Madrid A-Z

C. Cibeles Fountain


In this new groundbreaking genre of speculative travel, the idea is to imagine yourself standing within the very city you are about to visit in a week, a month, a year. I will never forget putting this idea to the true test before we visited New York City five years ago for the first time. I studied the history of the city and then make sure that I had a fairly good handle on the layout of the city, street by street, not so much in a way to memorize but to simply plant the seeds of potential recognition as we traveled via taxi or by following a guide. One particular morning my speculative travel came in very handy, as we were on a walking tour of revolutionary New York, down deep into southern Manhattan. As we passed Beaver Street -- not far from Wall Street District -- I knew that I recognized that my favorite speculative restaurant, Delmonico's, often claimed as the first true restaurant in the city, was not far away. I asked politely if we might take a very brief detour and walk past the restaurant -- I wanted to simply see the entrance, maybe look in, tell a story if need be. We walked a few blocks down and found the restaurant although it was unfortunately closed for construction. As we stood gawking into the front doorway a man had come up to us from across the street and asked if we might be interested in seeing the restaurant. Well, we played along; it looked innocent enough. The man proceeded to tell us in a potent Eastern European accent that he was the brother in law of the new owner and that he was in charge renovation. He opened the door with a simple key and let us walk around this fabulously old dining room for half an hour. We promised that we would make reservations before we left the city and we did, enjoying one of the finer steaks in the land two nights later. New travelers don't have the luxury of experience. To see oneself inside the city before travel even happens is a sort of pre-experience.

I for one would like to take the very short walk from our hotel Hospes along the Calle de Alcala, two blocks down a stroll around what has been identified as one of the truest symbols of all of Madrid, the Plaza de Cibeles, where the Fuente de Cibeles flows and it is said that the national soccer fans gather to celebrate their team upon victory. Cibeles is named after Cybele, goddess of nature and agriculture, who is depicted sitting on her chariot, drawn by a pair of lions, obviously a very fertive symbol of abundance and hope, designed in the late 18th century two Spanish architects. This is an epicenter of administrative headquarters with the Palacio de Communications and Banco de Espana all within eyeshot, and leading down to the famous Paseo del Prado, now a city seat for museums and galleries. As with the tentative travel to New York, it is the sheer scope of such cities that inches your toward beginning to streamline your plans. It's very easy to think that we could likely spend three days alone in Bourbon Madrid, saving the three other primary districts for another trip to come.