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EXPAT TRIPS CORKBOARD |
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| As the name indicates,
here you will find recent news, updates, schedule changes, etc. Urgent
changes will also be notified by e-mail, and if time permits, news here
will also be in INC e-bulletins. Remember this corkboard is only for trip news and
things going on in Madrid:
watch your club website and newsletter to keep in touch about
other club news.
INC MEMBERS: Made any interesting discoveries here that you'd like to share? Please send any travel tips to Anne. During the year we'll publish articles with your tips, sorted by categories like budget travel, suxury-spa, rural, active, fiestas, scenic highways, etc, maybe even some funny travel stories (if you dare). When sending your tips, please advise whether we can use your name. |
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| DATE | NEWS |
| October 15 |
Sheep in the streets!! My source tells me that the sheep will be back on October 30 (last Sunday). If you've seen it before, you'll probably want to go again - if you haven't seen it, try to go! Scroll down to last posting to see route, times, tips and photo ops. IMPORTANT NOTE: That's the Sunday that clocks "fall back" off daylight savings time. Don't forget to turn your clock back - but hey, if you do forget, you'll just get more of the fun pre-route atmosphere. |
| January 31, 2011 | COFFEE? Getting it right is sooooo important. If you can handle Starbucks but not a Spanish bar click HERE to learn some vocab for ordering coffee. |
| October 26, 2010 | SAFFRON RECIPES: Repeat of recipes printed in Nuevas Amigas December 2008 after the previous saffron trip. Format got messed up when copying from Word, but still usable. Several of these look like Thanksgiving food. Click HERE to access recipes...... and enjoy!! |
| PERMANENT | ROOF WITH A VIEW!! Get a Birds-eye view of central Madrid from the roof of the Circulo de Bellas Artes (calle Alcala 42, entrance around the corner on Marqués de Casa Riera). Discover just how the city first together – and see some calle Alcala’s of the rooftop statues close-up! Weekends only, 11AM-2PM + 4.30-8PM. To visit the roof, get a special ticket in the lobby of the building for 2 euros instead of usual 1 euro and take the elevator up to the top. Stay on after to visit exhibits or the classy bar-café on the main floor. |
| PERMANENT | PICKPOCKET ALERT! Just to remind you that Christmas season is high season for thieves - usually no violence, but no fun!! Be very careful around Plaza Mayor, Sol, Gran Via, anywhere there are masses of people and ESPECIALLY if you're carrying shopping bags. These guys are very good - and holiday shopping crowds offers a perfect opportunity for them to work. Be alert, keep your valuables well-hidden and if possible, separate your things so you won't lose everything if you do get hit. Report thefts IMMEDIATELY - in one case the thieves tried to used a credit card less than 30 minutes after the theft. |
| PERMANENT |
MUSEUM SUGGESTION: Museo
Arqueológico Regional, Plaza de las Bernardas S/N in Alcalá de Henares.
Interesting museum that covers pre-history up through Roman, Visigothic,
Muslim and Christian periods. Time lines, explanation of social and
economic structures structures for most periods; archeological pieces,
videos and information panels. A good addition to Madrid's museums.
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| PERMANENT |
SHEEP in
MADRID!! Watch for this fun yearly event. Usually
happens late in October but that can vary so watch this Corkboard - or your
local newspaper. Fun for adults and kids! In addition to the sheep, there are usually lots of people in traditional dress, donkeys, oxen, sheepdogs, huge pennants, traditional music, horses..... Tips: The sheep are usually in the middle of the parade, not at the front (patience!!). This is a very popular even and can get crowded! To get the most out of it, it's fun to see the start of the whole parade at the corner of Bailen-Mayor (pre-walk organization, "ambiente"), then use back streets to get ahead of the everyone and see it again - check a map so you can do this as the sidewalks along the route will be packed. Best photo ops: behind Cathedral to see coming up Cuesta de la Vega, pre-route social scene and photos of sheep with the Cathedral. Corner Gran Via and Alcalá and Cibeles. Click HERE for photos of sheep in the streets of Madrid in last few years! Usual route: Casa de Campo - Cuesta de la Vega (behind Cathedral) - calle Mayor - Puerta de Sol - calle Alcalá - Cibeles - Return to Sol on Alcalá - calle Mayor - calle Bailen - return to Casa de Campo. Times: The sheep usually leave Casa de Campo about 10.00AM, arrive corner Bailen and Mayor 10.30, takes most of the morning to complete the route, returning to Casa de Campo about 1.30PM. IMPORTANT NOTE ON TIMES: Sheep have their own agenda which does not always coincide wish scheduled times - you may have to wait, so good idea to have water, snacks and a pre-event potty break. |
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