Meson de Candido restaurant is the most famous place to eat roasted suckling pig in downtown Segovia and its fame is well deserved.  This bicentennial establishment is located next to the magnificent Roman Aqueduct in the Azoguejo Square.  The actual old-style Castilian house is a formal monument building of the royal city of Segovia.  Meson de Candido offers a traditional Segovian cuisine experience that you will never forget.

When you order the roasted suckling pig, at the table at the time of serving your dish, there will be a very interesting small ceremony.  First, Mr. A. Candido (the son of the original chef and innkeeper, Candido) will deliver a speech and then he will cut the pig with a plate.  I will not tell you more details of the ceremony so I do not spoil the surprise.  Even though the most popular dish is the roasted suckling pig, I will also encourage you to try: the 15th century Castilian soup, the Sepulveda-style roasted lamb, the Shepherdess lamb stew and the large beans from La Granja.

The Meson de Candido is not an expensive restaurant for the excellent quality and the high level of service they offer.  The average check for a whole meal can range between 40 and 70 euros depending on the wine you choose.  There are many completely different styles of cuisine in Spain and Meson de Candido is probably your best alternative for tasting traditional Segovian gastronomy.

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A visit to the old quarter of Segovia is a must if you come to Spain.  The Roman aqueduct, the Cathedral, and the Alcázar Fortress are just a few of the World Heritage Sites that you can visit inside the old city walls.  There are so many important sites in Segovia that I would probably need more than a hundred posts to cover the entire city.  In this post in particular I tried to take some pictures in general of the main sites around the old quarter of Segovia.  Think of this post as what you can see in one quick day if you stop by Segovia.

When you arrive to the main entrance of the historic quarter of Segovia you first encounter the Roman aqueduct.  It was built during the Roman Empire more than two thousand years ago.  It is a magnificent piece of engineering that until very recently it was still working and providing with water the elevated part of the city.  During the Roman Empire, Segovia was a very important trading centre on the peninsula.  However, it wasn’t until the middle age that Segovia reached its pick both culturally and economically.  Inside the city walls you can find many splendid Medieval and Renaissance buildings.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of Segovia is probably among the three most beautiful and important cathedrals in Spain.  It is also known as “the lady of all cathedrals” and it is located on the Plaza Mayor Square.  The Cathedral is one of the last Gothic buildings built in Spain.  It is definitely worth walking inside the Cathedral and enjoying the different cloisters, however the façade on the outside is what makes it for me.  Same applies to the Alcázar Fortress with its impressive exterior that causes a major impact on the tourist when they first arrive.

Visiting the old quarter of Segovia is a truly historic Spanish experience.  Hope you enjoy the pictures and soon I will be posting more about this stunning city…

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The Cañada Real Nature Center (or in Spanish: “Centro de Naturaleza Cañada Real“) is a farm dedicated to the study and knowledge of the Guadarrama mountain range´s plant and animal life.    The center is located next to a town named Peralejo within the municipality of the Escorial.  Furthermore,  it’s about 29 miles from Madrid Capital and three miles from the Escorial downtown.  The easiest way to get there is by car, however there is a bus-stop (669A) right in front of the farm.

The Cañada Real Nature Center is open to the public almost every day of the year, please double-check their webpage before you go.  There are many activities during the day for the visitors that involve professional guides and teachers that explain and help you understand the habitat.  However, you can also visit the farm on your own.  There is a path of about a mile and a half that circles the farm and its different exposition areas.  There are many animals and plants along the side of the path and they are all originally from this part of Spain.  When you walk through this pass of nature and feel with all your senses the peace in the air you will love this great experience.

A day trip to the Cañada Real Nature Center is for everyone.  Adults and kids pay a fee to get in the whole day and babies (up to 4 years old) go in for free.  The path is made of concrete and is perfectly fine for wheelchairs to go through.  There are drinkable water fountains along the path and there is a site towards the end where you can bring your own food and sit for a picnic in the woods with your friends.  If you do not bring food it is not a problem, right in front of the center there are many restaurants in the town of Peralejo.

