Madrid Snaps

Taken By Sarah Rebecca Wilkie

Madrid Heavies

During the 80's, Madrid gave birth to a counter cultural movement called La Movida Madrileña. After Franco died in 1975, the Spanish economy was resurrected and a new Spanish identity was born. La Movida was characterised by freedom of expression, hedonistic behaviour, the use of recreational drugs, but most importantly, a complete rebellion against the fascist Franco regime.

Malasaña was the hub of all 'Movida' activity in the 80's, and if you walk through the neighbourhood today, you can still see signs of this. I know I talk about Malasaña a lot, but I really do love this area. It homes such an eclectic mix of people, and as you walk around, you really feel like you have travelled back in time.

The Heavy Metal scene really exploded in Madrid during La Movida, and it is still very much alive today. During the first few months in Madrid, I would occasionally spot two grey haired fellas, dressed in extremely tight, heavy rock inspired clothing, walking aimlessly through the city. It wasn't until recently that we asked them for a photo outside Bershka, Gran Via, and this sparked a wee bit of an obsession with them.

The twins are called 'Los Hermanos Alcázar' and are somewhat an icon in Madrid. They hang out outside Bershka every single day from 5 until 8pm, and have been for many many years. This exact spot was the home of Madrid Rock, a famous record store for rock fanatics, which closed down a few years ago. Madrid Rock sold records, held record signings and gigs, which the Brother's always went to. Despite being replaced by a retail store, the brothers still claim this area as their own. In a recent interview they said "we were reluctant to see Gran Via converted into pure consumerism."

In another interview, the Brothers explain that in the 80's, they lost 40 close friends to drug and alcohol abuse. This really affected them, and they have been teetotal now for 20 years. The brothers don't have jobs, and retrieve food from bins outside Lidl. This is completely their own choice, as they have had jobs in the past, but didn't like being tied down.

When we chatted to the Brothers, they were surprisingly so friendly! If you see them in Madrid, don't be scared to go have a chat with them! They love all the attention, especially off women! 

Alternative Walking Tour Of Madrid

My beautiful friend Laura came to visit Madrid for a few days last week. I had such a lovely time with her, and I hope she did aswell! I decided that instead of showing her the typical spots in Madrid, like the Plaza Mayor, Palacio Real and Retiro, that I would do an 'alternative walking tour' of my favourite spots in Madrid. 

Here is a list of the places I showed her... and in case you wanted to know, YES, they are all in Malasaña! 

- Calle Espíritu Santo - Lolina Vintage Cafe, Happy Day Bakery, Alino, Templo de Susu, Miss Vintage, Banzai Sushi

- Plaza Juan Pujol

- Calle San Vicente Ferrer  - Taboó

- Plaza del Dos de Mayo - aka Plaza de Doggy Dogg. (Our Pet name for the square cus it's full of dogs...) 

- Calle Velarde - All the vintage shops 

- Calle Hortaleza - Tommy Mels 

Vintage Shopping Madrid

If you love Vintage clothes and accessories, the only place to go in Madrid is Calle de Velarde in Malasaña. The nearest metro stop is Tribunal. 

I have been lucky enough to live right next door to a collection of the Best Vintage shops in Madrid. 

Here is a list of my favourite shops on this road and the little treasures which I've found in them over the past 6 months.

Mono Checa - dungarees, Grandad jumpers, leotards, sunglasses 

Magpie - vintage floral dresses, jumpsuits, rucksacks, lots of basket ball tops/jackets

Biba Vintage - checked shirts, denim jackets, glittery jumpers

Other vintage shops nearby include:

Retro City - Levi jeans/shorts/shirts/dungarees, colourful leggings

Templo de Susu  - black leather boyfriend style jacket, sunglasses

Lolina Vintage Cafe

I'm currently sitting in a very sweet cafe in Malasaña updating my blog. Nestled in a flowerbox-adorned corner on Calle Espíritu Santo, their décor is kitsch and the food and drink is delicious.

Reasonably priced, fresh food including an excellent Spanish Tortilla with salad, toasts with different toppings including goats cheese and cranberry and they also serve very good fruit juices. 

I also recommend trying the Frappuccino with a ball of coffee ice cream on top.  

This is one of my favourite places to come in Malasaña if I need a few quiet moments, with my laptop, doing work for university, or updating my blog. 

