Majestic Madrid


HQ ; ZARA

Gran Via
Ballerinas

My Spanish girlfriend had so kindly shared some secret shopping addresses- where locals shop, so i was eager to visit them. It was a big success, as I came away with 5 pairs of leather ballerinas, some pieces of clothings and had to talk myself out of a crossbody leather bag.

This is shopping destination as Spanish designs and styling are so varied, ranging from the yacky ( read Camper ) to the cool chic ( read Desigual ). The list is endless.

The best and painless way to see Madrid is to join one of the many Free Walking Tours for a quick city overview. It is not "free" because you are expected to tip the guide according to what you think he/she is worth, at the end of the tour.

If you must choose, then visit the Prado Museum, a haven for classic art lovers as this is where you will find an almost complete collection of Spanish paintings and numerous masterpieces by the world's greatest artists like Goya and Rembrandt.

As for me, I have already another appointment at a private gallery exhibiting some important Flemish school paintings and the Belgian expert is in town to give a personal guided tour.



If I will feedback on my stay in Spain, I will vote Madrid as dirtier and crowded, compared to the other cities of Barcelona, Alicante and Tenerife.  Unlike these other cities, Madrid has an air of snobbery and devil-may-care attitude. People in Madrid tend to be less polite and friendly, and spoke hardly any English.

Because we stayed at the chic neigbourhood of Salamanca, at the Petit Palace Castenella ( Not recommended as we had a bad experience of theft ), the shops around Calle de Serrano, Calle de Ayala are nicer to shop in. The sales people were courteous and friendly.  In contrast, when i wandered into the touristy areas of GranVia where you find high street labels, the sales people were not friendly at all, ditto the shoppers.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Singapore .. then and now

Image
Changi Point Beach I still recognise pockets of old Singapore amidst the modern urban development that has shaped this island city. Growing up in the Malay kampung of Lorong Engku Aman, which is now Eunos / Geylang Serai estate, I was immersed in the Malay culture and heritage,  even though I am of Straits -Chinese descent. Living in the eastern part of Singapore meant being close to the beach. I remembered Changi Point beach vividly where rambunctious extended family beach picnics were held and teenage BBQ parties. Today, a lot of the beach has been spruced up with park benches and designated BBQ areas ( permission must be applied in advanced to use a BBQ pit ). Camping is also allowed and many local families and foreign workers take advantage to set up tents over the weekends. With the balmy sea breeze blowing against my skin and the sight of greenish -blue waters, I could not help but to stand on the sea shore as waves rushed up my feet.  As a teenager, I used to wind surf on East C
Read more

Coming Home to Mummy in America

Image
An Ode to Mummy I have often wondered how is it that Mum decided to uproot from her comfy life in Singapore and move to Michigan. Kalamazoo, Michigan to be exact. Is it not for the chance meeting on Cupid.com with one stubborn Michiganite, i don't know what else would have rocked her boat. Fast forward, it has been 15 years since Mummy made that move, much to the surprise of her family members and friends.  Yet, full of positive energy, dynamism, optimism, hope and faith, she carved out a little niche for herself. Hats off to mummy ! An exemplary woman of courage and bravery.  Spritely as she is, Mummy very quickly got herself a summer job at Metro Bedding Garden Centre.  She simply loved gardening and working in the garden centre, enriched her knowledge of a myriad of plants and flowers. So much so that she's hooked on HGTV and subscribes to gardening magazines. Her enthusiasm, hardworking attitude endeared her to the customers who returned each year to the
Read more

Palau is the Ultimate diver's paradise

Image
Palau is one of my favourite dive sites in the world. I dived Palau some 15 years ago and the dives were so spectacular that they are permanently etched into my memory. When the opportunity arose to visit Palau again, I jumped at it. "Blue Corner", "German Tunnel", "Peeliliu", "Blue Holes" etc.. the dive sites flashed past my head in a whirl. Can't wait ! Hidden coves The best part of being based in Manila is the proximity, about 2.55 hours by flight, to Korror. United Airlines is the only airline serving these routes and is referred to as the "island hopper", a term I quickly understood after glancing at the flight path page on the inflight magazine. We were billeted at the expansive and luxurious Palau Pacific Resort (PPR), probably the nicest on Korror and highly popular with Japanese tourists. In fact, the whole island is. Japanese divers almost always know the best dive destinations plus the white sands, tropical blue waters, s
Read more