As a teenager I was obsessed with Ernest Hemingway. If I had to write an essay for English I would have written something about Hemingway. Thankfully I outgrew that phase and ventured into other genres and explored other great writers.
But here I am in Madrid and the only thing that comes to mind is Hemingway's Madrid. I wish I had brought with me a few of his books to re-read; alas, clothes and other essentials were more of a necessity.
Hemingway loved Madrid passionately and once said, "Madrid is a mountain city with a mountain climate. It has the high cloudless Spanish sky which makes the Italian sky seem sentimental and it has the air that is actively pleasurable to breathe." Oh I love that last thought...
He later said, "If it has nothing else than the Prado it would be worth spending an entire month in every spring, if you have the money to spend a month in any European capital. But when you have the Prado and the bullfight season at the same time with the El Escorial not two hours to the north and Toledo to the south, a fine road to Avila and a fine road to Segovia, which is no distance to La Granja, it makes you feel badly, all questions of immortality aside, to know that you will die and never see it again."
With all that in mind, I dragged my husband to explore some of Hemingway's favourite haunts. By foot, we followed the mostly tree-lined Calle de Atocha from our hotel and passed by the Palace Hotel (now Westin Palace Hotel) where Hemingway enjoyed staying and dining.
We then ventured to Plaza del Sol where the locals hang out, catching the sun's rays and chilling with friends and family. Just around the corner, cafes, restaurants and shops beckon.
And finally after admiring all the ornate, old buildings all around us, we found ourselves in Plaza de Mayor. I tried to imagine Hemingway, lost in thought about life. I can understand why he loved this Plaza so much- there is indeed so much going on here. Back in the day, the Plaza was home to sporting events, bullfights, markets and also public executions, especially during the Spanish inquisition.
Today, however, it is popular place for tourists and locals alike, with the lure of its artwork, cafes and restaurants.
One of the archway's leading to Plaza de Mayor
There is stunning artwork on this face of the building, announcing that we were indeed in the plaza.
We didn't get to completely follow Hemingway's footsteps as we had to rush off to catch a train to Cordoba, but the little we got to glimpse helped us understand why he loved this city so much- a city full of life and passion. Perhaps when we return in two weeks' time for a day, we might even catch a bite to eat in his once-favourite restaurant, Botin.
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