Enjoy the pics and a contact with nature though this Spanish experience…

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Isabela gourmet market is located in the financial district of Madrid and if you want to grab something to eat of great quality or just hang-out with friends this is your place.  The financial part of Madrid is located in the north of the city but it is also home to many large corporations, consulting and law firms.  Isabela gourmet market is at the beginning of the prestigious street, Paseo de la Habana 3.  Isabela´s ten thousand square feet divided in four floors and a huge central terrace will provide with lots of new sensations and experiences.

Within the two central floors you have more than 38 different small food outlets.  On these floors, the way it works is that you can go and look at all the different dishes and when you like something, you order and the staff can bring it to your table.  It is more of a casual dining type or service instead of a full sit-down table experience.  It is very typical in Spain to go out with friends and eat small portions of dishes with drinks.  However, if you prefer the more full-service experience you can go up to the highest floor where the Chef Joaquín de Felipe runs a great restaurant.

Isabela gourmet market product in general is of great quality and it is not really that expensive.  I tried different dishes and drinks from a couple of the food-stands and it was delicious, I did not have to get a mortgage to pay for everything, he,he,he.  Compare to other markets and restaurants in the city of similar quality, I believe you get great value at Isabela gourmet market.  The market is celebrating its first birthday this month. We need to give some time to this market to develop and to become part of the traditions of the city.

Isabela gourmet market is a great option to take clients or business partners for breakfast or lunch, since its atmosphere is casual but the food is delicious.  In addition, the market opens long hours and through the weekend it can be a great place for a first drink before going dancing.  Hope you get an idea of the market from the pictures and that you enjoy a different more modern Spanish experience…

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The Madrid Half Marathon 2013 was a complete success and runners got what they came for: lots of fun running!!!  The Madrid Half Marathon is not only the most important event of its class in Spain but also one the most popular in Europe.  Running has become extremely popular in Spain and there are lots of competitions during the year but Madrid’s half marathon is special.

2013´s Madrid half marathon started and ended in the beautiful Retiro Park located downtown Madrid.  However, most of the run is through the north of the city.  It is lots of fun to run this competition in Madrid not only due too its scenery but for the cheerfulness of its people.  This years´ weather was a bit chilly and cloudy towards the end of the race but there was no rain.

The organization of this event was superb and the services for the runners are countless.  I will definitely advice novice and experienced runners to run Madrid’s half marathon at some point.  On this years edition, two Ethiopians: Haile Tegegn Megesha and Tolwak Meseret Kitata made the best times, 1h02:57 and 1h11:31 respectively.  Congrats to them and to the more of twenty thousand runners that participated this year.  I hope that sports also becomes part of your Spanish experience…

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Faunia is a nature theme park near Madrid capital.  It is a wonderful family experience that your children will never forget.  The park recreates four of the ecosystems found in different areas of the planet: the Polar Regions, the Amazon jungle, the Mediterranean forest and the African jungle.  It is a great plus that children under 3 years old can enter for free but parents pay for everything.  Before you go, try to look at their webpage for discounts when you buy online.  Also if you buy your ticket online you will save time since you will pass through most of the waiting lines.

Faunia is kind of a modern ZOO since it has many different species but on top you have the comfort and services of a theme park.  It is great fun to have many animals running around though the park in contact with the guest.  They even sell special animal food for you to feed the animals.  There are also special interactions with certain animals that you can purchase separately.

There are several resting areas and places to grab something to eat.  As you would expect on this type of venues; the food offer is intended for younger crowds, so expect many burgers and fast food in general.  Faunia is a 15-minute drive from Madrid center but the good thing is that you can also get there by subway or bus.  During the spring season is a wonderful time to visit the park, since the weather is not so hot yet but it’s great for walking outdoors.  Enjoy a Spanish experience with nature!!!

