The Heavies of the Gran Vía of Madrid- revolutionary or freaky? When we opened our Trixi bike rental and bike tour shop on Calle de los Jardines, just a few steps from the Gran Vía, one of the main streets of Madrid, we already started to come across the Heavies. At first we didn't understand much about it... Who were those two guys with long hair and the look of a heavy metal festival? Why were they always in the same place under the number 25 Gran Via? Why did people stop, chat with them and take souvenir photos... ? Little by little we started to understand... The twins Emilio and José Alcázar (54 years old) are a legend, they are emblematic characters and a symbol of Madrid. They are very eye-catching and picturesque with their long hair, tattoos and leather jackets and they attract a lot of attention. Two equal men, dressed in Heavy Metal look (hence their name - Los Heavies de la Gran Vía) who are spending hours and hours on the pavement doing practically nothing. They are simply there. For 20 years now. Every day, between 19:30 and 22:00. We wonder what reasons are hidden behind this persistent presence. What are the reasons for wanting to go to this place, assigned by them, day after day, as if it were their favourite bar, despite the cold, the rain or the heat? To understand this we take a look back in time - to the Gran Via of 20 years ago. Emilio and José started spending some time in this street in 2001 when it was still full of small shops, second-hand shops, record and vinyl shops, cinemas.There was no H&M or Primark and no other well-known brand shops, but mainly a cultural atmosphere. La Gran Vía
The Heavies of the Gran Vía of Madrid- revolutionary or freaky? When we opened our Trixi bike rental and bike tour shop on Calle de los Jardines, just a few steps from the Gran Vía, one of the main streets of Madrid, we already started to come across the Heavies. At first we didn’t understand much about it… Who were those two guys with long hair and the look of a heavy metal festival? Why were they always in the same place under the number 25 Gran Via? Why did people stop, chat with them and take souvenir photos… ? Little by little we started to understand… The twins Emilio
Storm Filomena 2021 Although the heavy snow and the low temperatures had been announced, Madrid and Spain in general are not prepared for such hard weather conditions. Between the 8th and 9th of January 2021 about 50cm of snow fell onto Madrid's streets and temperatures plumed to almost 10 degrees below zero. It is said that it is the heaviest snowfall since 1971. Filomena brought great joy to many Madrileños and especially to the children who enjoyed the snowball fights and not having to go to school for another week. Ski fans who were not allowed to leave Madrid to enjoy skiing in the mountains took out the skies,artists let their creativity flow building fabulous ice sculptures like a Menina, a Greek figure or a couple that is dancing. A creative priest built Jesus on the cross in front of his church. One man was pictured being pulled on a sled by five huskies.? all very impressive and surprising. The snow has allowed Madrid to forget Covid for a little while. Madrid was simply a romantic postcard. However, the negative effects are tremendous: the airport had to close many people were stuck in their cars on the motorways, in shops or other places 4 people died transport was very affected which was a concern regarding the transportation of the Covid vaccines, the access to the hospitals or the guarantee of the food supply people forgot for a while the masks while playing with the snow and busses and trains were too crowded to be able to maintain distances cars and bikes were covered under the snow But, what is really sad is how Filomena destroyed 10% of the city's trees, especially in the so-called ?lung? of Madrid, the Casa del Campo. Fallen and broken trees everywhere. 150,000 trees of the
Storm Filomena 2021 Although the heavy snow and the low temperatures had been announced, Madrid and Spain in general are not prepared for such hard weather conditions. Between the 8th and 9th of January 2021 about 50cm of snow fell onto Madrid’s streets and temperatures plumed to almost 10 degrees below zero. It is said that it is the heaviest snowfall since 1971. Filomena brought great joy to many Madrileños and especially to the children who enjoyed the snowball fights and not having to go to school for another week. Ski fans who were not allowed to leave Madrid to enjoy skiing in the mountains took out the skies,artists let