3 Things To Do During Siesta Time

I HATE SIESTAS! I'm not really a day time nap kinda girl, as once I'm asleep, there is no way you are waking me up for at least 6 hours. Another thing you should know about me is that I LOVE SHOPPING! Many people know that I have a bit of a shopping addiction, and when I found out I was going to be living in Madrid for a year, I was ridiculously excited at the prospect of clothes shopping. 

Therefore when I first got to Spain, I was pretty miffed that in the middle of the day from 2:30 to 5:30pm, most shops are closed, as the Spaniards are sleeping... I shouldn't complain that much, as most of the high street stores stay open during this time, but the smaller boutiquey stores are all closed. So instead of feeding my shopping addiction, I decided it was probably healthier for my bank balance to go exploring instead. In this post I will recommend 3 things which you can do during Siesta time... enjoy!

1) Almudena Cathedral. Many people think that living abroad is basically a year long holiday. Yes I am having an unbelievable time here, but there are times where I feel a little overwhelmed, stressed and homesick.

So one day, instead of moping about in my flat, I walked round the city to the sweet sounds of Ben Howard and stumbled across the Cathedral. My mind was running at a million miles an hour, full of worry and stress, but as soon as I walked into the Cathedral I felt an overwhelming sense of tranquility and serenity. I wouldn't say that I'm religious, but I am a spiritual and philosophical kinda girl. Just sitting in such peaceful surroundings allowed me to clear my head, and get my act together. 

2) Retiro. It was 30 degrees in Madrid when I arrived in September, and we spent many lazy afternoons basking in the Spanish sunshine. In my opinion, there is no better place to spend the Siesta than in Retiro Park, especially if the weather is good. You can hire out a rowing boat on the lake or have a lie down in the park and relax in the beautiful surroundings. 

3) Plaza Dos de Mayo. Plaza Dos de Mayo is one of the most iconic and famous squares in Madrid. In the 80's, this square was the main hangout in Malasaña for musicians, writers, and arty farty alternative types. This cool spot is still a central point in Malasaña for social gatherings. I have recently discovered that the square is a favourite spot for dog owners during the Siesta. Sometimes I spend my afternoons people watching, as the dogs frolic, and their owners have a good gossip. 

In the day you can grab a drink at one of the bars or cafes that surround the square, and at night, you can join the botellón, the name for a huge get together with lots of young people, and alcohol. (until the feds turn up…) 

Recent Vintage Purchases

Red and grey baseball jacket

Alphaville

€36

Denim dungarees

La Mona Checa

€25

Army print t-shirt

Alphaville

€5

Black Vintage Levi shorts customised with a gold studded cross

The The Storage

€37

Denim Levi shorts

The The Storage

€25

Space Jam t-shirt

Alphaville

€20

I am currently working on a post about Vintage Clothing in Madrid, but for now I'd like to share some items that I've bought in my favourite shops recently. 

I am loving the 90's Teen Spirit trend at the moment, and i've been wearing a lot of denim, oversized T-shirts, sports jackets, retro trainers, and plaid shirts. 

Living The Dream

A pretty edgy collection of photos taken in the last few months in Madrid. 

Taken by Sarah Rebecca Wilkie 

Taboó

Why don't you have a go at guessing where Taboó is…?! Of course it's in my favourite neighbourhood of Malasaña!

With everything from reggae to hard-core punk and a whole lot of house music in between, Taboó likes to keep its options open. The music is a fusion of many different genres, but everything that you hear in Taboó will immediately get you dancing.  I have lost count of the amount of times that we have been to Taboó on either a Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening, and I will continue going most weekends until I leave Madrid in June.

Despite it being very small, at around 4am the atmosphere in this little joint could easily rival the atmosphere of a much bigger club. The mood is always electric and everyone is there for the same reason: to lose their inhibitions and to appreciate incredible music. 

