{"id":1428,"date":"2016-03-18T14:45:53","date_gmt":"2016-03-18T13:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/?p=1428"},"modified":"2016-03-18T16:20:57","modified_gmt":"2016-03-18T15:20:57","slug":"mad-weird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/2016\/03\/18\/mad-weird\/","title":{"rendered":"Mad Weird"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Torres

Torres Blancas<\/p><\/div>\n

Madrid is a city full of quirks<\/strong>. The capital city\u2019s notoriety may stem from its status as Spain\u2019s grandiose capital, but look past the wide boulevards, colossal monuments, and traditional bars, and you\u2019ll spot an endless array of urban anomalies. Shaped by its tumultuous history<\/strong>, simmered by years of isolation, and brought to life by its endlessly energetic and eclectic people<\/strong>, Madrid is a city full of surprises. Here are a handful of insights to guide you around this weird and wonderful city.<\/p>\n

\"\"Abnormal Architecture<\/strong><\/p>\n

The space-age high-rise that is Torres Blancas<\/em><\/strong> looks like an elaborate set from a science-fiction film from the 1960s, and in a way, that\u2019s exactly what it is. Built by the visionary architect Francisco Javier S\u00e1enz de Oiza<\/strong> in 1969, its design imitates the curvilinear forms of a tree and has been luring Madrid\u2019s creative class to snap up apartments here for decades. The top floor once housed a spectacularly retro restaurant (it remains closed today, but is up for sale if you\u2019re interested), while filmmakers such as Jim Jarmusch<\/strong> included the building in his unsettling film \u2018The Limits of Control\u2019. You can\u2019t visit the inside (the stalwart doormen will make sure of that), but if you catch Madrid\u2019s metro line 7 to Cartagena station you can freely explore the extraordinary exterior<\/strong> and marvel at one of Madrid\u2019s most miraculous structures.<\/p>\n

Metro: Cartagena<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"\"Madrid\u2019s Wacky Wax Museum<\/strong><\/p>\n

So you\u2019ve queued at the Prado, Reina Sofia, and the Thyssen but you still have a thirst for some pop-culture. Stroll a little further up Madrid\u2019s Paseo del Arte until you reach the Plaza de Col\u00f3n<\/strong> and you\u2019ll find one of the world\u2019s most entertaining wax museums. Inaugurated in 1972, the \u201cMuseo de Cera<\/a>\u201d<\/strong> has carved out a niche for itself as one of the city\u2019s most infamous institutions, merely because of its sometimes-comical renditions of some of the world\u2019s most famous faces<\/strong>. It\u2019s the type of attraction that needs to be seen to be believed. Make sure you go with your camera or phone battery charged to the full because this place will set your Instagram account on fire.<\/p>\n

Paseo de Recoletos 41<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"\"Atocha\u2019s Mysterious Turtle Pond<\/strong><\/p>\n

Apart from an indoor rainforest<\/strong>, Madrid\u2019s main train station Atocha also contains a rather curious pond full of red-eared slider turtles. Most people don\u2019t realise it, but this ever-increasing population of hard-shells is actually a complete accident. Once upon a time the pond was just an empty water feature. That was, until a steady stream of people began sneaking into the station and off-loading their unwanted pets into the water. Talk to any of the merchants that border the forest and they\u2019ll all have plenty of tales about people tipping their turtles<\/strong> into the water and sneaking (or sprinting) off into the distance. The pond\u2019s population has got so out of hand that the rail authorities recently put up signs warning people that abandoning animals is a crime. This hasn\u2019t diminished the pulling power of Atocha\u2019s weird water feature though; thousands of people still come to gawk at the turtles every week.<\/p>\n

Metro: Atocha Renfe<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"\"The 22nd<\/sup> Century Church<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Church of San Ant\u00f3n<\/strong> in the colourful Chueca district could well be one of the most high-tech Christian temples in the world. Better known for its annual blessing of the animals<\/strong> (which in itself is a little on the odd side), this small church recently went digital, installing television screens<\/strong> with a live hook-up to the Vatican, free wi-fi, extra power-points to charge phones and iPads, and you can even download a savvy new confessional app. To top it off, the church is now open 24 hours a day and, just in case you were wondering, pets are still welcome to join you \u2013 even if it\u2019s 3am.<\/p>\n

Calle Hortaleza 63<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"\"Majestic Medicine<\/strong><\/p>\n

Madrid is peppered with historic pharmacies<\/strong> and many of them have been preserved to reflect their regal beginnings. Behind an un-assuming wooden panelled fa\u00e7ade on Calle San Bernardo, the ornate golden-hued ceilings of the Farmacia Deleuze Isasi give the impression of a palatial drawing room rather than a modern-day chemist. It opened all the way back in 1780<\/strong> and a room out the back once hosted meetings for some of the city\u2019s most prominent intellectuals and artists. If you\u2019re in need of some over-the-counter medication or some emergency toiletries, a visit to the antiquated confines of this chemist will certainly distract you from your ails.<\/p>\n

Calle de San Bernardo 39<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"\"Satanic Statue<\/strong><\/p>\n

It may be an ode to some of the most important verses in the Bible, but this undeniably creepy monument is still a statue of Lucifer himself. You won\u2019t find it tucked away in an obscure courtyard, but rather, towering over a prominent intersection in the popular\u00a0El Retiro Park<\/strong>. Known as the \u2018Angel Caido<\/em>\u2019 or Fallen Angel Statue, it\u2019s a very stark reminder that the ultimate villain actually used to be one of the good guys. Many Madrile\u00f1os will tell you that it is the world\u2019s only satanic monument, but that\u2019s not entirely accurate. What is true, is that the statue\u2019s location is exactly 666 metres above sea level<\/strong> and after its unveiling in 1885 used to attract a motely crew of nocturnal Satanic worshippers. It became such a concern that authorities even considered tearing it down, but thankfully today you are more likely to be accosted by an out-of-control roller-blader than a member of the occult.<\/p>\n

Retiro Park<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"\"Revolutionary Bar<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tucked away on a dark, narrow street of the Las Letras district<\/strong><\/a>, La Venencia<\/strong> is steeped in local Republican history. A favourite haunt of the Republicans during Spain\u2019s civil war, this bar doesn\u2019t seem to have changed in the eight decades since. The black cat roaming among the revellers suggests a somewhat relaxed feel, but there a several things that you should know before you get into trouble. DON\u2019T take any photos: the owners don\u2019t seem to like to be reminded that it\u2019s 2016. DON\u2019T even think about leaving a tip (this is a Socialist thing). DO try all the different sherries<\/strong> (el jer\u00e9z<\/em>) though; adding a few favourable murmurs will also win you extra points with the staunch staff. And lastly, make this a night time visit, because La Venencia just doesn\u2019t have the same haunting charm under the glow of daylight.<\/p>\n

Calle de Echegaray 7<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Madrid is a city full of quirks. The capital city\u2019s notoriety may stem from its status as Spain\u2019s grandiose capital, but look past the wide boulevards, colossal monuments, and traditional bars, and you\u2019ll spot an endless array of urban anomalies. Shaped by its tumultuous history, simmered by years of isolation, and brought to life by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":1437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[215,194,106,36,216],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1428"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1441,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428\/revisions\/1441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}