🏺The Tapa Weekend: November 10
An offal ruta, a Berlin Wall exhibit and an exciting antiques fair.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | November 10, 2023 | Madrid | Issue #29
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Phew.
What a week. I’m sure we’ve all been glued to the TV since Monday following the drama surrounding the investiture of caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (then again, maybe you had something better to do?). But now that a deal is finally reached and Spain is becoming a more equal society / full blown dictatorship (depending on where you stand), we can take five minutes to grab a drink and plan the weekend ahead.
Here are five cool things for you to do this weekend.
1. Ruta de la Casqueria (because food always comes first)
OK, hear us out (unless you’re vegan. If you are, skip this one). We know it may sound gross, but casquería (or in English, “offal”) is actually a delicacy. Yes, technically casquería is a “variety of meats” but in truth it refers to the internal organs of a butchered animal. And in case you were wondering, yes, there’s a ruta for that too.
Some 20 restaurants in Madrid are participating in the third edition of a gastronomic event that aims to give offal its much deserved recognition through traditional and representative recipes. If you can eat haggis, why not enjoy some callos instead?
The ruta also presents a so-called “Showcooking” workshop with offal products hosted by blogger David Luengo from "Cocinando en Guadarrama" and Ramón Martín from the cooking school Lumbre. Among the participating restaurants this year are La Tasquería, El Lince, Casa Enriqueta, García de La Navarra, Taberna Antonio Sánchez and Casa Sotero among others.
Ruta de la Casquería. Multiple locations around Madrid. Check official website for locations. Through Nov. 30.
2. The Berlin Wall: A Divided World Expo
If you can’t go to Berlin, let Berlin come to you. Madrid is hosting the first large-scale traveling exhibition on the Berlin Wall. This new exhibit features over 300 original objects, videos and testimonies from those who lived on both sides of the wall for nearly three decades, from 1961 to 1989.
“A Divided World” explores the ways people experienced living there, and serves as reminder of what it really symbolized: a global conflict between capitalism and socialism that brought the world to the brink of nuclear destruction.
Visitors to the exhibit can explore the ways in which Berliners fought, escaped, adapted, and ultimately overcame the division of the Cold War.
Included are 20 meters of the original wall and everyday items that Berliners ingeniously repurposed for smuggling, provision of basic goods, and communication between civilians on both sides.
If you’re a fan of the Cold War, don’t miss this one.
A Divided World Expo. Fundación Canal, Paseo de la Castellana 214, Madrid. Daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Tuesdays. Tickets start at €12.60.
3. Tennesse: An Homage to Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams is one of the most recognizable American playwrights. From A streetcar named desire to Cat on a hot tin roof, his works are considered some of the best that the 20th century had to offer. And now, Spanish director and playwright María Ruiz has created a special performance in homage to him, featuring two of his best short plays, The Lady of Larkspur Lotion and Talk to me like the rain and let me listen.
The first play features actors Cristina Medina, Esperanza Pedreño, and César Camino and it takes place in a small, degraded apartment in New Orleans and presents a dialogue between two main characters: the lady and a young, disillusioned tenant named John.
The second play is a collection of four shorts that address themes such as loneliness, emotional distress, and human relationship.
During the interlude between the plays, an actress talks about her character, the “adorable lady” and the beauty of the author's writings. Get your tickets pronto if you’re into some good old fashioned drama.
Tennessee. Teatro Español, Sala Margarita Xirgu. Calle del Príncipe, 25, Madrid. Through Dec. 17. Tuesdays to Sundays, 7:30 pm. Tickets start at €18.
4. Feriarte: Antiques & Art Fair
Here’s a chance to feel like Indiana Jones without leaving the comfort of your city. “Where’s the fun in that?” you ask. Well, we don’t know but some people are into it and who are we to judge.
Feriarte is the biggest event in Spain for those who are into collecting art and antiques. And we’re not talking about the kind of trinket you can find at the bottom of a bin in el Rastro. We’re talking real antiques (i.e. expensive).
This fair lets you admire (mostly from afar) works from classical antiquity and ancient cultures to 20th-century design and contemporary art. As the Feriarte website says, “all eras and artistic movements are represented at Feriarte through pieces selected and reserved by antique dealers and art galleries throughout the year, made available to art enthusiasts”. In other words, you can look but you can probably not buy as prices will mostly be, well, high.
That’s okay though, because it’s still like going to a museum and the stuff for sale is pretty to look at. For nine days this month you get to admire (and hopefully acquire) some piece for your own home. (Just stay away from the Ark of the Covenant though).
Feriarte. IFEMA. Avda. del Partenón, 5, Madrid. Nov. 11-19. 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at €16.
5. Mercado de Motores
The Mercado de Motores is back. The second weekend of every month, the Mercado de Motores market takes over the Madrid Railway Museum (which used to be a train station) to bring you live music (see video above), food trucks, vintage clothing, used vinyls and more.
Over 200 designers and entrepreneurs showcase their products—kind of like a flea market but a whole lot better.
Mercado de Motores has been gathering hundreds of artisans, designers, creators, book vendors, artists, gourmet food producers, and vintage/second-hand specialists for over 10 years. Over that time, the market/fair has become a benchmark for sustainable and local trade, providing visibility to entrepreneurs who, for the most part, do not have physical stores. Let’s show them our support, shall we?
Mercado de Motores. Free admission. Nov. 11 & 12, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Museo del Ferrocarril. Paseo de las Delicias 61, Madrid.
👨🏻💻 Viral Stories of the Week
🖕 A gestural week
Catalonia wasn’t just all about amnesty negotiations this week. No siree! It was also home to some verbal (and non-verbal) sparring (the kind of back and worth wonderfully referred to in Spanish as rifirrafe) between Vox and En Comú Podem politicians. First, En Comú Podem’s leader in the regional parliament slammed Vox for the sometimes violent clashes outside PSOE offices. “Catalonia and Spain are better than your fascism,” she said. Then Vox’s Ignacio Garriga referred to her group as “hyperventilated communists.” And in response she…gave him the finger.
And in Castilla y León…
Socialist members of the regional parliament accused the region’s vice president, Juan García-Gallardo (of Vox), of making an obscene gesture imitating, um, fellation. To which García-Gallardo replied that he was just making cry-baby gestures at them because they were whining. You be the judge!
We’re really raising the level of discourse here, aren’t we?
🔔 A Message From Our Sponsor
Secret Kingdoms is your English bookstore in Madrid. It specializes in Spanish history and literature, contemporary and classic novels, books for children and young adults of all ages, history and historical fiction, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, biographies and much more.
Located on Calle de Moratín 7 — a few blocks away from the Prado Museum — and with over 20,000 new and used books, Secret Kingdoms has something for everyone.
Find out more at www.thesecretkingdoms.com
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