Madrid

Saludos Desde Madrid

The Flag of Madrid represents the city's coat of arms centered on a crimson field. The significance of the bear leaning against a strawberry tree, is unknown, however, the tree is native to Madrid. One theory is that bear and tree represent a farming rights dispute between the clergy and citizens. The seven stars supposedly represent the seven stars in the Starry Plough constellation closest to the Ursa Major (Great Bear) Constellation.

=__** Madrids's History **__= Madrid, originally called Mayrit, was founded by the emir Muhammad at the end of the IX century. It was under the Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, that the city gained importance, since initially the main city in the Spanish plain had been Toledo.



=__ Population __= The most current census was conducted in 2014. At that time the population was 3.165 million.

=__ Food __= 1. Cocido Madrileno [which is a mixture of vegetables,chickpeas, chorizo sausage and pork.] 2. Huevos Rotos [which is made up of potatoes, over-easy eggs, bread, sometimes served with meats.] 3. Churros con Chocolate [deep-fried stick of crispy dough dipped in thick, melted chocolate.] 4. Pincho de Tortilla [which is runny piles of egg and potato that have to be scooped up with bread.]

=__ Things to Do __=
 * Prado National Museum- the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, The museum offers some great works by many European masters such as Velázquez, Goya, Raphael, Rubens, and Bosch (among other major Italian and Flemish artists)


 * Royal Palace of Madrid- is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family at the city of Madrid, but is only used for state ceremonies.


 * El Retiro Park includes some very important gardens: the Jardín de Vivaces, the Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez (classical gardens of an Andalusian style), the Jardines del Arquitecto Herrero Palacios, the Rose Garden, and the Parterre Francés with the oldest tree in Madrid. The Park is not only the lungs of Madrid, but also offers cultural, leisure, and sport activities to all people,[[image:ok.jpg width="314" height="168" align="right" caption="El Retiro Park"]]and those visiting.


 * Santiago Bernabeu Stadium- one of the world's most famous and prestigious football fields. The stadium is located in the district of Chamartín of Madrid.. It has hosted the European Cup final on four occasions: in 1957, 1969, 1980, the UEFA Champions League Final in 2010.

=__ Weather __= Summer- summers in Madrid can get very hot. During July and August, the hottest months, the daytime temperature will rarely get below 30 °C (86 °F). It is not uncommon to have temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F).

Winter- winters in Madrid are cold compared to other parts of Spain with temperatures of around 6-8 °C (43-46 °F) The temperature during the day is around 10 °C-15 °C (50-59 °F), and the temperatures during the night often gets below 0 °C (32 °F). Snow in Madrid is very rare.



=__ Holidays __=
 * January 6 - Epiphany (Epifanía del Señor, national)
 * March 19 - San Jose (Madrid community only)
 * May 2 - Community Day (Fiesta de la Communidad, Madrid community only)
 * May 15 - San Isidro (Madrid capital only)
 * June 4 - Corpus Cristi (Madrid community & some others)
 * August 15 - Feast of the Assumption (Asunción de la Virgen, national - in Madrid called Virgen de la Paloma
 * September 9 - Santa Maria de la Cabeza (Wife of San Isidro, Madrid capital only)
 * October 12 - Spain's National Day (Fiesta Nacional de España, national - also called Día de la Hispanidad)
 * November 9 - Almudena (Madrid's female patron saint - Madrid capital only)
 * December 6 - Constitution Day (Día de la Constitución Española)

=__ Facts __=
 * Madrid became Spain's capital in 1516.
 * Madrid is about 650 meters above sea level which makes it the highest capital city in Europe.
 * One of the greenest cities in Europe is Madrid.
 * The official symbol of Madrid (a bear on its hind legs eating berries from a tree) is actually a metaphor for the city's growth, and represents possession and ownership of wood which is necessary for constructing buildings.
 * The name Madrid comes from the Arabic word "magerit", which means 'place of many streams.'
 * It is the third largest city in the European Union.
 *  The citizens of Madrid are often called "Gatos" because of the historical legend where during the Arabic invasion, an adept soldier climbed the outer walls with the agility of a cat; after which, his family assumed the name of Gato.

=__** Customs **__= Lunch is the most important meal which is around 3:00pm. Dinner in Madrid is served at 10:00 or 11:00 pm which seems very late for us.
 * In Madrid people usually have two breakfasts, one light one in the early morning and a slightly heavier one around 11:00am.
 * Madrid people are very sociable, they do not spend much time at home. There are many restaurants and shops in Madrid,it has been said that the nightlife is one of the best in Europe.

=__** Sports **__=
 * Football- Home of the Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (Royal Madrid Football Club)
 * Basketball-Home of Real Madrid Baloncesto
 * Tennis- Madrid hosts the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open
 * Bullfighting- Madrid hosts the largest bullring in Spain, Las Ventas, it is considered to be the world center of bullfighting and has a seating capacity of almost 25,000.
 * Cycling- Historically, the city serves as the final stage of the Vuelta a España cycling event, which is an event similar to Tour de France.

=**__ Photos __**=