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Plaza Mayor Square is located in downtown Madrid and it’s a major symbol for the city and worthwhile taking a look.  Walking around the square and appreciating its architecture will probably take you 10 minutes.  There are some old and traditional bars and restaurants within the square but they take advantage of their location and charge high prices.  During the year there are many events celebrated inside the square so you might encounter a traditional market or another good surprise when you stop by the square.

Plaza Mayor was constructed in the beginning of the 17^th century during the Baroque artistic period in Spain.  It has a rectangular shape and arcades placed around the square.  In the middle of the square stands an equestrian statute of King Felipe III, who ordered the construction of the site.  There is a building that stands out like: “La Casa de la Panaderia” (The Bread Bakery) which has a beautiful fresco-decorated façade.  On the ground floor of the Bakery building you can find a Madrid tourism information office.

There are many beautiful squares in Spain and traditionally they were the center of life for the city or town.  In the case of Madrid’s Plaza Mayor: festivals, performances, markets, bullfights and even capital executions have taken place in the past four centuries.  It is also an excellent experience to go to the square at night and feel the mood of the old part of the city.  Hope you enjoy the pictures and your visit to Plaza Mayor square…

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The San Miguel market in Madrid is a premium food provider located at San Miguel Square next to Plaza Mayor Square.  It is an excellent place to get a bite if you are around the neighborhood.  You will probably only need 10 minutes to walk around the venue and take a pick at the stands (or stalls) inside the market.  Everything is pretty fresh and delicious, but be prepared to pay for what you get; it is not for everybody´s wallet.

The structure of the market is made of Iron like they were made in Madrid a century ago.  However, San Miguel Market is the only one of its kind still standing and open today.  It was renovated several years ago and they incorporated crystal walls and wood to the stands.  I like how the complex looks as a whole in the square and how it blends with buildings surrounding it.

It is a tradition in Madrid to go out for a quick drink and a bite before lunch during the weekends and is called “el aperitivo”.  Therefore, San Miguel market is extremely crowded during the weekend and specially during the morning hours.  However, if you visit the market during the morning on weekdays, you will have a less crowded experience.

San Miguel market has long working hours and that makes it a great place also to start a party night in old-town Madrid.  The market has several wine bars and at night they usually offer some sort of entertainment.  During weekdays they usually stay open until midnight and on weekends they stay open until 2:00am.   The stylish decoration, the emblematic building, its delicacies, and the excellent service makes San Miguel market an excellent Spanish Experience…

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Visiting the Reina Sofia National Art Museum is definitely a must if you come to Spain; believe me you will have a wonderful experience.  It is a museum not only for experts on contemporary art, but also anyone who enjoys a day looking at beautiful things that in many instances challenges your beliefs and thoughts about the way we perceived the world.  As a regular tourist I will probably recommend to spend a whole day inside the complex, even try their delicious bocatas at the café.  However, if you have little time in Madrid, you can probably see the most popular pieces of art in the museum in a couple of hours.

Reina Sofia National Art Museum has one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the world today.  The artistic period of the collection is Contemporary and the content is Modern art.  The museum is comprised of several buildings located mostly in Madrid:

-              Sabatini Building

-              Nouvel Building

-              Palacio de Cristal (Cristal Palace)

-              Palacio de Velázquez (Velázquez Palace)

In this particular post I will focus on the Sabatini and Nouvel venues and later on in the summer I will try to post other venues which are located in the Retiro Park.

The Sabatini building was originally a hospital founded in the 18th century but in the late 20th century was remodeled to make it suitable for exhibitions and adopted the name of its first architect, Francisco Sabatini (Palermo, Italy).  This is the main building of the museum and usually exhibits the permanent collections.  The most popular piece of art is probably Picasso´s “Guernica” but the second floor also holds many wonderful Spanish painters from the early 20th century (ex. Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, etc.).

