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Spain : Madrid - January 2009

Country Code: Dial for Spain

Madrid goes totally crazy with the post-Christmas sales, which start on 7 January, and there are real bargains to be found in the enticing boutiques. In between fi lling your shopping bags, discover great food, wine and art, including the Caixa Forum’s fascinating look at 30 years of Chinese abstract painting. Scott Adams fl exes his plastic

Getting around

Barajas Airport

Bus: There are regular buses from the airport to Avenida de America (which connects with Metro lines 4, 6, 7 and 9) until 11pm. The journey takes between 30 minutes and an hour (emtmadrid.es).
Train: Terminal 4 is covered by line 8 of the metro system. The journey to the city centre takes about 45 minutes and a single ticket costs €2.
Taxi: The journey to the centre takes around 20 minutes and costs around €28 (which includes the taxis’ airport charge of €5,25).
Tourist information: The main office is at 27 Plaza Mayor (tel. , www.turismomadrid.es) but there’s also an information stand at Terminal 1.

SOL

The commercial nucleus of the city, there’s always something happening around this historic square 24/7. Pause to watch the buskers and mime artists before moving on for some shopping, culture and food.

Sleep soundly – Great value for money, the Hotel Moderno offers stylish rooms and communal areas as well as a good breakfast.

Culture vultures – Discover what religious life is like in the still operational Descalzas Convent (Plaza de las Descalzas). The 16th-century rooms house art, jewels and tapestries.

Must eat – Perfect for discovering the Madrid tapas scene, En Busca del Tiempo (4 Calle Barcelona, tel. ) serves plenty of more-ish morsels like shrimps in champagne sauce and charcoal-grilled meats, along with good local wines by the glass.

Must drink – Mama Ines (14 Calle Barcelona) has live music at the weekend.

Dance the night away – One of the best places to go dancing in Madrid, Torero (26 Calle de la Cruz) gets busy after midnight and pulls in a sleek crowd.

Shop til you drop – La Violeta (6 Plaza Canalejas) is the only place you can buy Madrid’s most traditional sweet, a candy made with real violet oil. You can also pick up gift packs of glacé fruits and handmade chocolates here.

ALONZO MARTINEZ

This red brick neighbourhood is packed with fashionable restaurants and boutiques. Soak up the atmosphere over a hot chocolate in one of its cosy cafés.

Sleep soundly – Right in the thick of things, the NH Embajada Hotel is great value.

Must eat – Nabucco (108 Calle Hortaleza, tel. ) does good Italian food in a rustic setting. Come here for pizza, pasta and slightly more elaborate regional dishes.

Dance the night away – Still one of the most popular clubs in town, Pacha (11 Calle Barceló) is spread over three dance floors. Its eclectic music policy spans disco, techno and flamenco, and there’s also the occasional live band playing here.

LA LATINA

The narrow streets in this old part of town, just a short walk from Sol, are packed with trendy restaurants, bars and historic churches.

Must eat – Full of old-world charm, Oliveros (4 Calle San Millán, tel. ) is perfect for a quick dinner. Choose from a wide variety of traditional Spanish favourites, such as fabada (white bean stew with sausage, black pudding and bacon) or chipirones relenos en su tinta con arroz blanco (stuffed squid served in its own ink with white rice).

Must drink – El Viajero (11 Plaza de la Cebada) has a rooftop terrace with great views of the city.

CALLE HUERTAS

Stroll along this leafy street lined with good restaurants and plenty of bars before investigating the nearby art scene in Paseo del Prado.

Sleep soundly – Treat yourself to some old-fashioned elegance at the Hotel Ritz . The Goya restaurant here serves up the best cocido (chickpeas and potatoes stewed with chicken, smoked sausage and cured ham), Madrid’s favourite winter warmer.

Culture vultures – Housed in a stunning new building, the Caixa Forum (36 Paseo del Prado) will be staging a major exhibition of Chinese abstract art spanning the last 30 years all month (on until 16 February).

Must eat – Try El Caldero’s (15 Calle Huertas , tel. ) excellent rice dishes, including a delicious paella.

Must drink – Squeeze into packed little Los Gatos (2 Calle de Jesús), big on kitsch, tasty tapas, vermouth and wine.

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