Hello.

There is an alley near La puerta del Sol called "Cat's alley". The exact street's name is �lvarez Gato. It's very easy to find it, just walk though De La Cruz street, from Canalejas square to Jacinto Benavente Square, and you'll find it on your left, in the middle way between the squares.

In this alley there's a Bar called "Las Bravas" with very famouses brave potatoes. But it's specially famous because, it is said that one of our greatest writters, Valle Incl�n, was inspired by its outer mirrors to write one of his best books: Luces de Bohemia.

There are 3 mirrors. One normal, the second is concave and the third is convex. They aren't the originals because some years ago, an ignorant and stupid broke them.

If you like seeing different things in Madrid, you must pay a visit to this alley!

And, don't forget to taste the brave potatoes! :-D

Bye.

Hola Totx,
What a wonderful bit of information. I read Valle Inclan, and his esperpento, but I fell in love with Unamuno, so I did not read a lot of Valle Inclan's literature. We have heard a lot about Hemingway's haunts in Madrid, but what about other writers like the famous night owl and coffee sipper, Jardiel Poncela?

Hello booklady!

I don't know much about writers. A friend of mine told me the little I know about writers and Madrid.

If you like this topic, I know one more thing. In the street Cervantes (I can't remember if Cervantes was born there or if he lived there), there is also the House where Lope de Vega lived. You can visit it.

If you walk down through Cervantes Street towards Canovas del Castilo square, the first street on the right is Quevedo street.
At the end of Quevedo street, just in the corner with Lope de Vega street, it is a little flat where Quevedo was living (and a little badge telling this fact).

The anecdote is that, on this little flat was living G�ngora sooner than Quevedo. But Quevedo was most famous than G�ngora, had more money (G�gora hadn't much money) and hated G�ngora a lot. So, he throw away G�ngora from this house buying it.
Quevedo did it just because he hated G�ngora and always was trying to hurt him.

In fact, Quevedo wrote those famous poem to ridicule G�ngora ... "�rase un hombre a una nariz pegado, �rase una nariz superlativa".

I hope you forgive my horrible written English.

Bye.

Hey totx,

Good call, I even posted a message about the many "Las Bravas" in the center of Madrid at www.multimadrid.com/cgi-bin/jersbbucgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=000011 way back. We seem to be on the same wavelength I did not know that bit about the mirrors or Valle Incl�n though, thanks

Anyway, I will repeat here the info on Las Bravas:

You can take a gander at one of the "Las Bravas" by CLICKING HERE!!!.

There are 4 of them right in the center of Madrid around PUERTA DEL SOL

1) "Calle Cruz #15" (the one I go to and seen in THIS PHOTO).
2) "Calle Espoz y Mina #13".
3) "Calle Alvarez Gato #3" (Specialized in "pulpo" = "octopus")
4) "Pasaje Matheu #5 (Indoor and outdoor dining).

Highly recommended by myself for Bravas, Calamar, Octopus etc...

Hi Booklady, we read Valle Incl�n's "Esperpento" in grad school and I too loved it, will read it again once Madrid gives me a break and I have less multimadrid stuff to do.

My favorite Spanish author is by far "P�o Barroja" and I can't get enough of his work. Hey, did you know that the "Viena Capellanes" bakery/pastry shops belong to his family and appear in a few of his novels. There is a nice shop of these on Calle Arenal just off the "Plaza de Isabel II" (AKA "Plaza de la Opera" due to the location of the Royal Opera on one side of the Plaza").

Saludos,
jer...

p.d. totx, your written English looks pretty good to me

By the way, Viena Capellanes is a great place to sit and have a coffe and pastry. The most central one is on Calle Arenal #30(ish) on the corner of the "Costanilla de Los Angeles".

CLICK HERE FOR THE PATENTED PHOTO

Saludos,
jer...