On the one hand, I love the holiday time in Madrid and on the ohter sometimes I feel like staying in my apartment until February.
The problem is that we have only had the Plaza back in its pristene state (sans "terrazas" nor stands for a festival, etc) for 10 days and now here come the tacky christmas stands
For those of you who have not experienced these booths, they run the length of the Plaza and sell everything from nativity scenes and x-mas lights to fake doggy doo and gag gifts and.
They also set up a huge nativity scene on the other side of the Plaza (normally out of webcam view but I promise to rotate it once in a while so you can get a peek).
These stands are both good and bad. They do bring LOADS of locals to the Plaza Mayor (ecen those Madrile�os who never get here at least come during the holidays to see it), it is a bit like the famouse Christmas windows at Macy's in NYC (for those of you who have heard of or seen them). I love this because it is high season for people watching from my perch high above the Plaza Also, since this is the first holiday season for multimadrid and the Plaza Cam, the whole world will be able to look on from wherever they may be . In late November, December and early January it gets to the point where you can no longer see the Plaza floor due to the massive amounts of people.
This is a yearly tradition here in Madrid and if you are in the city between late Nov. and mid Jan., it is worht a curious peek.
If it bothers you that much, you could just move out
I could live in your apartment for most of the year (I will, of course, allow you to come back and visit for a few days each year) Sounds like a fair deal to me
Hmmmm... let me think about that for like a half second... nah!
Actually, i love the action in the Plaza and the upcoming holiday season will be great, I enjoy people watching from my balconies as I mentioned above. I only wish that we had more months with the Plaza Mayor being empty since that is when it is most impressive and majestic
Jeremy, Thanks for the shopping alert. I love shopping! I am going to enjoy hanging out at the Plaza, hey, I might even appear on your webcam!
Wow, that's the kind of christmas activity that I enjoy, a Christmas fair. Tell me are there good bargains to be found at the booths,or is it mainly junk, although junk is fine too! Will there be food as well, like roasted chestnuts, and churros?
I cannot wait! I will be there in 31 days!
Posts: 697 | Location: Florida | Registered: 24 August 2001
Well, the stands are actually rather expensive for Madrid standars, prices go up just because it is the holiday time of year. It is more fun to go window shopping there than anything eles but once you have seen one stand you have pretty much seen them all. All in all mostly junk!
Those yummy foods look terrific...even to us diabetic types. We can enjoy sneaking a peek, even if we can't storm the chocolateria! ;-) All of your pictures are, as usual, magnificas!
Any chance of you please please please getting some pics of the stuff in the stalls when they go up? (Especially jewelry, hint hint!)
By the way, are those stalls heated? Thanks again for the neat views. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
God Bless!
Posts: 11 | Location: Florida, USA | Registered: 03 November 2001
Sorry beadbird, those stands do not sell jewelry but rather nativity scene figures, christmas lights and ornaments, masks and costumes and loads of gag gifts like chewing gum that turns your mouth blue or fake doggie doo
As I said above, very tacky!
The stands are open air stands so if the owners have heaters behind them on the floor, the shoppers certainly do not get to partake in the warmth
As for the photos, count on it but they do not open for another week or so.
Here is the madhouse, on the "D�a de la Constituci�n" ("Constitution Day"), Dec. 6th, the Plaza was just about filled to capacity (this goes on morning, afternoon and evening but is most packed out on the weekends, holidays and afternoons).
In a way, the Plaza is being used like it was, over the last few centuries. The basic difference, at this time of year, is that they are selling different items than they did in the past.
When I view the live cam, I keep thinking about how there must have been so many shops selling so many food items, like jamon, over the years. I try to let my mind take a journey back in time... and it works. Then I can see the geese, chickens, and game birds hanging by their legs from the stands/shops, and smoke wisping up from little fires that the merchants have lit, to keep warm. I can see a few sheep being herded through the area before buyers arrive, and hear the sounds of merchants arguing with each other, haggling over whose price is right, and whose olives are better than the next.
Even though I know it isn't that way now, in the Plaza, I can still daydream about the past, and since we can't go back in time, it ain't too bad of a way to go...
JP (Who has been accused of being a dreamer.)
Posts: 121 | Location: x | Registered: 21 June 2001
Good point JP, but oooohhh the scale of it all! It has become too big for its britches so to speak.
quote:
"When I view the live cam, I keep thinking about how there must have been so many shops selling so many food items, like jamon, over the years. I try to let my mind take a journey back in time... and it works. Then I can see the geese, chickens, and game birds hanging by their legs from the stands/shops, and smoke wisping up from little fires that the merchants have lit, to keep warm. I can see a few sheep being herded through the area before buyers arrive, and hear the sounds of merchants arguing with each other, haggling over whose price is right, and whose olives are better than the next."
Wow... that warmed me right up inside but it is also interesting to close the same eyes and imagine what it will be like in the future when I am no logner around
What will they be selling in a hundred years or so?
Hey all, just a bit of wanring, the Xmas stands in the plaza come down Jan 1st. Shop while you can, I was just down there and since Dec. 28th which is "los santos inocentes" (Spain's April fools day) has come and gone, the booths have sales going on, get your x-mas lights and fake doggie doo for next year at discount prices
Hi jer, loved your pics of the Plaza filled with the stalls. It reminded me of my trip to Barcelona at the beginning of the month when there were similar stands selling exactly the same goods outside the cathedral in the Gothic area. Unfortunately, for me, I accidently deleted all my pics from my pc. Still hubby says I can go again next year and do it all over again!!!!!!!! Wow can't wait. Best Wishes for the New Year. Sue.
I love spain
Posts: 71 | Location: Manchester England | Registered: 26 May 2001
Ouch Sue, sorry to hear about your camera catastrophe and the loss of those pics .
How nice of hubby to let you go back next year but would'nt you prefer Madrid at the holiday time? I have been in Barcelona at Xmas and it lacks that "holiday spirit feeling" that Madrid has.
Glad my pics could remind you of your good times in Barcelona .
Just wait till aftert eh holidays when I put up my massive footage on the holidays in Madrid on my site, including videos and photos of the Puerta del Sol at midnight on New Year'e Eve .
Also, since this is the first holiday season for multimadrid and the Plaza Cam, the whole world will be able to look on from wherever they may be 
. In late November, December and early January it gets to the point where you can no longer see the Plaza floor due to the massive amounts of people.
- rent or buy a cell phone from me for your stay in spain, more info at 
- already have a cell phone, get a spanish SIM card for it at 
I love shopping! I am going to enjoy hanging out at the Plaza, hey, I might even appear on your webcam! 
