A bike tour and a food tour through the Spanish capital uncovers more than just scenic sights
Steve MacNaull
On a bike tour through the Spanish capital, our writer finds out some historically lurid royal tidbits. Later, while on a food tour, he uncovers yet another side of Madrid. For clients who want to experience Madrid for themselves, Air Canada is now flying year-round to the city, touting its growing appeal as a winter destination as well as a summer hotspot.
We hit the brakes on our bikes in the Plaza de la Villa to stop and discuss the sexual proclivities of the Habsburg dynasty. The kings and queens of 16th-and-17th century Spain had a penchant for marrying and procreating with their cousins and nieces to keep all the power and riches within the royal family. But the incessant inbreeding also messed with their DNA and led to physical deformities that were very unregal. There’s chuckling and tsk-tsking among our group as our guide, David Alejandro, relays this lurid bit of history about the monarchy. It’s the kind of storytelling Alejandro brings alive twice a day on Tim Bikes’ three-hour ‘Madrid Highlights with Tapas’ cycling tour.
My son, Alex, and I joined this tour on a sunny Tuesday afternoon in December to pedal a little over 10 kilometres (some of it over bone-jarring Old Town cobblestone streets and squares) to see and learn about the Spanish capital’s greatest hits. They include the Royal Palace, Madrid Cathedral, Plaza Mayor, El Retiro Park, Cibeles Fountain and Puerta del Sol square.
Since everything in Spain somehow incorporate tapas – the famous shareable small-plate foods served in almost all bars and restaurants – we wrap up the bike tour at La Taberna de Ramales for codfish and patatas bravas tapas and glasses of Mahou (Madrid’s favourite beer) and cava (Spanish sparkling wine).
To get more eats and drinks, the next day we joined Devour’s ‘Tapas, Taverns & History’ walking tour with guide and chef Arantxa Lamas. She leads us to Casa Labra, established 1860, to sip sweet red vermouth and eat cod fritters and manchego cheese. We do so standing at the bar because that’s where the best people watching and gossip is.
There are also stops at Casa Ciriaco, established 1887, for the house specialty of hen in saffron and almond sauce with Abuelo Rueda Verdejo white wine and El Lacon, in a 16th-century building for a final wave of croquettes, fish nuggets, ham and potato with Roger de Flor cava.
Generally, Canadians flock to Europe in the summer, so Madrid in December might sound like an odd choice. But, it’s actually an inspired one. Madrid has mild winters, the tourist hordes have thinned, the tours are still operating, the attractions remain open and locals and tourists alike continue to eat and drink on patios and rooftop bars (albeit, usually ones with outdoor heaters).
Air Canada has embraced this concept and flies year-round, three times a week between Montreal and the Spanish capital. Air Canada also flies year-round to other European cities such as London, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Toulouse – reinforcing that they are desirable destinations in the winter, too.
Alex’s and my base in Madrid is the circa-1851 Palacio de los Duques (Palace of the Dukes) hotel. Yes, as the name suggests this 5-star property (part of the Spain-based Gran Melia chain and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World) is the former city mansion of the Dukes of Granada de Ega.
The palaces of such nobility were all in close proximity to the Royal Palace for handy access to the king and queen when needed. In the case of the Palacio de los Duques, that equates to an impressive 300 metres from the Royal Palace.
The hotel is also handy to all of Madrid’s other Old Town activities and attractions from the aforementioned Plaza Mayor (ringed by tapas restaurants, of course), the Gran Via shopping street, Puerta del Sol (another plaza with lots of tapas) and the Prado Museum with its masterpiece paintings by Diego Velazques.
Palacio de los Duques took inspiration from Velazques for an opulent and ornate, yet avant-garde, restoration including many reproductions of his 1656 signature painting ‘Las Meninas’ starring little Princess Margarita. The princess’ likeness is big and bold behind the check-in desks, in the executive lounge (where there’s endless tapas and free-flowing Ruinart Champagne), in hallways, on the doors of all the rooms and on the fabric headboards of all the beds. Our sumptuous room hits the right balance of stark white duvets covering the comfy beds and dramatic, heavy draperies covering the Juliette balcony windows overlooking the garden.
The garden also lends its name to the hotel’s new signature restaurant – Jardin de los Duques. The restaurant is actually in the former stables of the palace and is endlessly atmospheric with its soft lighting, exposed brick walls and a see-through plexiglass floor to preserve and showcase the original cobblestone floor of the stables below.
It’s definitely the place to enjoy the croquettes appetizer and loin of beef for two with a bottle of El Hombre Bala 2020 Garnache. We’ll also hit up two other 5-star hotels for memorable meals – Dani restaurant at the Four Seasons for sea bass paired with Fefinane Ano 2021 Albrinio and the Palm Court at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz for beef Wellington matched to Numanthia 2019 Temprillino.
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