MAD ABOUT MADRID

It’s easy to fall in love with Madrid, the capital of Spain, and one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.

Although I have made almost annual visits to Spain in the last five years, the sheer thought of booking a ticket brings utmost joy and excitement.

While it is Madrid — and Barcelona — that come to mind whenever travelers think about cities to visit, Spain is a country that is stacked with irresistible attractions and unforgettable sights.

From mouthwatering food to grand buildings and ancient architecture, Spain has them.

In Madrid alone, the choices are endless.

For starters, Ground Zero is Plaza Mayor, the city’s main public plaza whose history dates back to the 15th century and where a bronze statue of King Philip III stands.

While the train system is topnotch, Madrid is walkable although you’d still need a train card to explore the other gorgeous spots.

From Plaza Mayor, you can take a short walk to Puerta del Sol — the beating heart of Madrid — and pose for pictures beside El Oso y el Madrono (The Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree), one of the city’s most popular symbols.

Then just several meters away is the iconic Tio Pepe advertisement fronting the King Charles III statue, another Madrid landmark, where tourists and local alike stop for a quick rest and picture-taking.

There is simply so much to see and taste in Madrid that a week or two may not be sufficient to cover even 50 percent of what it has to offer.

On the culinary side, a must is a visit to one of the many taverns in the city center.

Just about everywhere you go, whether it is in Lavapies or La Latina areas, the food available and the bevy of cerveza and wines to be consumed is overwhelming.

For beer lovers, you can’t go wrong with Mahou and my all-time favorite Estrella Galicia. If you are longing for home and would like to add a Filipino flavor and suddenly become nostalgic, you can get San Miguel.

If you are stomach is grumbling, go head to La Campana for a hefty serving of bocadillos de calamares and a glass of your preferred cerveza.

Or if it is Sunday or Wednesday, check out 100 Montaditos, a chain that offers small sandwiches, sliders and other treats for 1 Euro per order.

If you want something that is a bit above the usual, try Casa Toni, a local favorite located in an area famed for terrific food and vibrant nightlife.

Order the orejas la plancha (chopped pig ears on a hot plate) or the chorizo de la casa (house spicy sausage) or boquerenos fritos (fried anchovies in light butter) and pair it with, yes, a glass of wine, or your favorite local brew for a satisfying meal.

Like other great cities, Madrid has plenty of museums and one of them is Museo Nacional del Prado where some of the works of Francisco de Goya, Peter Paul Rubens and Diego Velazquez are on display.

A must-see is Velazquez’s Las Meninas.

Also worth seeing are Goya’s Third of May, 1808 and Rubens’ Three Graces alongside Raphael’s Portrait of a Cardinal and El Greco’s Adoration of the Shepherds.

There is an entrance fee but you can still get in for free in the last two hours of the day.

For shopaholics, there is the Gran Via, again, a quick walk from another haven for shoppers, Puerta del Sol.

The Gran Via is 1.3-kilometer long and is known as the Spanish Broadway because of the presence of the country’s most renowned theaters.

Nowadays, it the place where young people shop for trendy clothes as the stretch is home to the world’s foremost names in fast fashion like the Inditex Group (Zara, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Lefties, Stradivarius, H&M, Uniqlo and Primark).

In one of the side streets, there are countless sneaker stores that sell chic Adidas Originals models.

Truly, Madrid is for everyone what it its numerous attractions that would eventually leave the traveler longing to book that return trip once again.