Hola Madrid!

Last weekend I was lucky enough to fly to Madrid. It was my first time in Spain (if you leave out one childhood vacation which I don’t remember at all) and I felt very adventurous. Mostly because I am not used to being in a country whose language I don’t speak and it is such a weird feeling when you can’t communicate. You become very good in smiling and pointing though.

We were visiting friends who live right in the centre. The first night we went out to explore the tapas bars in their area. I might not have to stress how fantastic these were and can just leave it up to your imagination. But just in case: They were FANTASTIC! Mostly because there were only locals around us since tourists often don’t find their way into the regular living areas of a city. In the first one we had tostas which are similar to tapas but they are mostly all on a piece of baguette so you can eat them easily while standing and holding your glass of wine. You just keep ordering what you like and tell the waiter later what you had.

Then we went on to the next bar where we had our first Serrano Ham (there was lots more to come) and octopus which was delicious. It was a very buzzing atmosphere, everybody was enjoying a glass of wine and talking.On Saturday we started to explore the city. When I don’t have much time in one place I like to have just a general idea about where to go and then stroll around.

We also wanted to explore the shopping possibilities, after all Christmas is coming up. The inner city is very good for shopping and if you prefer to have it all under one roof try the department store El Corte Inglés. There are different ones around and if you are looking for presents this is a good place to go. We also bought a paella pan along with tapas plates and bistrot wine glasses for ourselves there.

El Corte Inglés
Hermosilla, 112
28009 Madrid

We didn’t have much luck with the weather, but that gives you just another excuse to go in somewhere and try more specialities. In the afternoon we were quite exhausted and felt like having a coffee somewhere. We came across this absolutely packed place which can be described as a tapas bar just for coffee and cakes. You stand at the bar, order your coffee and point to any of the little white dishes with a variety of cakes on them. They had a sitting room upstairs but that was full already and we were happy anyway to be in the middle of the buzz. Definitely a must-try-when-in-Madrid!

La Mallorquina, S.L.
Puerta del Sol, 8 
Mayor, 2
Phone: 91 521 12 01

After having dinner in the inner city our host promised to show us two bars he liked. Both of them are quite hidden and you have to know where they are, otherwise you might walk by without noticing.

The second one was a Cuban bar which was different but very good as well. You actually had to walk into a regular appartment building and then find the bar at the first floor. Very smokey as I imagine cuban bars to be, and a very lively atmosphere. If you walk by a front door like this, it might be worth checking out the first floor:

Unfortunately I promised not to reveal their destinations, so they will remain special.

On Sunday we took a stroll in the park and headed towards the Prado Museum. It is free on Sundays and was packed in a very casual, relaxed way. I liked that but it also made me not want to stay very long because there are so many people moving around and standing in front of you. If you are in

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Last weekend I had the pleasure of having half the day off in order to go to the O2 Wireless Festival. I came straight from work and enjoyed a beer while laying on the lawn in Hyde Park listening to Cat Empire. That has to be the most perfect way to start a weekend!

The whole thing was huge and my mentioning „I am off to see a concert“ just a tad understated, but I had honestly no idea what was waiting for me. The more surprised I was to arrive in a wide open space spreading out in Hyde Park, with various stages, food and drink stalls and even caroussels! Note to myself: must do better research.It started of slow, everyone still having a look around, but you know when you’re in London even the warm up bands are great.

For me the highlight was Gotan Project with an awsome mix of classical instruments and tango inspired electrical dance music. They are a group of musicians from Paris and Buenos Aires and even though I was familiar with their music before, I wasn’t entirely aware of them. They were fabulous on stage! The best thing of the whole festival if you ask me.

Faithless came last as the headlining act everyone was waiting for. Great sound and vibe and an enormous amount of people around us. Everyone in quite a friendly mood which is relaxing but I always feel a bit unwell in such a massive crowd (sorry if that makes me completely uncool…).

Make sure to give it a go when the festival comes round again! It’s definitely worth it.

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On a recent trip to San Francisco I had the chance to experience two different hotels. One was the usual business hotel although with a nice, young and stylish twist but the other one was a true San Franciscan delight: Hotel des Arts at 447 Bush Street.

Curiously enough the website “warned” me that the Hotel des Arts does not offer the same level of comfort than other hotels in the chain. But it was one of 5 staff picks in the Lonely Planet guide and these guys usually know their business, right? On arrival a sign told me the reception is on the 2nd floor (which I found odd until I remembered that Americans called the ground floor the 1st floor. Strange country.) Once I found my way there I was immediately surrounded by interesting, modern art. The front desk staff was friendly and explained there would be free breakfast in the mornings in room 203.

