After eight years of blogging about the city of Madrid, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of my new guidebook: Quiet Madrid. A great companion to the Lonely Planet Madrid guidebook I worked on last year, this book features my own photography taken during countless explorations of Madrid’s quieter side, along with tons of insider […]
Madrid is full of world-famous attractions, but if you only stick to the big hitters, you’ll miss out on some of the city’s most fascinating spots. For every overcrowded tourist trap, there’s a dusty but delightful museum waiting to be discovered. It’s a topic I tackle in my latest podcast, which you can listen to
What’s Not Worth the Hype (and Where to Go Instead) Madrid is a stunning city brimming with history, art, and culinary delights, but let’s be honest—not every so-called “must-see” spot lives up to the hype. In my recent podcast, which you can listen to by clicking on the audio below, I explain why these overpriced
Goya’s Hermitage: an ode to the majo Tucked away beneath the palace by the Manzanares River, the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida stands as a testament to Francisco de Goya’s artistic genius – a place where 18th-century Madrid comes to life and where the artist himself finds his final rest. Goya’s frescoes transform
Hidden Gems: the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida Read More »
Spain’s first pornos As with the internet, it didn’t take long for pioneers to see the pornographic possibilities of film with early pornos appearing pretty quickly after the Lumiere brothers first displayed their invention in Paris in 1895. However, unlike the internet, this was no democratic tool, the first silent pornos were mainly made to
Ayuso squares off against Ateneo Ateneo de Madrid, one of the city’s most important cultural institutions, has just had its 100,000 euros per annum local government funding abruptly shut off. The only local organization hit by a total funding cut, speculation that the move is politically motivated is rife. The heart of the problem seems
Out of the pandemic, there’s no perfect time to visit the Prado. Even if you visit first thing in the morning or during lunchtime – that’s 2 pm to 4 pm in Spain – you’ll still have to contend with crowds swarming around the museum’s greatest masterpieces. And while Velazquez’s Las Meninas, Goya’s Black Paintings
Caught on canvas or let off the hook? Portraiture is a tricky business. An artist has to balance capturing the true likeness of the subject with flattering their ego. If said subject is a nasty piece of work, the job just gets even trickier. This post features three portraits of Spain’s most notoriously nefarious rogues,
Caught on Canvas: a Rogues’ Gallery of Spanish Rulers Read More »
A king’s blessing The stage was quite literally set for theatre in Madrid to flourish soon after Philip II relocated the court here. The ever astute ruler realised that he could use the popularity of the theatre in Madrid to raise much needed funds for public hospitals. So in 1565 he signed a document authorising
Anyone who finds themselves in the lobby of the newly refurbished Sevilla metro is in for a treat. Finally exposed after being hidden for 50 years is the svelte figure of a sassy flapper from the 1920s. The text accompanying her reads: “Sales de Carabaña soap, unbeatable for the skin.” It’s an advertisement that dates
