Category Archives: General
2015 Christmas in Madrid
In Madrid, and in Spain in general, the Christmas holiday lasts roughly two weeks. Some families celebrate Santa Claus “Papá Noel” on the 25th of December while other families celebrate the Three Wise Men “Los Reyes Magos” on the 6th … Continue reading
Assimilate or Perish as an Expatriate in Spain
If you’re in an environment created by you, like your own house where you control everything, be happy as a hermit crab. But if you live outside in the real world, be prepared for things that rock your psychological boat, … Continue reading
Anti-Fluff Blogs or Rainy Monday Mornings in Madrid
You know what they say, if you can’t talk about anything else, you can always talk about the weather. Today is Monday, the day I usually do the laundry and hang them out to dry – on the rooftop clotheslines … Continue reading
15 Year Anniversary for MadridMan.com
Today, 20 July 2012, is MadridMan.com‘s 15-Year Anniversary. MadridMan.com is now a maturing teenager, but still has a lot of growing up to do. JUST WAIT until he gets into his 20s! The domain name was registered on this date … Continue reading
English-Speaking Friends Return to Home Countries
This is not a tourism-focused blog entry. Clearly! But I often have “feelings”, other experiences, which really have nothing to do with tourism. I guess any non-Spanish-native has these longings, these deep, inexplicable yearnings for sound, safe, familiar grounds. This, … Continue reading
Rick Steves Spain 2012 Recommends MadridMan
Imagine my thrill last November in a Columbus, Ohio Barnes & Noble bookstore during my annual USA visit, leafing through the “Rick Steves’ Spain 2012” book which recommended MadridMan.com!! He wrote: “Helpful Website: MadridMan.com is run with passion by American [MadridMan] … Continue reading
Happy Birthday, USA, from an American in Spain!
I awoke this morning and was going about my daily routine when it dawned on me, probably at about 9:30am, “HEY! This is the 4th of July!” For some reason the song “God Bless America” came to mind so I … Continue reading
Puerta del Sol Madrid Demonstrations, Elections 2011
Politics & religion are two issues they say never to discuss when traveling abroad as they’ll only cause problems. Discussion and debate, while necessary, is also exhaustive and requires effort and patience. The tens of thousands of people in … Continue reading
Brit Harry Redknapp “Mugged” in Madrid
A British friend here in Madrid brought to our attention (on the MadridMan’s ALL SPAIN Message Board) an article published on Sky News regarding Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager (of football/soccer in North London), who had his wallet stolen … Continue reading
5-Year Anniversary Living in Madrid
The day pretty much came and went without any fanfare. I realized it sometime late in the night although it had crossed my mind several times throughout the month of December 2010. On December 30, 2005, 40-year old “MadridMan” arrived … Continue reading
“Fútbol” in Madrid: Guest Blog, American Perspective
The following is a “guest blog” by Susan from Michigan USA, the first guest blog on MadridMan’s Madrid Blog. Enjoy! Last April 2010, my 16 year old son and I traveled to Madrid for spring break. We left behind the … Continue reading
NEW BLOG for MadridMan.com
After 3 years of (nearly) faithful service by the MovableTye blog publisher, MadridMan has switched teams to WordPress. As you see, I still need to tweak a number of things, choose an appropriate “Theme” (but I’ll likely create my own), … Continue reading
158 Year Old Libreria Hernandez Bookstore to Close in Madrid
Librería Hernández Religious Bookstore in Madrid will close this year after 158 years of service. Incredible, isn’t it, that any business, let alone a RELIGIOUS bookstore, could survive so long. Religious stores, at least for me, have always been a … Continue reading
1835 Time Capsule Found in Madrid Statue
While extracted today, a (potentially) 174 year old lead box was discovered about a month ago from the pedestal of the statue of Miguel de Cervantes, author of the famed Don Quijote novel. The Cervantes statue, the first one in … Continue reading
3 Days Before Thanksgiving in Madrid
“The American Store” in Madrid is great. They have absolutely everything – WHEN they have it, that is. I took the 30-minute walk+metro+walk trip to the store next to the Hospital Clínico San Carlos today (metro Moncloa), all bubbly and … Continue reading
Last Day of October 2009 in Madrid
Today’s Halloween, we’ve already changed our clocks back 1-hour, and the temperatures are getting a little cooler – but only a little. Some of the leaves have gone from green to brown, seemingly overnight, bypassing the oranges, reds, and yellows … Continue reading
Sunday Nights in Madrid
Sunday nights in Madrid can be pretty relaxed. You know you have to get up early (or not) to work the next day but you still have some wonderful memories of a nice weekend fresh in your mind. So how … Continue reading