campo to the Plaza Mayor. Around the same time, the plaza was redesigned with gardens, but those were removed in 1936.

Plaza Mayor is just a two minute walk from any Madrid accommodation next to Puerta del Sol.

EATING OUT AS A GROUP

The most difficult journeys to organise are always those which have more people in them, because it’s difficult to comprise regarding what time to get up, where to stay in Barcelona, what to visit and of course what and where to eat. I’ve made a comparison of several restaurants in Barcelona with similar prices which cater for groups of more than 10 people.

The “Freeway” is a spacious restaurant, decorated very colourfully; the furniture is wooden, which gives the restaurant a traditional edge. It’s not characterised by its decoration, or for hosting the cuisine of a famous Catalan chef. However, at weekends it will be virtually impossible for you to get a table if you don’t arrive early.

The success of the restaurant lies in its quality and the price of its food. The huge selection of food at the “Freeway” is divided into a huge counter of some 3 metres long where cold meats, cheeses, olives and other kinds of starters, as well as all kinds of salads can be found.

The meat section, which is the next area we find and which is also my favourite, is made up of an enormous grill of at least 2 metres long where the different cuts of meat: chicken, beef, lamb and pork. There is a small counter in front of the grill where we can find different kinds of seasonings for the meat, including white sauce and Argentine “chimichurri” and there are two skilled chefs running this to serve you the kind of meat you choose.

Right next to the counter, you can find a freezer with all the fresh seafood, and once we’ve chosen the fish or the prawns we want to eat, the chef will cook them for you however you like them. Obviously if you’re in any doubt at all as to what to choose, the chef will especially recommend something to you.

Then you can find a counter which has all the fried food and the pastries, and we can also find chips, whitebait, squids and pies.

Well, I know a meal wouldn’t be complete with a dessert, so I think the female readers will be especially happy to know that there’s a dessert counter which has more than 20 different kinds of cakes, ice-cream etc. I refer to the female gender because every woman that goes past the counter can’t help letting out a gasp of admiration, surprise or happiness.

You can order any kind of drink but I would especially recommend the sangria because, unlike the majority of Catalan restaurants, this one has different kind of fruits inside and is delicious. Now you’ll be wondering…How much does it cost to eat in this place? Well, that’s the best thing: we can eat as much as we like, drink as much as we like (apart from ‘cubatas’ and coffee) for 15 euros during the restaurant’s morning opening hours and 18 euros during the restaurant’s night opening hours.

“Freeway” is located in the street Mallorca 182, in “Eixample izquierdo”, which isn’t very far away from Paseo de Gracia, so now you know, if you find yourselves visiting the Pedrera or the Casa Batlló, you can’t miss this restaurant which you’ll get a good taste from.

Walking the Spirit Tours

Founded by Julia Browne in 1994, Walking the Spirit have been offering in depth black heritage tours in Paris for over 15 years.

Offering a different perspective on Paris´s black expatriate experience within French culture, Walking The Spirit bring to life the experiences of African American writers, musicians, intellectuals and entertainers. This experience is enhanced by the local tour guides who love to share their impeccable knowledge of their culture in France with enthusiastic and curious travelers.

 

 

One of the tours offered is the Writers, Artists and Intellectuals tour which goes through the Latin Quarter and Saint Germain taking in the experiences of legends such as Richard Wright and Henry O. Tanner.

Another is the Entertainers tour which immerses you into the culture of black Montmartre in the 1920´s and 30´s. In the shadows of the Moulin Rouge you can take in the history of the Harlem Hellfighters jazz scene.

No tour of black Paris is complete without getting an understanding of the city´s Diaspora relations. Take in the Africa in Paris tour and learn about todays African and Arabic community.

So, after 15 years of experience, the passion of Walking The Spirit is bigger today than ever before. They love what they do, and they love sharing their experiences and culture. When in Paris, why not take some time to delve into one of the main expat populations in the city.

For more information, please visit www.walkingthespirit.com or email Julia: info@walkingthespirit.com