Vintagespain is offering an easygoing tour.

There are two “Madrids”: the one you can’t help but see, and the one you need a local person to show you. We’d like to invite you to enjoy the experience of “ir de tapas”, as madrileños do.

You will discover hidden spots, even in the very heart of Madrid, each of which has something special to offer, be it a typical dish, a specific type of wine or its atmosphere. Get into the swing of things: go to a bar, enjoy your wine and your free tapa, order something extra to eat if it catches your fancy and, once you’ve finished, move on to the next venue. It´s as simple as that!

Be ready to stand in bars, drinking slowly but surely and sampling a variety of tapas and wines which, although originally from different Spanish regions, have found their place in the melting pot that is Madrid. By the end of the evening you will have discovered the key to wine and gastronomy (some of it is for the fearless only!) and heard many anecdotes of 17th century Madrid, along whose streets we will stroll.

We’ll start in one of Madrid’s most emblematic venues, drinking sherry, the world-famous “generous” wine from Andalusia, and we will learn how this wine is closely related to the origin of the word tapas to refer to small portions of food… some of which we will, of course, enjoy.

The tradition of having food to go with your wine (and not the other way around) is, however, much older. We’ll acquaint ourselves with the history of this custom in an old style Castilian tavern, surrounded by huge blackboards showing the names of dozens of wines sold by the glass and the tapas available.

The concept behind the next place we will visit is as old as it is unique nowadays: the store that conceals a bar, or the bar tucked away at the back of a shop. If you like what you eat or drink in the bar, you can purchase it from the shop. Likewise, if you are intrigued by what you see in the shop, you can sample it in the bar.

We won’t waste any time: onwards to the next bar! This one is all about bulls and matadors: enjoy the traditional Feria fare surrounded by bullfighting paraphernalia.

And finally, we’ll round up the evening in style, with Serrano ham and wine at the last bar that we’ll visit, which can only be defined as a typical “Madrid tavern”. Hidden, dark, cozy, warm, roguish, immortal; like all those places that feature in novels, but rarely in the tourist guides.

Someone said that to be a madrileño you just need to spend the night in Madrid and enjoy the streets more than your home. We offer you the freedom of the city. And its drinks. And its dishes.

The tour includes:

Visit to three or four tapas bars where you would have some tapas and wine. Enough for dinner or lunch
Guided tour of the area where you will learn about some of Madrid’s most characteristic places.
Duration: The tour takes approximately 2h 30 min. Recommended from 13.00-15.30h or 20.00 – 22.30 h.

For Bookings: Vintagespain.com

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The principal objective is to promote the region’s character and position it as a reference for wine, nature and cultural tourism. The promotion of the Jacobean Year 2010 (A Jacobean Year is when St James’s Day (July 25) falls on a Sunday – the next will be in 2021) including wine tasting, the signing of agreements, children’s activities on the St James Way (Camino de Santiago), arts and crafts demonstrations and wine therapy treatments will be the main points.

The Province’s and Autonomous Community’s stand built in the shape of a wine glass, will feature special areas showing images of the region, a specific area for promoting the Jacobean Year 2010, with a special focus on the St. James Way on its journey through La Rioja. The promotional area offers complete Bluetooth applications allowing visitors to download information on the Jacobean route directly onto their mobile phones.

The Regional Minister of Tourism, the Environment and Territorial Policy will be signing collaboration agreements with Turespaña for the promotion of the St James Way (The Way of St James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times, and a pilgrimage route on which a plenary indulgence could be earned) and the implementation of an enogastronomy campaign with Google.

Also being promoted on the stand will be the Verdura de Calahorra Museum, the El Barranco Perdido Palaeontology Park and all the information on themed routes offered by La Rioja.

The proposals from the region’s wine cellars and museums, its enotourism activities, its infrastructures for organising conferences and congresses and sports tourism, are just some of the key features to be presented by La Rioja at FITUR 2010.

VIA FITUR

www.lariojaturismo.com

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The ancient Greek celebration of homosexuality and male beauty, and their penchant for decadence and debauchery, still flourish here during the midsummer heat.

Famous for its idyllic clothing-optional beaches and hedonistic gay bars, this jewel in the Aegean Sea is the stuff of folklore.

Read the Guide in Passport Online

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