At the Hotel des Arts all rooms are painted by different contemporary fine artists (if you’re interested in buying, all art on display is for sale and starts from about $400). Mine had a green and black comic style theme to it. I found it a bit childish but actually very appealing. All walls were painted even the bathroom featured one of these quirky comic characters. The bedroom had a decent size and was equipped with everything I needed: a large bed, a fridge, a microwave (did not need that, though), a bathroom with a bath and toilet. The only downside was that the basin was in the main room. To my surprise there was also free wireless internet. But then this is San Francisco, hub to the Silicon Valley, so I guess that’s kind of expected if you want to attract the Mac geek crowd.

After a good nights sleep in Hotel Jeremyville, as my room was called, I tried room 203 for breakfast. Really funny as it actually was a normal room, only the bed was missing. On one side of the room was a buffet with bagels and muffins, coffee, tee and orange juice. I guess to make life easier for the cleaners, there were carton cups and plates so after I had finished everything went into the bin. Not exactly the best Californian initiative to help reduce carbon emission.

But apart from the environmental nonsense, I really enjoyed the hotel. Having each room painted by a different artist is appealing even though you can’t really select the art you will be surrounded by. Also a plus: the room for just $100 a night at a great, downtown location. The Hotel des Arts should definitely be on your itinerary if you like art, are a bit adventurous and own a Mac.

More things to do in San Francisco:

• Check out the “Kreuzberg” of San Francisco: The Mission district
• Eat a burrito and drink aCorona (e.g. at La Taqueria, 2889 Mission St)
• ExperienceChinaTown with Chinatownalleywaytours each Saturday at 11 am
• Climb Telegraph Hill and enjoy the 360˚ view, including Alcatraz and the Golden GateBridge

Hotel des Arts
447 Bush Street
San Francisco, CA, USA

Hotel des Arts

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Two nights ago we tried Imli, an Indian Restaurant with a twist in Soho. I had read about it some time ago and it was mentioned again in one of the Time Out newsletter which I receive every week (very handy to see what’s on – in a nutshell, so to speak). It is very different to any Indian Restaurant I have ever been to. It serves tapas style food but even though it looks different to what you would expect it has the flavours of India in every single dish.

The restaurant itself is pretty stylish, I liked the warm but very modern decorations and the phrase painted on the wall that good food is best enjoyed with family and friends – a true mixture of traditions and modern city life.The only downside was that it is extremely noisy. It is certainly not a location for a first date or romantic evening, but for dinner after work it is just fine (do prepare yourself for some repeating what you said though).

We tried the tasting menu which served 9 dishes and rice. The first four looked very experimental and tasted wonderful. They were served as a first round and had a ‘starter feeling’ to them. The five which followed were more traditional dishes, very spicy (could have been a little less for me) and I enjoyed especially the variety in small portions.

Go and see for yourself!

Imli
167-169 Wardour Street
London, W1F 8WR
Tel: 020 7287 4243
Fax: 020 7287 4245
Opening Times: Monday - Sunday 12.00 - 11.00pm

Imli, 167-169 Wardour Street

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What do you know about Spain?
Most people would probably answer something like Madrid, Barcelona, Paella, Oranges and Rioja. Until recently hardly anyone would have said Valencia. This will change soon. Thanks to the Swiss sailing team Alinghi who won the 31st Americas Cup in Auckland on the 2nd March 2003. They chose Spains 3rd largest city Valencia to host the most prestigious cup in sailing and the city now continues its rise.

The capital of the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia is beautifully located on the mediterranean cost on the plain of the river Turia, surrounded by hinterland hills rarely higher than 100 metres. Traditionally the city and its 800,000 inhabitants was always drawn away from the coast with its old town located a couple kilometers inland. The 500 Million Euro investment in the new harbour will eventually change that.
What struck me the most when I recently visited Valencia (of course to see one flight of the Louis Vuitton Cup), was the combination of old and new. The old town was as you would expect it, beautiful old buildings, a buzzing nightlife and lots of tourists. But there is also the new Valencia.

In Spanish they call it “Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias” which means City of Arts and Sciences. The newly built site consists of 5 individual but still visually connected buildings designed by one of the most famous architects, Santiago Calatrava. The Valencia born Calatrava with his main office in Zurich has been heralded as bridging the division between structural engineering and architecture. In simple English: the buildings are just breath taking! I would only travel to Valencia just to see these buildings with my own eyes. Brilliant!

The river Turia links the newly built Americs’s Harbour with Calatrava’s masterpieces and the old town. But you won’t see water there as the river was diverted in the 1960s, the river bed becoming the longest park I have ever seen. Imagine living there and you have a park that goes on for miles right in front of you. This must be heaven for all runners of this planet.

I’m sure you’ll hear much more about Valencia in the near future as it probably will compete with Barcelona to become the premier travel destination on the Spanish mediterranean cost. Even more so should the Alinghi team win the America’s Cup once again, the city will then continue to be host to this fascinating event.

Valencia, Spain
39°29′0″N, 0°22′0″W
Easyjet and Clickair have daily flights from Gatwick and Heathrow.

Valencia, Spain

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