PlanetEye

Ok, I know that if you're visiting Madrid, seeing things from other countries is probably not on your agenda, however if you are here for a while and have some extra time, this one exhibition is worth visiting, even though it's Egyptian, and even though it's temporary.

For the last 12-years, under the supervision and guidance of marine archaeologist Franck Goddio, a team of people have been discovering Egyptian treasures from as long ago as the 7th century BC, lost and submerged in the sea. They have managed to recover a large amount of these objects: monumental statues, coins, jewellery and cult objects, and even entire sections of cities; 500 of them have been displayed in Madrid's Matadero (former slaughter house which is now a cultural centre) in Legazpi.

The artefacts are over a 1000 years old, spanning from the days of the last pharaohs to Alexander the Great, the period of Greek rule to the Roman conquest, then to the Byzantine times until the beginning of  the age of Islam.

The exhibition runs until September 28 and costs €11 for normal tickets and €9 for students.

Place: Matadero de Legazpi, Paseo de la Chopera 10/12 (closest metro: Legazpi, yellow and grey line)

Timings: Monday-Friday, 10:00-14:00; 16:00-18:00

Yes, it's true: you don't have to spend a bomb to see good Flamenco in Madrid. Although you can, and other than a little hole in your pocket, you won't be disappointed. But, if you are not fussed about visiting the Flamenco bar where Che Guevara and Ronald Regan hung out (where the show would be €40 with only glass of wine!), and prefer a low key, inexpensive, yet authentic Flamenco experience, these are the three best places to go in the city:

El Juglar: By far my personal favourite, this bar is in the immigrant Lavapies barrio on Calle Lavapies 37. Shows are about an hour long (no breaks!) with 4-5 dancers and a 3 piece Flamenco band (singer/guitar/percussion).They say shows start at 10pm, but they won't start until 11 (that's Spanish standard time for you!).They perform in a little hall behind the bar, on a stage, so you feel like you are at a theatre. Of the dance group, there are always 1-2 amateur dancers but they are pretty good. They all dance individually and then do a group session. Flamenco shows are only on Sundays and cost €9 -- that includes a drink.

Cardamomo: Located in barrio Huertas on Calle Echegaray 15, this place has a great ambiance more than anything: dim lights, red and black decor, candles, Flamenco music playing in the background, traditionally dressed darked haired/red lipstick Spanish women and Spanish men with the waistcoat and ponytail. It makes you feel like you've entered a warm and comfortable Spanish locale. Here they have 2-3 dancers along with the band. I personally found the dancers at El Juglar far superior, but the ones here are not bad either. The only annoying thing about this place is that the shows have long intermissions: they dance for 15-minutes, then there is a 30-minute break until the next dancer dances. Entrance is €5, including a drink and the show. Show starts around 11pm and is on every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Clan: On Calle Ribera de Curtidores 30 in barrio Embajadores (close to Lavapies, right where I live! :), Clan is a nice restaurant/hangout/club/performance place. They have free Flamenco shows every Friday and Saturday 00:30 onwards! The shows here are good and the crowd is always bustling.

Happy Flamenco! Ole! :)

Spring is here! The flowers are blooming, everything is green, there is pollen in the air and I can't stop sneezing, but it's all good!

Post a pretty severe winter, as soon as the weather gets a wee bit better, everyone is out and about in Madrid -- I love Spain for that! Cafes have put tables out, street markets have put their stalls up, people are all smiles -- oh how I love Spring!

One thing you can't miss in Madrid is Retiro Park. "What's great about a park?" I hear you ask? Well, Retiro is not just a park it's a whole 350 acre patch of paradise.

Other than it being a humongous space of lush green grass and tall trees, it has a beautiful Crystal Palace that often has offbeat exhibitions, two lakes -- one of which allows you to go paddling, and is home to the statue of "El Angel Caido" (the fallen angel) -- which is the only statue in the world that represents Satan. 

The park was made back in the 1620's for Phillip IV as a retreat for the Royal Family; it only opened to the public in the late 19th century.

If you want to take a siesta, blissfully read a book, or have a coffee while watching ducks pitter patter, Retiro is the perfect place to go. The park is divided into multiple parts (hard to locate and keep track of, it's just sooo big), but the main ones are: The Garden of the Parterre -- a French/Arabic style garden, and El Bosque Del Los Ausentes (forest of the departed) that commemorates the 191 victims of the March 11 2004 bomb attacks in Madrid.

Once you've had a bit of peace, walk to another side of the park and you are bound to encounter many dancers, musicians, puppeteers, artists, actors and tarot-card readers; or you can keep yourself entertained by ice-skating in their rink. The park even has a military museum called "Museo Del Ejercito" dedicated to Spain's history from the Middle Ages to the Spanish Civil War.

These are just the highlights of the park -- you can spend a whole day here and not get bored. If you don't want to loose yourself in the park and want to be well-guided around all the things to see here, every Sunday at noon there is a guided tour ("Secrets of Retiro") you can sign up for. 

Whether it's Spring, Summer or Autumn, this park is not to be missed! It's open all day every day and has free entry.

The latest thing in Madrid that's on everyone's tongue is the Caixa Forum. Officially inaugurated mid-February this year, it's a new community cultural centre with a spectacular structure in the centre of Madrid, right opposite the Botanic Gardens on Paseo del Prado. In case you were wondering, the name doesn't mean anything except that it's sponsored by Catalan bank La Caixa.

Designed by award-winning Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron (who also designed the London Tate Museum) in a former electrical power station dating from the 1900's. It has been converted into a modern structure with two floors underground, and five above; the outside of it is draped with corroded cast iron. The building took six years to restore at a cost of €64 million. On the right of the building there is a wall designed using 15,000 plants by French botanist Patrick Blanc. The forum is worth visiting just to see the building and the wall.

The three main floors of the building are where there are regular exhibitions. Currently the second and third floors have a display of 45 religious painting from Florence's Uffizi gallery that include works of Botticelli and Luca Giordano.

The first floor is mainly a public relations effort to demonstrate La Caixa's humanitarian efforts all over the world. It is filled with photos from its programmes in third-world countries alongside graphs of how they have increased their spend for such causes over the past 10 years or so -- in other words -- you can skip this section. This area also screens a short documentary of their work in developing countries, should you be specially curious. 

One thing you should definitley keep an eye out for are the cultural concerts that take place here mainly Thursdays to Sundays. Alternative percussionsists and dancers are known to perform regularly under the wing of the Forum.

The Caixa Forum is open every day from 10am-8pm and entrance is free; worth a pass by if you are in the area and not "museumed-out"! (Check out this link for complete location and contact details).