By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | April 28, 2023 | Madrid | Issue #5
đ Welcome to a new issue of The Tapa: Weekend Edition! An English-language newsletter about what to do this weekend in Spain (plus memes because why the hell not).
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âïž 5 Things to Do in Spain This (Super Long) Weekend
Spring time, we hardly knew ye. Because thanks to the blessings of climate change, a large part of Spainâs territory is experiencing unusually high temperatures this week. They are so unusual that we could see the hottest April day on record, with temperatures potentially hitting 40ÂșC in some parts of Spain. In fact, southern cities like Granada, Huelva and CĂłrdoba already hit record temperatures for April on Tuesday. So if your significant other invites you to their place for some Netflix and chill on Saturday night, they will probably mean literally chill.
At least Monday and Tuesday are a holiday for many in Madrid, so here are some options for the super-long weekend.
Please hydrate. Youâre welcome.
1. Witness the Dos de Mayo Upraising Reenactments
While many around the world get an extra day of rest this May 1, most people in Madrid get to enjoy a four-day weekend and commemorate a new anniversary of the Second of May Uprising, which pitted civilians against the French troops that were occupying the city back in 1808. There are many related events taking place this weekend so we suggest you check the Madrid Communityâs official website, but the reenactment of the clash by the Royal Palace this Sunday is by far the best (see video above). There is also a parade marching on that same day through downtown Madrid (Puerta de AlcalĂĄ, Paseo del Prado, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor) so make sure to check this schedule for Sunday. Have fun!
Dos de Mayo Upraising Reenactment, Plaza de Oriente, Sunday, April 30, 6:30 p.m. Free admission.
2. If You Never Tried a Paquito, This is Your Chance
[Trigger warning: Vegans look away.]
Great news, everyone, the Ruta del Paquito is back! (If you feel like thereâs a new ruta of some kind of food every week, itâs because there is. We Spaniards like to eat).
If you never tried a paquito, this is your chance. Starting today, for the fifth year in a row, around 200 restaurants and bars in Madrid will be offeringâfor one month onlyâtheir own original recipes for this delicious lamb bocata. You can check out the rutaâs official website to find the closest one to you (Barcelona and Valencia are some of the cities also participating). If you werenât sure about what to it tonight, hereâs your solution. Are we aware that this is a campaign organized by the Interprofesional del Ovino y Caprino de Carne in order to boost lamb meat consumption? Yes. Are we still going to eat a few paquitos in the coming weeks? Also yes.
Ruta del Paquito starts April 28. Check the official website for more.
3. Check Out the 45th Antiquarian & Second Hand Books Fair
There are only two good reasons to buy antiquarian books: to see if any of them contain a long lost treasure map, or to put them on your living room shelf to make you look cultivated and rich. Weâre kidding, of course. Books are great, no matter what kids on the TikTok** say.
If you love browsing old, rare and collectible books, head to the Paseo de Recoletos near the Cibeles fountain this weekend for this one-of-a-kind book fair. You can find ancient encyclopedias, unusual maps, dusty postcards, out-of-print tomes and even some decades-old issues of Tintin. 37 specialized book stores from around Spain are coming together once more for this outdoor marketplace that offers national and international publications and, weâre told, some great prices. Oh, and if you still need convincing, critically-acclaimed Spanish filmmaker and screenwriter Alex de la Iglesia will be there offering the fairâs opening remarks today at 1 p.m..
45th Antiquarian and Second Hand Books Fair. April 28 to May 15. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.. Paseo de Recoletos, Madrid. Free admission.
** We know you donât call it âthe TikTokâ. Weâre being sarcastic.
4. Taste a sample of the Primavera Sound in Plaza Mayor for Free
No, itâs not the actual Primavera Sound music festival. That one is in June and costs a bunch of âŹ. But this might as well be a preview of whatâs to come. And itâs on a holiday. And itâs free. So why the hell not?
This is the first year that the immensely popular, Barcelona-born festival has a Madrid edition, so expect these promotional pop-up mini-festivals to keep showing up in the coming weeks. Since Madrid is celebrating a really long weekend, this is the perfect chance to give the locals a taste the Primavera is all about. So this Monday expect a giant stage to adorn the Plaza Mayor (sorry, unaware tourists) and welcome performers such as iconic Ana Curra and techno troubadour Joe CrepĂșsculo (May 1, 6 p.m.), or Christina Rosenvinge and Grupo Expertos Solynieve (May 2, 2 p.m.). Check the official website for more. Be sure to arrive early. Itâs free admission, so expect a crowd.
