Maty: There have always been exceptional people around the world. Matilde de Urrutia (Maty) was only 14 years old when in 1943 she opened her first shop employing five shoemakers. In its early days, the establishment was dedicated to stitching stockings and mending clothes and shoes. Everything changed when a lady came to the shop asking to repair her ballet shoes. She knew that in Spain it was impossible to find these shoes and of course she accepted the order. She took this opportunity and transformed her shop into the reference shop in Madrid for costumes and shoes for dancing. And she started to produce ballet shoes. The only mistake
Christmas Market in Madrid Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the epicenter of the Christmas atmosphere in the capital. The famous Christmas Market with its more than 100 red and colorful stalls attracts locals, national and foreign tourists. It is worth a visit both day and night; it is full of life almost 24 hours a day. Here you can buy everything from Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, nativity figurines, toys, amusement articles... to a four-leaf clover or mistletoe (according to legend, kissing under the branches of mistletoe brings luck in love and fertility). Christmas Market Madrid Already in the 17th century, fruit and vegetables, ornaments and gifts were sold next to
Does Madrid have a port? Or how come it is so famous for its calamari sandwiches? If you've ever visited Madrid, you've probably tried its fresh and tasty fish and seafood. Paella, grilled sea bass, squid sandwiches (Bocadillo de Calamares) ... Does it sound familiar? Also, visiting its marvelous markets, you will have noticed the amount of different fish or frutti di mare that are for sale. You may have wondered how it is possible to find such fresh fish so far from the sea and why the "Bocadillo de calamares" is so popular. That is a very good question! Madrid is situated in the center of Spain - with
Price Circus Madrid Let's celebrate the magic and illusion of the circus! Let's see, there are days for everything, Adn's day (??), book day, fun day at work...really? ¡Come on!! ¡More than nerdy! But we didn't want to miss the Circus Day on 17th April, a theme that in these times brings joy to young and old and allows us to escape and enter a world of dreams and magic. A good opportunity to introduce you to the emblematic Circo Price in Madrid. “Price”, doesn't sound very Spanish, does it? .... To know the history of this circus you have to go back to the 19th century! Thomas Price, an Irish horse tamer, who belonged to an old lineage of acrobats and who had settled in Madrid since 1858, began to offer performances in his barracks near the old Puerta de Alcalá bullring, where famous acrobatic troupes used to perform. The good reception by the public led Price to set up his own circus. Thus, in 1868, in a Madrid in turmoil due to population growth and the wide range of leisure and cultural activities on offer, the First Circus Price was built by the architect Pedro Vidal. It was made of wood and had a central ring. It was located on the site of an old garden on Paseo de Recoletos, on what would today be the corner of Calle Bárbara de Braganza. It was such a success that in 1879 the project for a new, better equipped Circus Price, capable of hosting the most spectacular performances, took shape. By this time Thomas Price had passed away, and it was his son-in-law, the equestrian trainer William Parish, who took charge of the new circus. The circus offered a variety of performances of all kinds, such as singing, dancing, theatre,
Price Circus Madrid Let’s celebrate the magic and illusion of the circus! Let’s see, there are days for everything, Adn’s day (??), book day, fun day at work…really? ¡Come on!! ¡More than nerdy! But we didn’t want to miss the Circus Day on 17th April, a theme that in these times brings joy to young and old and allows us to escape and enter a world of dreams and magic. A good opportunity to introduce you to the emblematic Circo Price in Madrid. “Price”, doesn’t sound very Spanish, does it? …. To know the history of this circus you have to go back to the 19th century! Thomas Price, an
Easter in Madrid Normally, during “Semana Santa” the Spanish capital is full of processions, celebrations and concerts, but this year all the festivities had to be cancelled in order to avoid crowds of people. Nevertheless, the brotherhoods and confraternities will display the images of their patron saints in the different churches from Passion Saturday, 27 March, until Holy Saturday, 3 April, and encourage the faithful to enjoy them in the different churches. You can either walk to the different places or rent a bike at our Trixi shop to reach them easier! Happy Easter and let's make the best out of it! We are open from 10.00-18.00 Trixi Madrid c/
Carnival in Madrid Although the big Carnival festivities have been cancelled this year for Carnival (12th-17th February), there are still some smaller activities programmed in the different districts of Madrid, like a masks workshop, a “journey to Brazil”, Goyaesque dances and much more. So it is still worth coming to Madrid, it has a lot to offer. Visit this link for some ideas: https://www.madridcultura.es/actividad/carnavales We at Trixi.com would like to share with you how some of the bigger traditions are celebrated in Madrid during Carnival so that you can imagine a little bit the atmosphere. Some of them are really unique to the Spanish culture. So, let's feel the liveliness and colours that Carnival brings to Madrid every year! One of the most important happenings during Carnival in Madrid is the Carnival Parade One of the most important happenings during Carnival in Madrid is the Carnival Parade along the Manzanares river. Last year, for example, the parade was a great musical festival that allowed the public to enjoy the diversity and joy of the countless Latin American cultures that live in the city. The people were dressed in their traditional outfits and it was a journey through many different countries where you could practice different steps from samba to salsa. All this while enjoying a mix between contemporary and roots cultures in which DJs and electronic music were combined with charangas, batucadas, orchestras and other traditional dances. The explosion of colour was impressive. Other places like the Matadero -a former slaughterhouse converted into a cultural center- which we visit when we do our bike tours, hosted other more typically Spanish events or dance groups. For several days costumes, dancing, music and colour fill the streets of Madrid. For several days costumes, dancing, music and colour fill the streets of Madrid.
