A Healthy Guide to Madrid: Plans & Food

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A Healthy Guide to Madrid: Plans & Food

October 28, 2019

There are plenty of healthy things to do in Madrid. From international races to good-for-you food, the list of options for health-addicts are endless. It hasn't always been like this, though. The terms flexitarian, paleo or vegan were unknown in Spain a few years ago. Even though the famous Mediterranean diet that characterises our lifestyle is good for you in general, things like our delicious fried calamari and most of our tasty tapas are on the greasier side. However, the healthy lifestyle movement is catching on so those of us who want to eat what's good for our bodies have all the resources available.

On today's post you are going to find a healthy guide to Madrid. We are going to see plans and food for those of you who want to feed their bodies and souls with the very best things only.

A HEALTHY GUIDE TO MADRID: PLANS

I am all about healthy eating but I must confess that I have a hard time keeping up with a workout routine. On the contrary, my husband practices a lot of sport and once a year runs a race. His favorite is Carrera de la Ciencia (Science Race). It takes place once a year and it raises money for scientific reasearch.

Other important races in Madrid:

• Women's race (March 8)
• Race against cancer (March)
• Madrid's half marathon (April)
• San Silvestre Vallecana (December)

Find the complete list here

If you aren't a runner, there are plenty of gyms and fitness studios like:

• Go Fit Sports Centers
• Yoga Center Madrid
• Pilates Zentro Madrid
• TopCycle
• Yoga in Retiro Park

Finally, the cheapest workouts you can get are renting a bike or just walking around one of Madrid's biggest green areas like Madrid Rio, Retiro Park or Casa de Campo. It's my absolute favorite plan when the weather is good.

Do you need to relax after all the exercise you've done? Check out some of Madrid's great spas:

• Los Nogales
• Hammam Al-Andalus

A HEALTHY GUIDE TO MADRID: FOOD

The eating options in Madrid are endless and the number of healthy restaurants is skyrocketing. We recently discovered Cafe Run Run Run which opened last may and is a haven for runners. It's a restaurant and running club all in one place. Their menu includes foodie faovrites such as avocado toast or eggs benedict and many vegan options. There are many flexitarian and a few paleo friendly dishes as well. The decor is fun and unique which makes it also one of those Instagram worthy spots that you can't miss in Madrid.

These are our favorite healthy restaurants in Madrid:

• Mama Campo at Plaza Olavide offers healthy delicious food made with ingredients bought from local farmers. Sustainability is their main goal, which can be seen in the wooden furniture and organic products.
• Superchulo, a 100% vegetarian restaurant in the trendy district of Malasaña.
• La Cupula de los Peñotes offers healthy food at an environmentally friendly restaurant napkins are biodegradable and plates and glasses are made with 100% recycled glass.
• Raw Coco can be found in Madrid (2 locations) Gijon and Valencia. This cafe, bar and restaurant offers organic products and is famous for its cold press juices and smoothies. We love the Caribbean style decor as well!

Healthy restaurants on my list to try next:

• La Hummuseria
• Bump Green
• Avocado Love
• Honest Greens

Are you a health-addict? What do you do to keep a sustainable and healhy lifestyle?
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How is Hispanic Day Celebrated in Spain?

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How is Hispanic Day Celebrated in Spain?

October 14, 2019

Spain's National Day (Fiesta Nacional de España) is October 12, a.k.a. Hispanic Day (Día de la Hispanidad), it commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas. As it is Spain's big day, we get the day off and families celebrate attending one of the many events throughout the country or spending some quality time with their loved ones.

2019 was my first time attending the celebrations in Madrid and I want to share with you photos I took in the impressive National Day celebration of the country's capital and the story behind this festivity, from its origins to how different cities in Spain celebrate.

Read more about Family Traditions in Spain

HISPANIC DAY: LOOKING BACK IN HISTORY

Christopher Columbus set off from Palos de la Frontera, Cadiz, on August 1492. Two months later he arrived in an island that is now part of the Bahamas. However, this wasn't the original idea. Columbus, who was sponsored by the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, was actually looking for a western route to India but instead stumbled upon the Americas by mistake. Hispanic Day symbolizes the union between Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America.

HISPANIC DAY: PUBLIC LIFE

Being a public holiday, most shops and businesses are closed on Spain's National Day so it's a pretty quiet day. Some bakers and food stores may be open and public transport services are reduced like on a Sunday.

If October 12 falls on a Sunday, regional or local authorities can move the public holiday to a different date.

Unlike other Spanish holidays, there's no special food associated with this festivity although family gatherings and copious meals full of yummy Spanish traditional recipes happen on Hispanic Day.

