El Rastro of Madrid Where Rivers of People Erase

El Rastro of Madrid it is not only the “city’s most emblematic market” as the brochures claim, but it is also a unique Sunday experience where you can discover curious articles as you swim your way through rivers of people.

Every Sunday and festive occasions, thousands of people concentrate inside the triangle formed by three metro stations: La Latina, Puerta de Toledo and Embajadores, and set their mobile stores where they display their merchandise: from handcrafts, antiques and collection items, to kitchen utensils, photographs, posters and souvenirs, among other things.

Some of them sell items, others buy or exchange. Some of them offer new merchandise, while others display used articles. Some of them have fixed prices, while others prefer to negotiate and adjust their prices according to each costumer. Diverse ways to do business in an open air market that offers a non-traditional buying experience.

El Rastro inherited its name from the trails of blood that were left behind in the area when the market functioned as a meat market. Although you can no longer see the trails, or sense the pungent smell of blood; the tradition installed by tanners and ranchers to sell products derived from cattle the tradition of exchanging items in this part of the city is still alive.

In the XIX Century, the market started to become more diverse as merchants that sold furniture, jewelry and other valuable items started to commercialize their merchandise at El Rastro; eventually, more and more merchants starting coming to the area until it metamorphosed into what we know today: a never-ending array of colorful items lost in waterfalls of people that try to discover them as they float through the market.

Chulapos Parade Along Calle Mayor in Madrid to honor the City's Patron

I have few words to describe San Isidro’s celebration in Madrid, Spain.

After attending Seville’s Fair, where colors and diversity took hold of the streets, it is hard to describe the celebration of the capital’s patron, where very few people are wearing the traditional dresses.

While we walked through Madrid trying to find a place where we could see how locals celebrated this special day, we run into a parade of the Agrupación de Madrileños y Amigos en la Calle Mayor.

This group of locals were wearing traditional clothes, only sadly, most of them were older citizens. This makes me wonder what will happen to the celebration after these traditionalists are gone. Enough said. Enjoy the parade!

Laying Down in the Valley of those who have Fallen

During Holy Week, we left Madrid searching for a place where we could find peace and tranquility. Searching the web, we found a place that seemed to meet our needs, took a bus and traveled to Guadarrama and the Valley of those who have Fallen. Once there, we hiked for a couple of hours, and then laid out our pic nic in front of the Jarrosa Reservoir.

Its incredible how the landscape transforms itself after a short bus ride: the tall buildings become extense prairies and green mountains, and the noise from the cars becomes inaudible.

Apart from the trails that we hicked through, you can go to Guadarrama’s website, to take a look at the various trails and choose the ones you want to use so you can rest and realx as you walk through them.

I hope I can soon return to lay down and rest on the grass of some other corner of this peaceful valley.

I say Goodbye to Pamplona with Tears and Illusion

I left Pamplona with a tear and an illusion.

A tear because I was living in a city that made me feel at home, a place where I felt comfortable, where I was happy.

And an illusion of moving to a more diverse place, with more movement, and an open door to the working world.

When I got to Madrid I found that I continued to be happy and I still felt at home. I was still surrounded with the majority of the people who had made me happy in Pamplona. On top of that, I found a sunny city, inhabited with kind people and less contamination than what I remembered.



Madrid is a large city, with a town-spirit: office hours are relaxed, lunches are long and people pause to talk to you.

There are a lot of places to visit: from cienmas and theaters, to museums, parks and bars… And if you don’t feel like doing anything, you can still entertain yourself watching the diverse individuals that live in this city.

Madrid is a chaotic and disorganized city, where everything is far, yet everything is connected by the wonderful underground metro system.

At this time I wonder, How long will this illusion last? When I leave it, will I shed some tears as well?

Getting to Pamplona from Madrid:
Bus: Continental Auto
Intercambiador de Metro Avenida América
Phone: 917 45 63 00