Primavera Festival in Plaza Mayor. May 1-2. Plaza Mayor, Madrid. Free admission.
5. See Nuda and Fall in Love with Acrobatic Theater
A show of acrobatic theater inspired by the eponymous novel by director Daniele Finzi Pasca (Cirque du Soleilâs Luzia), Nuda is a performance âfilled with mystery and amazement the depth and the abyss engage in dialogue with a light, luminous worldâ. With five players on scene, the plot surrounds two identical twins who grew up together in an eccentric family. This is the last chance to go see (it was in Madrid for 10 days only), so make sure you get your tickets before they sell out.
Nuda. Espacio Ibercaja Delicias. Cl. del Parroco Eusebio Cuenca, 63, Madrid. Through April 30. Check the website for times. Tickets start at âŹ17.40.
Bonus Track: The Madrid RĂo âBeachâ is Opening Today, Because Climate Change.
We havenât been this terrified about a beach reopening ahead of schedule since Jaws. And yet here we are, celebrating that adults and children alike will be able to combat this unbearable heat by heading over to the Madrid RĂo âbeach***â in the Arganzuela district.
The decision to open today was announced yesterday by City Hall as concerns grew that the current heat wave was going to be particularly strong. The city government also announced that it would be opening 17 municipal pools on May 13 to officially kick off the summer season. So if you want to escape the heat at least you now have this option. Is it ideal? No. But itâs better than staying home pondering about the inescapable force of climate change.
*** Not a beach, just an urban park by the Manzanares river with some fountains and a thin sheet of water over cement.
đšđ»âđ» Other Headlines of the Week
These are some of the most ridiculous or viral stories in Spain this week that didnât make our Thursday edition but we felt deserved a (dis)honorable mention today.
đđ» All Bow to the New Queen of Reggaeton
Move over Shakira! Spanish TVâs favorite sign language interpreter is back in action this week, and her hips donât lie either. This isnât the first time Raquel DĂaz has gone viral on social media but, to be honest, this country doesnât seem to ever get enough of her.
While Prime Minister Pedro SĂĄnchez was debating PP leader Alberto Nuñez FeijĂło this week, DĂaz was given the time to shine (again). During a very heated argument between the two politicians, SĂĄnchez began to criticize his opponentâs decision last month to take part in a political rally targeting the hispanic vote in Madrid that featured controversial evangelical pastor Yadira Maestre, whoâs made homophobic comments in the past and whose ultraconservative organization assures can âcure homosexualityâ.
SĂĄnchez was trying to contrast this event with his own personal agenda for that day, which involved attending the 28th Ibero-American Summit in Dominican Republic with King Felipe VI. While he was speaking on live television, DĂaz had to interpret the following quote by SĂĄnchez, adding a little dance and everything:
âYou canât counter-schedule an Ibero-American Summit with a televangelist who considers homosexuality to be a disease⊠Turns out the next day I was attending the Ibero-American Summit with his Majesty the King and several heads of state from sister nations, while you were dancing something that seemed to be a mix between merengue and reggaeton.â
(We would have embedded the video here but Twitter wonât let us do that. đ )
Anyway, DĂaz is a national treasure. Protect her at all cost.
đ« The Return of the King, Part III
If you didnât get enough of the ex-King, old Juan Carlos I, during his trip through Spain last week, youâre in luck (sorta). Chilean artist NicolĂĄs Miranda installed a wee statue of JCI pointing a hunting rifle at Madridâs famous madroño-eating bear (the âEl Oso y el Madroño' monument) in the Puerta del Sol a few days ago.
However, the statue isnât exactly a love letter to the former monarch (who may have a secret fourth child, a daughter named Alejandra, we learned this week). Titled âEstrategias parasitarias para la sobrevivencia en un mundo cruelâ (âParasitic strategies for survival in a cruel worldâ), it is meant to âridicule the figure of the monarchâ, in part by harkening back to the 2012 hunting trip the king took to Botswana during Spainâs financial downturn. A broken hip there forced his (very expensive) emergency evacuation, and the revelation to all of his affair with Corinna Larsen. It was the beginning of the end of his reign, which he abdicated in 2014. The 170 cm. statue only lasted in the spot for 10 minutes before the authorities arrived, but next week it will go on display in La ParcerĂa, a cultural association in the Arganzuela district.
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Weâll be back next week with more.