Read How to Host Your Very Own Tapas Party

HISPANIC DAY: HOW SPANIARDS CELEBRATE

The main event taking place on October 12 is the military parade in Madrid involving all the branches of the military: planes, tanks and other bodies. It goes along Paseo de la Castellana and is attended by the King and Queen, their daughters and leading politicians of the time.

There are two impressive moments during the parade. One is when the Spanish Air Force acrobatics team, Patrulla Águila, lets out red and yellow smoke that looks like the Spanish flag. The second one is when a parachutist jumps from a plane with the flag and offers it to the Royal Family upon landing.

Another favorite among those who attend the parade is the Spanish Legion, a unit of the Spanish Army whose mascot is a goat.

Once the parade is over, families enjoy the day off together eating out or doing some other leisure activities. Hispanic Day is also a day when many museums and palaces in Madrid open their doors to the public. There are also various performances at the Cervantes Institute of Madrid as well as special exhibits.

And speaking of Cervantes...Don Quixote's creator's beautiful hometown Alcala de Henares celebrates this day with lots of activities, including one of the biggest Medieval fairs in Spain. Alcala is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it's an absolute must if you are in Madrid.

Apart from the huge parade in the capital, Madrid, there are plenty of other celebrations that take place throughout the rest of Spain. For instance, a big one takes place in Zaragoza as it is El Día del Pilar and they celebrate Our Lady of Pilar patron saint.

HISPANIC DAY ALL AROUND THE WORLD

This day is also celebrated around the world: in the United States it is known as Columbus Day; Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in Uruguay and Belize; Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in Mexico, Chile and Colombia; and Discovery Day in the Bahamas.

I hope you learnt something new and interesting today. Tell me, how do you celebrate National Day in your country?

Madrid for Foodies: Trendy Restaurants Part One

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Madrid for Foodies: Trendy Restaurants Part One

October 7, 2019

Many visitors come to Spain because of our food culture every year. Spanish cuisine is well-known and respected all over the world and Madrid is one of its gastronomical capitals. Even though Spanish flavors attract swarms of tourists on its own, Madrid restaurants make a big effort to lure foodies in with beautifully decorated eateries.

On this blog post I'm going to show you around some of the trendiest restaurants in Madrid. There are so many that we'll need several installments to cover them all. Let's start with part one.

Love trendy and instagrammable spots? Check out my guide to The Most Instagrammable Places in Madrid.

TRENDY RESTAURANTS IN MADRID: GRUPO GALLETA

If you can only try one restaurant in Madrid, make it one of Grupo Galleta. With their delicious food and affordable prices they are good value. You may wonder why they called it "galleta" which is Spanish for cookie. The owner's family is linked to the famous Fontaneda Spanish cookie company. Also his love for dogs (perros) plays a very important part in the brand. In fact, dogs are welcome in all of their restaurants. 

All of their restaurants are located in strategic locations, in the trendiest neighborhoods and close to landmarks which make them a great option if you are visiting Madrid. Finally, the restaurants have a rustic flare and display collections of objects which makes the decor so cool and unique.

MARIA Y LA GALLETA
A few weeks ago we tried one of the newest additions to the group: Maria y La Galleta. This trendy restaurant is located in Tribunal, one of the busiest areas of Madrid which is close to Gran Via.

The food was as good as expected. One of the group's specialties is battered eggplant which they serve in all of the restaurants with slight differences in the recipe. We love it so much that we always order it for starters. Our favorite main dishes were the poke bowl and the burger. Finally, their iconic dessert, Tarta de Mama (mom's cake) made with chocolate and -guess what- Fontaneda's best-known cookie named "Maria" is one of the best sweet treats we've tried in Madrid so far.

Reservations

MORE TRENDY RESTAURANTS BY GRUPO GALLETA

EL PERRO Y LA GALLETA
The most famous restaurant of the group can be found in two locations now: the original one in Barrio Salamanca -right next to Retiro Park- and a new one in Chamberi (which used to be El Canadiense by the same group).

I'll always remember El Perro y la Galleta because it was the first restaurant to ever truly take my breath away. I hadn't been living in Madrid for too long at that time and coming from a small city, I didn't know such lovely restaurants existed.

Reservations:
Barrio Salamanca
Chamberi

CASA GALLETA
Also located in Barrio Salamanca near Retiro, this is one of the latest additions to the group. It's a traditional restaurant with rustic country decor. Don't be fooled by the classic decor, the food is modern and fun!

Reservations

BAR GALLETA
The trendy neighborhood of Malasaña houses another restaurant by Grupo Galleta: Bar Galleta. We still haven't tried this one but I'm sure it won't disappoint.

Fun fact, their mascot is Cookie Monster, could it be any more adorable? :)

Reservations

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