Carnival in Madrid Although the big Carnival festivities have been cancelled this year for Carnival (12th-17th February), there are still some smaller activities programmed in the different districts of Madrid, like a masks workshop, a “journey to Brazil”, Goyaesque dances and much more. So it is still worth coming to Madrid, it has a lot to offer. Visit this link for some ideas: https://www.madridcultura.es/actividad/carnavales We at Trixi.com would like to share with you how some of the bigger traditions are celebrated in Madrid during Carnival so that you can imagine a little bit the atmosphere. Some of them are really unique to the Spanish culture. So, let’s feel the liveliness
La Violeta In contrast to this melancholic song by Prince, "La Violeta" has been sweetening the world with its purple sweets for more than 105 years. This shop is very near to our Trixi bike shop and as we write the blog we get to know more and more hidden corners of this vibrant city that is Madrid. We would like to share these discoveries with you. La Violeta is a family business that was established in 1915 La Violeta is a family business that was established in 1915 by the couple “Gil” and it is located in Plaza de Canalejas 6, in Madrid. Since then, the shop has kept the same essence of the traditional business in the third generation. What was originally a “patisserie” called “The dessert”, was converted by the grandfather of the people who run the business today into a shop that offers sweets, chocolates, candied fruit, presents and much more. They also prepare those typical sweets that are given to the guests in Spain when there is a christening, communion or wedding. The stars of the shop are still the violet drops and candied violet flowers. The colour also dominates in the packaging, the ribbons and even in their website. In the meantime, of course, they have opened to many more colours and products. La Violeta is one of those shops where you stand outside and simply enjoy the beauty of their shop window with all the nice glass and porcelain gift arrangements with the sweets and start to think who you could bring them as a souvenir from Madrid. Or just why not give you a little treat yourself!! You just want to have an excuse to go inside and feel the atmosphere that the wood and the glass have been transmitting for so
La Violeta In contrast to this melancholic song by Prince, “La Violeta” has been sweetening the world with its purple sweets for more than 105 years. This shop is very near to our Trixi bike shop and as we write the blog we get to know more and more hidden corners of this vibrant city that is Madrid. We would like to share these discoveries with you. La Violeta is a family business that was established in 1915 La Violeta is a family business that was established in 1915 by the couple “Gil” and it is located in Plaza de Canalejas 6, in Madrid. Since then, the shop has kept
Three Kings Day It is still Christmas in Madrid: Who are the 3 Wise Men ? While in most of Europe people and mainly the children are looking forward to Christmas on the 24th or 25th of December, in Spain and in Southamerica the children can't wait to see the “Three Wise Men” / "Three Holy Kings". Actually, in Spanish it sounds much more magic, as the “Reyes Magos” – if you translate the words one to one – mean “the Magic Kings”. Doesn't it sound much more promising then someone being wise? Who wants wisdom when we can have magic? In Madrid, as in the whole of Spain, the “Reyes Magos” are the Three Wise Men / Three Holy Kings from the East (Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar) who followed a star and came bearing gifts for the Baby Jesus. This special day is celebrated on the 6th of January - Three Kings Day. A few weeks before this important date, the children will write a letter to the “Kings” to ask for their wishes, be it a toy, a bike, sweets or even a new job for the mother or the father if the child is very worried. Most children deliver the letters to the King in their city or during the fantastic Kings Parade on the 5th of January in the evening. As is tradition, the parade starts at 6.30pm in Nuevos Ministerios at the corner with San Juan de la Cruz, and from there heads down the Paseo de la Castellana and finally finishes at Plaza de Cibeles with the traditional holiday message between 8.30pm and 9pm. Dress warmly and come prepared to catch all the sweets you can! (Three Kings' Day, January 6, is an official national holiday.) On this significant day, once the Three Holy
