A Festive Few Days in Madrid – Part 1 – Spain’s Beating Heart

There is something truly wonderous about visiting a place for the very first time; the thrill of discovering new and delightful marvels is what draws us to travel in the first place. Monumental museums, their glass cabinets brimming with curiosities and unfamiliar trinkets from some other, long forgotten time beckon us inside. Inimitable paintings created by the world’s great masters adorn stark white gallery walls, like colourful jewels scattered purposefully across a jeweller’s matt, each precious gem just waiting for admiration and applaud. Drinking in a delicious sinking sunset from some hidden vantage point, the fiery glow so extraordinarily beautiful that it seems impossible that this could be the same ordinary sun you see each day at home.

However blasé one is, however much one has been prepared for this new adventure, there is nothing quite as joyous as to feast upon a town, a landscape, or a city with new and inquisitive eyes. And no city is quite as majestic and enticing as Madrid. The metropolis is sprawling, it beguiles and charms with its elegant mix of architectural delights. Unlike its coastal neighbour, Barcelona, whose shadowed alleyways, and atmospheric gothic quarter seem rather dark and mysterious, Madrid is bright and airy, with a prettiness to its façades that have evolved harmoniously over time.

My wandering eye is captivated with each new and fascinating scene. I remembered visiting Barcelona years ago, admiring the architectural genius of Antoni Gaudi, his undulating curves twisting and turning across the city’s landscape like the outstretched tentacles of some giant, otherworldly octopus. In contrast, Madrid has been dusted lightly with stupendous, sugary confections that evoke images of Northern Italian towns such as Turin, with its French architectural influence so much like here. The House of Savoy ruled much of Western Europe during the Middle Ages, their cultural boundaries splayed across Northern Italy, France, and Switzerland creating a melting pot of architectural styles that drew upon its lucrative positioning. The Savoy family’s reign continued, largely uninterrupted, well into the 20^th century, with a brief rule over Spain in the late 19^th century, perhaps resulting in my amateurish architectural comparisons with Turin.

However, Madrid, like many of Europe’s great cities, has evolved and reinvented itself as the centuries unfold. Each new era or foreign influence imparting its own unique and distinct flavour upon the city, amalgamating in a thriving modern metropolis. With its flat whites and vibrant graffiti culture, as well as some of Spain’s most magnificent architectural gems, Madrid earns its title as the country’s beating heart. The Metropolis building, with its gilded dome and presiding winged angel is pure French in style. Nestled proudly along the Gran Via (Madrid’s elegant main street) sits the Edificio Grassy whose eclectic architecture boasts a rotunda topped by two superimposed belvederes of Renaissance influence. While the Telefónica building is quintessentially Art Deco, unabashedly borrowing its design from the architectural style in Manhattan, New York, with a flourish of Spanish Baroque ornamentation rightfully added for theatrical flair.

And here I stand, wide eyed and enveloped in my winter’s finest, on the verge of yet another passing year, reflecting upon the wonders of times gone by with my valedictory admiration, inhabitant of yet another culture and place. How pleasant to dawdle the length of these vast pedestrianised streets, throbbing with festive revelers and families young and old. Wading aimlessly through the crowds arm in arm – as much for fear of separation as for marital sentiment – we follow the trail of twinkling Christmas lights with no particular itinerary in mind. Why is it when on holiday time seems inconsequential somehow, as though if you stayed on vacation forever you may never, ever grow old.

Like the call of the siren’s song, we become hypnotised by the alluring spell of glittering lights, allowing ourselves to be swept up amongst the crowd, which seems to be guiding us towards one of the city’s most breathtaking piazzas, Puerta del Sol. Festooned in a thousand brilliant fairy lights a monumental Christmas tree, towering high above the masses, takes centre stage, poised, as though about to conduct an imaginary and somewhat unruly orchestra. Mouths agape we stand frozen in a state of festive bliss while swarms of well-wishers ebb and flow around us, and an astonished few gaze upwards with similar stupefied looks upon their elated faces.

As I shove my frigid hands into the warmth of my pockets, I am reminded that although we are on holiday, time waits for no one – we have tickets to see a musical! Company is a 1970’s Broadway production that, truth be told, I had no idea existed until I Googled things to do in Madrid. Although partial to the theatre, it was the show’s director and main star that had me reaching for my credit card. A long-time admirer of the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, I was thrilled to read that the cult 70’s musical was being reinterpreted by Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, who along with Penélope Cruz, is a longstanding collaborator with the prolific and symbolic director. And although not usually one for celebrity hype, the thrill of seeing Banderas on stage in his homeland was just too enticing to resist.

Despite the language barrier (our collective Spanish begins and ends with buenos días!), the show was a riot of theatricality and frivolous fun. Antonio Banderas’ Spanish-language production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company is as intelligent and as nuanced as it is bright, bold, and brassy. And with his gravelly, seductive speaking voice, it was far more rewarding to hear Banderas speak his native tongue than in plain old boring English!

Elated by the musical delights and our little celebrity “encounter”, we embark from the depths of the relatively small Umusic Hotel Teatro Albéniz to reunite with the swollen crowds in search of something celebratory to drink. Somewhere to the left we hear the dulcet tones of classical music wafting over the growing sea of people, its sweet melody undulating across the piazza like a pleasant, recurring memory. The surrounding buildings bordering the square seem determined to hold hostage to the blissful music, creating an impromptu and much appreciated outdoor concert in wintry plein air.

With weary legs and humble hearts, we find respite amongst one of the piazzas many bars and cafes for a glass of champagne and a spot of good old-fashioned people-watching. The Spanish have an abundance of nocturnal energy which seems to allude me more these days, so we tip our glasses to a day very well spent and head back to the embrace of our little apartment. Hasta mañana, until tomorrow…

I hope you enjoyed a jaunt to Madrid to revel in some of the city’s prettiest festive sights with The Sunday Londoner. Please do leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever visited this glorious city? Or perhaps another of Spain’s beautiful destinations?