The Nouvel Building is attached through several corridors and halls to the Sabatini building and together they form the Main complex for the whole museum.  The Nouvel building also holds the name of its architect, Jean Nouvel (Fumel, France) and his intention was to create a building that services the Sabatini Building.  Nouvel Building has several exhibition areas, office space for museum employees, a beautiful library, a bookshop, two large auditoriums rooms and a café-restaurant.

There are several admission prices but even the full general admission ticket price of 6 euros is probably the best value I have seen in ages…  Enjoy the Museum and enjoy the pictures…

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IFEMA (Trade Fair Institution of Madrid) or “Institución Ferial de Madrid” in Spanish, is the first organizer of fairs in Spain and the fourth in Europe. IFEMA is located in the district of Barajas which is the same as the Madrid International airport of Barajas. Furthermore, the space is located inside a ward called “Campo de las Naciones” which is also the home base of many companies. It’s probably a 10 minute taxi ride from the airport and 20 minutes from downtown Madrid. However, the complex has excellent public transportation (bus or subway) to the city and the airport.

IFEMA has an extremely busy schedule during the year with more than 80 fairs and about three million visitors. Many of the fairs presented at the convention centre are the most important ones in Spain, such as FITUR or the International Tourism Trade Fair. I will try to bring you through my posts and pictures several of the events during the year.

In general, you will likely have a pleasant visit and experience if you ever have to come to the Trade Fair Institution of Madrid for a convention. It has all the services that a business traveller needs, the highest standards for security, delicious food and beverage establishments, good communications and of course the excellent sunny weather that we all love of Spain.

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For the last couple of decades “Calle Fuencarral” (or Fuencarral Street) has become one of the main references for alternative and modern shopping in Madrid. Fuencarral Street begins at Gran Via Street (the most touristic street in Madrid) and goes all the way through Glorieta de Bilbao Square. After 2009, Most of Fuencarral Street was made pedestrian and this made it incredibly safe and fun to walk around.

Originally there were mainly gothic, grungy and transgressor stores, but these days you can also find more commercial hip brands such as Adidas, Reebok, Diesel, Quiksilver, etc… Do not walk only the main street; try to walk some of the intersecting streets since you can find boutique stores with different and original merchandise. The neighbourhood is not only famous for clothing and accessories, but also for a great number of silverware shops in the area.

Fuencarral Street crosses from south to north the trendy wards of Chuecas and Malasaña, making the Street not only an excellent place to shop but also to eat and party. On the actual main street of Fuencarral there are primarily shops but if you move around the neighbourhood, you will find interesting and diverse places to dine. One of the things that I most like about the area in general is its diverse and multicultural environment that makes it rich and so alive.

Walking and shopping around Fuencarral Street is an experience for all ages and types of people (ex. Families, singles, lovers, students, etc.). Even if your trip to Madrid is a short one, I would definitely advise you to walk around Fuencarral Street if you are planning to do some shopping.

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FITUR 2013 stands in Spanish for “Feria Internacional de Turismo” which translates in English as: International Tourism Trade Fair. FITUR is probably the most important event for doing business in the Tourism industry in Spain these days. Spain’s strongest industry is Tourism therefore more than eight thousand companies like to attend this event every year. It’s usually at the beginning of every year and it’s located at IFEMA (Institución Ferial de Madrid) in Madrid.

Participants range from different sectors such as: Hotels, Tour operators, Official Government entities, Travel Agents and many more. For 2013´s edition 160 different governments and countries were represented. The space is huge and you will probably need more than a day to see the whole fair. I definitely recommend that if you work in the travel or tourism industry to come visit FITUR at some point in your career. While I was walking the fair and taking pictures I could smell business everywhere around me. There were business men and women talking and chatting about how to join forces and cut deals. It was my first time at a FITUR and it was an excellent experience.

There are usually some days only for business people and related to the industry and a couple of days open to the general public. Personally, I think the fair is more for visitors with a business interest but if you have free time in Madrid and you appreciate tourism, you might enjoy stopping by FITUR.

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