From 11pm there is usually a live band, showcasing the best in Samba, Reggaeton, Punk or Funky beats. Then from 1am until 6:30am, Taboó handpicks the best House, Deep House, Techno and Electro DJ's from Madrid. Occasionally, a fantastic Bongo drummer will join the DJ's on stage which really gets the crowd going. You may even have the pleasure of seeing my favourite duo Greg Ilsen and Charlie Schmidt ;)  Check them out here… https://soundcloud.com/uk-houseplant

The other night I spotted this curly haired, friendly looking chap with the biggest grin i've ever seen plastered on his face. He said that he had been coming to Taboó since he was 16 years old, and that 10 years later, it was still his favourite place in Madrid. That says it all really…Yes the music in Taboó may not attract the Top 40 commercial music lover, however, why not give it a chance and see if it tickles your fancy!? And if it does, every night you spend there will leave you wanting to come back for more! 

Things I LOVE About Madrid

• I basically live 5 minutes walk away from Madrid’s equivalent to Oxford Street, Gran Via. I have never lived in a capital city before, I’m more of a country bumpkin, however, I absolutely love how easy I can get around, and how there is always something going on, just outside my front door. 

• Dogs. I have never in my life seen so many cute dogs in one place. I have always liked dogs, but in Madrid I LOVE DOGS. From the gay couples who wander around with miniature dogs dressed in bright, blingy outfits, to the fat french bulldogs owned by the hip, punky, youngsters. 

• The bright clear sunny skies in Winter. It’s currently February, and for most of the month it has been a lovely 14 degrees in Madrid. The other day, I nearly whipped out my short shorts and ray bans..typical English behaviour.

• Street entertainers/metro acts: The majority of the Spanish public don’t have a heart. OK, I guess thats a bit harsh. I’ll try again… the majority of the Spanish public don’t enjoy the little things in life. Wherever you go in central Madrid, there will always be a street performer, and quite often, the Madrileños don’t batter an eyelid. They never fail to make me smile though. My mornings are always brightened up by someone on the metro bursting into song.

My Top 3 performers are as follows: 
1) Crazy Spanish lady who pushes round a boom box on her granny trolley singing Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance.
2) The chap who sits on Fuencarral attempting to sing Bob Marley. “dun worry bout a ting cus erry little ting is gon be aaaaaright.” 
3) The three miniature Mexican hombres who serenaded me on the metro when I was tired and fed up.

Marmite Lover

I am so lucky to live in a city where food is of such great importance. In Spain, eating is much more of a social experience than in the UK, and perhaps this is the reason why there are so many restaurants and cafes across Madrid. I have been here for about 4 months and have learnt to appreciate and embrace the tastes that the city has to offer, but from time to time it is natural that us Britons want a taste of home.  

FOODS THAT I MISS:

Walkers Cheese and Onion crisps, cheddar, English muffins, bagels, Robinson’s Squash, Birmingham’s finest Chicken Tikka Balti, Wagamama, Nandos, Pataks curry sauces, Dolmio pasta sauce, a proper greasy fry up from the local caf, fish and chips, roast beef with Yorkshire puds and all the trimmings, smoked back bacon… the list goes on. 

However, one food item which I need to mention is Marmite. Yes I’m one of those wrong-uns who adores the dark, salty, gunge like spread. Everyone has their morning rituals, and mine is to wake up, shower, have a huge mug of Earl Grey (two sugars) and two slices of Marmite on wholemeal bread. (Hovis Seeded Batch.)  But no, WAIT… Spain is severely lacking these three ingredients which ensure that my morning will be a good one. (I’m pretty grumpy in the mornings.)

The selection of bread here is awful. Do I look like I want to eat crustless white bread? Secondly, the selection of tea in the supermarkets in Spain is pretty poor. Yeah I get it, every Spanish señorita is tall, striking and very slim, but I don’t want to be drinking herbal teas everyday in order to fight off hunger. So the other day I purchased a packet of Earl Grey and some English Breakfast Tea.. All i’m going to say on the matter is… DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.

Marmite: My love, my life, my everything. Unfortunately last term I had to leave my giant pot of Marmite in Luton airport as EasyJet were being stingy so and so’s and my case was too heavy. So after 3 weeks of Breakfast time hell, I caved in and bought a small squeezy pot of Marmite from ‘Taste of America’, a shop in Malasaña which sells American food-stuffs and the odd English item. I PAID 10 EUROS FOR IT. Can you tell that I’m angry about this?!?

Well, I’m glad I got that rant out of the way…! After returning to Madrid this January, I ensured that I was fully stocked up with tea and Marmite and this makes me a very happy bunny. (until I run out…)