For example, from June through October it is used as a pop & rock concert venue, and in my opinion it is one of the best places to listen to live music in Madrid.

It is big enough to hold several thousand people (23,798 seated, to be precise) yet being completely round makes it much more compact and atmospheric than any stadium that I’ve been to for a concert. I’ve been lucky enough to see international bands there like Radiohead, and Spanish artists like Joaquin Sabina. Definitely worth checking out if you see one of your favourite bands on the list for this unique venue.

Metro: Ventas Address: C/Alcalá, 237. See map below:

View Larger Map

One specific side street is dedicated to pets, with real pet shops on either side of the road, and a few people outside selling their own puppies out of cardboard boxes and sports bags. The main street, c/ Ribera de Curtidores, is the place to head to if you’d like to see antique shops in Madrid, most of which open every day of the week.

There are two extra reasons for visiting the Rastro on a Sunday morning: the first is the live music, from the organ grinder playing Chotis, a popular music and dance from Madrid, to a complete Jazz band if you’re lucky.

The second reason is food: finish your Rastro visit with either the traditional bocadillo de calamares, a battered squid baguette sold in one of the many bars lining the main Rastro strip, or head towards the atmospheric heart of La Latina for lunch in one of the many tapas bars around Plaza de la Cebada and Cava Baja.

TIPS: Go early, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., to avoid the masses. Be careful with your wallet, camera and other possessions, as this is a favourite spot for pickpockets.

Metro: La Latina / Tirso de Molina. The Rastro is on Calle Ribera de Curtidores and surrounds. See map below:

View Larger Map

The weather in Madrid has taken a turn towards summer and streets throughout the city have sprouted terrazas. You can surely find a sunny spot for a drink and a snack near your apartment or hotel, but there are two streets in Madrid that truly are prime for dining and drinking al fresco.

Starting at Calle Menendez Pelayo (on the eastern perimeter of Retiro), calles Ibiza and Alcalde Sainz de Baranda are proper boulevards whose wide, paved medians are dotted with newsstands, benches, and, April through October, a non-stop parade of terrazas.

Along these roughly 10 blocks you’ll find all manner of food and drink and almost no tourists. Located in the heart of the Retiro district (located east of the park and south of the Salamanca neighborhood), the area is favored by the locals and the prices are set accordingly. You’ll obviously pay more for dining outside than for having a drink at the bar, but the prices are below those found in more touristy areas. And FAR below those found at the terrazas in the nearby Retiro.

Head over that way in the early evening and pick a place which looks nice — or, more likely, one that has an open table. In the warmest months, the terrazas fill up starting around 7:30 and stay busy until 1 or 2am. If you get there at the right time and can take your pick of the locales, try one of these favorites:

Drinks and snacks

• El Ratón Vaquero, C/ Alcalde Sainz de Baranda, 25 – Vermouth on tap and good tapas
• Natur Aidlans, C/ Ibiza, 17 – Shakes and smoothies made to order
• Tramontana, C/ Sainz de Baranda, 51 – Cheap mixed drinks served to a 20-something clientèle

Dinner

• La Hacienda Argentina, C/ Ibiza, 41 – Every cut of meat you could want
• La Marisqueria Méndez, C/ Ibiza, 33 – Top notch, fresh seafood. Appetizers are the highlight here.

Metros: Ibiza (Line 9), Sainz de Baranda (Lines 6 and 9)

See map below for locations mentioned above:

View Larger Map

City Yoga is one of the bigger (and posher) studios in the city, and offers everything from a variety of styles of yoga to pilates, as well as various massages and therapies. Schedules are very accommodating, as there are classes available all day during the week and Saturday mornings. Yoga class size can reach a maximum of 20 students.

Metro: Cuatro Caminos Address: C/ Artistas, 43 Phone: 91 553 4751.

Yoga Flow is a small studio where the experienced instructor, Oscar Montero, teaches Iyengar Yoga. Schedules are more limited than a place like City Yoga, but classes are smaller (eight tends to be the maximum), prices are slightly less expensive, and the attention is very personalized.

Metro: Islas Filipinas Address: C/ Cea Bermudez, 66 5A3 Phone: 91 442 3288.

A few other places worth mentioning are:

Centro Solar, a good, small studio where prices are about 50 euros a month. Metro: Tirso de Molina Address: C/ Cabeza, 15 2 izq Phone: 91 539 9860; 91 527 3561.

Yoga Center, a bigger center reminiscent of City Yoga. Metro: Retiro Address: C/ Serrano, 6 bajo 4 Phone: 91 575 1913.

Bikram Yoga Madrid specializes in “hot” yoga. Metro: Bilbao, San Bernardo Address: C/ Divino Pastor 25 Phone: 91 523 1141.

Shadak is run by one of the big names in Spanish yoga, Ramiro Calle. Metro: Serrano Address: C/ Ayala, 10 Phone: 914 352 328.

Bindu Escuela de Yoga offers “physical” and “mental” yoga classes. Metro: Prosperidad, Concha Espina Address: C/ Pérez Ayuso, 11 Phone: 91 413 8238.

