Hi...I'm going to Madrid soon and will be staying there for 12 days.
Can anyone recomend me a cheap fitness club there, with rowing machine
if possible. I only need it for a few practices, not the three months
membership.
Also, what do you think must be seen in Madrid and it's not in
tourists guides?
Thanky you.
Goga

This is recommended in Rick Steves's travel guide and is worth it. Spend an evening joining the Chairman of the Wellington Society (don't know the website but he has one) on a guided tour of historic Madrid. The man is a little eccentric, is a mine of interesting information and is great fun. For $25 (which includes membership of the society) he will take you to little taverns in tucked away alleys, ply you with local wine and tappas and entertain you immensely. If you don't enjoy wine - don't do the tour.

    >...12 days...what do you think must be seen in Madrid and it's not in
    > tourists guides?
Depends on how much free time you have. Most people would visit the
Prado Museum, but there are other museums if you are a museum buff
(e.g., Reina Sofia). You can easily visit the Escorial by cercania
train. If you have more than a few hours, you can also easily visit
typical destinations like Segovia and/or Toledo, though my favorite
local trips are to places like Miraflores de la Sierra, Chinchon and
La Granja. I don't find Madrid proper that interesting anymore, though
I still like to hit some of the alternative night clubs when I can.
You could spend an hour or two walking through Madrid de las
Austrias/National Palace, or just hanging out on the Plaza Mayor. You
can also get to the mountains to hike via cercania train.

On 10 Feb 2003 15:35:20 -0800, [email protected] (ifjed5555) wrote:

    >>...12 days...what do you think must be seen in Madrid and it's not in
    >> tourists guides?
    >Depends on how much free time you have. Most people would visit the
    >Prado Museum, but there are other museums if you are a museum buff
    >(e.g., Reina Sofia). You can easily visit the Escorial by cercania
    >train. If you have more than a few hours, you can also easily visit
    >typical destinations like Segovia and/or Toledo, though my favorite
    >local trips are to places like Miraflores de la Sierra, Chinchon and
    >La Granja. I don't find Madrid proper that interesting anymore, though
    >I still like to hit some of the alternative night clubs when I can.
    >You could spend an hour or two walking through Madrid de las
    >Austrias/National Palace, or just hanging out on the Plaza Mayor. You
    >can also get to the mountains to hike via cercania train.

I lived in Madrid for a while, and whenever we had family or friends
to stay, the most popular places to take them out of the city were (in
no particular order)

El Escorial
Valle de los Caidos
Chincon
Segovia
Pedraza
Toledo

most if not all of which will be in tourist guides (maybe not Pedraza,
but its a beautiful village if you go when the sun is shining)

Within Madrid, by far the most poular places to eat were, for style
and presence, Cafe Teatriz, a Phillippe Starck designed converted
theatre in Calle Hermosilla not far from Colon, or, if you like
something a little more robust and vibrant, Jose Luis, just down the
road from the Bernabeu football stadium.

Brian

ifjed5555 wrote:
    >
    > >...12 days...what do you think must be seen in Madrid and it's not in
    > > tourists guides?
    > Depends on how much free time you have. Most people would visit the
    > Prado Museum, but there are other museums if you are a museum buff
    > (e.g., Reina Sofia). You can easily visit the Escorial by cercania
    > train. If you have more than a few hours, you can also easily visit
    > typical destinations like Segovia and/or Toledo, though my favorite
    > local trips are to places like Miraflores de la Sierra, Chinchon and
    > La Granja.

I was in La Granja (for the second time) a year and a half ago, and the
beautiful gardens were all torn up for what looked like a very long work
of restoration. One of the things that distressed me was that even
ancient trees and shrubbery were dead. I don't see how it can ever again
be as beautiful as it was the first time I saw it.

Barbara