Upcoming Agenda

• Virgen de la Paloma Fiesta
In August, Madrid celebrates its most traditional fiestas: San Cayetano, San Lorenzo and La Paloma.

• Dia de la Hispanidad
Spain celebrates its National Day on 12 October with an impressive military procession in the Plaza de Colón, Madrid.

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user experience

Madrid - user Valentine - 05/07/2007
I have been living in Spain for more than a year (Barcelona, Madrid), but since I’m working for an American company, my Spanish is still at beginner level. Of course I can say ‘one-two-three’, ‘beer’ and ‘hello’, but I’m often confused in hotels and restaurants. The last few months in Madrid, I’ve been using XS2Madrid on my cell phone. Spanish people tend to react a little strange in the beginning, but they really appreciate your effort to get to know their language. Especially when going out with friends, we had a lot of fun with the fun & flirt sentences. The best thing is that you can add some phrases you use often to your ‘favorites’ section, and after a while, I started knowing them by heart. Besides that, the city guide provides some excellent reviews and insider tips about Madrid’s hotspots, restaurants and clubs, some of which cannot be found in the regular city guide books.

Dia de la Hispanidad

Spain celebrates its National Day on 12 October with an impressive military procession in the Plaza de Colón, Madrid.

The day honours the "discovery" of the "New World" by Christopher Columbus, whilst paying tribute to all the Spaniards who have died for their country. As part of the tradition, King Juan Carlos, accompanied by the Royal Family, is presented with a bayleaf laurel by selected veteran soldiers, in a gesture of rememberance. The celebrations end with an air display of low-flying planes over Madrid, that paint the sky with red and yellow stripes - the coloures of the Spanish flag.

When: 12 Oct 2008

Where: Plaza de Colón

Cost: Free