See all yoga centers mentioned above on the map below:

View Larger Map

1. Madrid Me Mata has provided us with a great resource: a map of all free WiFi hotspots in Madrid. Obviously the guys at MMM need our help, so if you know of a place with free WiFi, you can add it to the map following the instructions (in Spanish) here. Happy (free) surfing!

2. I’ve been meaning to write a post about where to see live music in Madrid. This week the New York Times has published a write-up of great spots to hear live music all over town, and it’s definitely worth checking out. Any places you, dear readers, can add?

Madrid’s river, el Manzanares, has taken a beating over the years. It was never a grand thing to begin with, being the object of mockery from several Spanish writers:

Manzanares, Manzanares, arroyo aprendiz de río.
-Francisco de Quevedo

Como Alcalá y Salamanca tenéis, y no sois colegio, vacaciones en verano y curso sólo en invierno.
-Tirso de Molina

and my favorite line of poetry,
¿Cómo ayer te vi en pena, y hoy en gloria? Bebióme un asno ayer, y hoy me ha meado.
-Luis de Góngora

These sharp pens call the Manzanares an “apprenticing stream,” with a “winter-only course” which only swells “into glory when a donkey pees” in it. Following the Golden Age, increased industrialization and traffic has reduced the Manzanares’ trickle even further.

But now the city is working on ambitious plans to turn the riverfront green from 2008 to 2010. See the promotional video (in Spanish) for details. Although I remain skeptical that the water flow will suddenly swell to the volume projected in the computer-graphic rendering and that putting motorways underground will work perfectly, the general direction looks promising.

For now, walking by the river can be enjoyable in limited areas, like by the Puente de Segovia to the west of the Campo del Moro and the Puente de Toledo (in photo), downhill from the Puerta de Toledo. Both provide for relaxing Sunday afternoon strolls, although the water may be lacking, especially at the former. In the future, there will hopefully be even more green space (and water too) if all goes according to plan.

Recommendations for 10 things to do in Madrid

1. The Do or Die Arty No-Brainer
Visit at least one of the big three art museums, the Prado, the Reina Sofia or the Thyssen. If in doubt pick the Reina Sofia and see Guernica.

2. Tapas Grazing
Start on Cava Baja, stopping at will on this bar-packed street, then head into the depths of La Latina for more.

3. Something Different
Take a trip on the Teleférico, out into the depths of the Casa de Campo.

4. A Walk
Go to Plaza de la Villa and take one of the small alleys on the left-hand side or at the back of the square. Wander aimlessly, follow your nose, change course at will, check out the churches - it’s the best way to see Madrid de los Austrias, the ancient city centre.

5. Everyone misses
Malasaña - a really charming barrio centered around Plaza Dos de Mayo. Check out the lovely tiled shop fronts, ignore the graffiti, and have a drink at Manuela Café, on Calle San Vicente Ferrer 29.

6. A Park
The Retiro: for people-watching, romance, rowing, and relative peace and quiet.

7. A Shop
Antigua Casa Talavera, an incredible ceramics shop on Calle Isabel la Católica, 2.

8. A trip out of the city
El Escorial or Toledo. It’s a toss up as to which is best. If you really can’t decide, try Chinchón instead.

9. A reasonable restaurant
Taberna Miranda, at Plaza del Conde Miranda, 4, is local, cheap, has amazing food, and is generally very Spanish. Our favourite in Madrid. Arrive 9ish at weekends if you don’t have a reservation. Otherwise do snacks at the lively bar.

10. Hidden Culture
El Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, at Plaza de las Descalzas Reales, 3. A closed order of nuns still live in the private quarters of this monastery. Amazing treasures lie within.

10+1. Last thing at night
Ward off a hangover with chocolate con churros at Chocolatería San Ginés, on Pasadizo de San Ginés. Things liven up after 3 a.m., when locals gather to dip thick battery churros sticks into gloopy hot chocolate.

Add more Madrid recommendations in the comments below!

See map below for places mentioned above:

View Larger Map

For the women out there, the racks are filled with canary yellow, electric green, and royal blue. Cuts and styles are similar to 2007, but the flowing tops are a little more fitted and the jeans are starting to widen again. Update your staples from last year’s closet by mixing a flowing yellow top with fitted jeans or a cropped jacket over a bright red flowered sundress. Even the accessories come in Crayola colors, so ring in the spring while still wearing your winter coat by picking up a bright scarf or belt.

The guys shouldn’t stick just to neutrals either, but the colors are slightly more demure than your female counterparts. But you’ll still find tons of colors on the shelves — particularly among the t-shirts, polos, and checked work shirts. Mix in just a little color (grass green, muted yellow, and purple are among the hot tones for 2008) with your work suits and pants to modernize your look. For the weekend, you’ll find lots of cargo pants in stores this year, too, to which the perfect addition is a colorful belt.

The shoes this year are all about color and comfort. Ladies, the flats of last year are still in fashion. Add to that the stacked heels and wedges of this season (all in the same bright colors) and you’re ready to strut the streets. Men’s shoes for work stick with the same lines as last year, but weekend shoes mimic the colors of spring. Play shoes are all about the hip athletic line — Converse and Vans reign the shop windows.

And now that you’ve got the right duds, you’ll surely reign Madrid this season!