GETTING DRUNK ON ART AND THE ART OF GETTING DRUNK, MADRID HAS BOTH FIGURED. AND AMIT DIXIT FIGURED THAT DRINKING FIRST VASTLY IMPROVED HIS APPRECIATION OF ART
A couple of hours after landing in Madrid, I clinked my first caña, that less-than-half pint ice-cold portion of beer that is the soul of a Spanish tapas bar. It was local favourite Mahou, proudly produced in Madrid since 1890. Since it takes two to tango (and clink cañas), I had a companion in crime: Enrique Gonzalez Mendizabal, a warm, hulking Madrileño and the absolute, best guide I could have hoped for on my whirlwind tour of the Spanish capital.
Speedy Gonzalez walked with disarming vigour and I inevitably trailed him at my desi pace. He downed two drinks while I guarded my first. His knowledge of Madrid’s watering holes was as wide as it was deep. He was generous with his knowledge and he dispensed it speedily. This is the first pearl of wisdom he shared: “Tapas should always be free. You buy a drink, you get a tapa. You buy another drink, you get another tapa.” It’s another matter that we were paying for the excellent mussel croquetas accompanying our drinks, but then every house has its rules. The bar was inside the Mercado de San Antón, a historic market that first arose in 1945 and which was restored and reopened in 2002. It’s a posh place now, purveying exotic produce and ingredients and is lined with bars and restaurants offering an impressive variety of international cuisines. There’s even a terrace bar, offering splendid views of the Madrid skyline.
The Mercado is emblematic of the wave of gentrification gently sweeping Madrid’s old neighbourhoods. Chueca, the barrio we were in, is flirty, fashionable and openly gay, as the square-jawed guys in tight shorts distributing leaflets corroborated. It’s home to the Madrid Pride which, with its 1.5 million visitors, is the biggest gay party on earth.
Denne historien er fra November 2017-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra November 2017-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Chutneys For Every Season
GROWING UP IN JHARKHAND, I've always been enchanted by the state's culinary landscape. Here, the local cuisine never fails to surprise with its depth and variety.
BADGE OF HONOUR
IN THE DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE of tourism, where greenwashing often taints sustainability, certifications can help distinguish between genuine efforts and marketing gimmicks. Green certification systems encourage businesses to enhance their environmental credentials.
WHEELS OF TIME
IN 1947, TRAINS CARRYING REFUGEES ACROSS THE BORDER WERE SYMBOLIC OF THE TUMULT OF THE PARTITION.
RAILS OF THE Raj
FROM ITS CONCEPTION TO ITS ROLE IN THE NATION'S HISTORY, THE BRITISH INDIAN RAILWAYS IS A PHENOMENON MARKED AS MUCH BY MARVEL AS AVARICE
THE RHYTHM OF BOLLYWOOD
FROM THE RAILROAD THRILLER MISS FRONTIER MAIL 1936) TO SHAH RUKH KHAN DANCING ON A TRAIN IN DIL SE' 1998), TRAINS HAVE GIVEN UNFORGETTABLE SONG SEQUENCES TO MANY HINDI FILMS
MEMORY'S OASIS
REMEMBRANCES OF GROWING UP IN SEALDAH RAILWAY OFFICERS COLONY IN KOLKATA
A FAREWELL × TO FLAVOURS
FROM CUTLETS AND RAILWAY MUTTON CURRY IN DINING CARS TO THE UNREMARKABLE FARE AVAILABLE TODAY, THE JOURNEY OF FOOD ON THE INDIAN RAILWAY IS FASCINATING
HERITAGE ON THE TRACKS
THE ICONIC DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAY, FONDLY CALLED THE TOY TRAIN,' HAS HELD ITS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATUS SINCE 1999
HIDDEN LIVES
SPANNING 65,000 KILOMETRES THROUGH DENSELY POPULATED INDIA, THE RAILWAYS ARE A BACKDROP TO COUNTLESS STORIES. 'THE UNRESERVED' BY FILMMAKER SAMARTH MAHAJAN CAPTURES A FEW
JOURNEYS WITHIN AND WITHOUT
FOR IMTIAZ ALI, TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE TRANSFORMATIVE, OFFERING GLIMPSES OF INDIA'S DIVERSE SOCIETY AND ITS MANY CULTURES AND RELIGIONS