Three Kings Day It is still Christmas in Madrid: Who are the 3 Wise Men ? While in most of Europe people and mainly the children are looking forward to Christmas on the 24th or 25th of December, in Spain and in Southamerica the children can’t wait to see the “Three Wise Men” / “Three Holy Kings”. Actually, in Spanish it sounds much more magic, as the “Reyes Magos” – if you translate the words one to one – mean “the Magic Kings”. Doesn’t it sound much more promising then someone being wise? Who wants wisdom when we can have magic? In Madrid, as in the whole of Spain, the
New Year's Eve in Spain - Why do Spaniards end the year with a bowl full of grapes in their hands? The Spanish tradition says that in order to have 12 months of good luck in the New Year you have to eat 12 grapes at exactly 12 o'clock on the night of the 31st of December; also, it is important to eat one grape at the time with the sound of each midnight bell. Therefore, it is recommendable to buy small grapes and to be careful not to choke because we have heard of some disasters…. Where does this curious tradition come from that every year plants us in front of places like Madrid's Puerta del Sol? Grapes are the fruit of the wine which has very important symbolism related to the divine, to the mystic and to life. According to Greek mythology, Dionysus (Bacchus for the Romans) was the god of wine. He represented pleasure and the joy of life. Grapes are also a symbol of prosperity, abundance and as they are the basic ingredient to be transformed into wine ... they are also very much related to festivity and union. So why not celebrate New Year's Eve with the best symbol for prosperity? In Spain, the midnight bells on the last day of the year are transmitted on television and everyone is curious which famous presenters will have the honor of moderating the night - which is really a show with music and dance etc. Everyone will also keep an eye on their clothes that they will immediately criticize the next day: be it that the lady showed too much decolleté, that the dress was too transparent or that it was simply spectacular! As far as history is concerned, popular belief states that the twelve "lucky" grapes
New Year’s Eve in Spain – Why do Spaniards end the year with a bowl full of grapes in their hands? The Spanish tradition says that in order to have 12 months of good luck in the New Year you have to eat 12 grapes at exactly 12 o’clock on the night of the 31st of December; also, it is important to eat one grape at the time with the sound of each midnight bell. Therefore, it is recommendable to buy small grapes and to be careful not to choke because we have heard of some disasters…. Where does this curious tradition come from that every year plants us in
Happy Christmas in Madrid: Before the year ends we would like to share with you one of the most popular events in Spain that takes place just before Christmas: "El Gordo" ("the fat one"), the great Christmas lottery on the 22nd of December. What is so special about this lottery? It is time to celebrate, to share with friends and families, to hope and to take a rest from the hard year. For this reason people try their chance and want to participate. They either buy a full set of 10 lottery tickets for 200 € or just one for 20 €, called "a décimo". The matter is to participate and to give it to someone special as a present....they say you have more luck if you get it gifted. The most famous lottery shop in in Spain is called "Doña Manolita", it is strategically located near the center of Madrid, the Puerta del Sol, close to the Trixi shop. Everybody wants to have a ticket from there, the queues are huge and you can even buy them online. We are sure you have seen in the news about Spain how people celebrate and shower each other with champagne when they win! This is because with a whole set of 10 tickets you can win up to 4.000.000 €. We have prepared for you this little video about the Christmas lottery in Madrid and with this we would like to thank you for being there and we look forward to seeing you soon - before Christmas in Madrid 2022 ;-) Best wishes from all! Keep healthy! Everything will be fine! Adiós y hasta pronto FELIZ NAVIDAD Your Trixi Team https://youtu.be/IVoxWlFYT3k
Happy Christmas in Madrid: Before the year ends we would like to share with you one of the most popular events in Spain that takes place just before Christmas: “El Gordo” (“the fat one”), the great Christmas lottery on the 22nd of December. What is so special about this lottery? It is time to celebrate, to share with friends and families, to hope and to take a rest from the hard year. For this reason people try their chance and want to participate. They either buy a full set of 10 lottery tickets for 200 € or just one for 20 €, called “a décimo”. The matter is to participate
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