Patricia Harris - Frommers EasyGuide to Madrid and Barcelona 2014

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Patricia Harris and David Lyon drove almost every twisting mountain road in Iberia as they researched three previous Frommers guides to Spain. But much as they enjoy the countryside, they find themselves inexorably drawn to the great cities of Madrid and Barcelona, where Spanish life and culture are writ large. Founders of HungryTravelers.com, they have a deep appreciation for the perfect codfish croqueta, an honest plate of patatas bravas, or a heap of peel-and-eat garlic shrimpideally consumed at an outdoor table in one of Barcelonas ancient squares or at the crowded bar in a Madrid taberna. They write about travel, food, wine, spirits, and contemporary art for journals as varied as the Robb Report, the Boston Globe, and Westways.

ABOUT THE FROMMER TRAVEL GUIDES

For most of the past 50 years, Frommers has been the leading series of travel guides in North America, accounting for as many as 24% of all guidebooks sold. I think I know why.

Though we hope our books are entertaining, we nevertheless deal with travel in a serious fashion. Our guidebooks have never looked on such journeys as a mere recreation, but as a far more important human function, a time of learning and introspection, an essential part of a civilized life. We stress the culture, lifestyle, history and beliefs of the destinations we cover, and urge our readers to seek out people and new ideas as the chief rewards of travel.

We have never shied from controversy. We have, from the beginning, encouraged our authors to be intensely judgmental, criticalboth pro and conin their comments, and wholly independent. Our only clients are our readers, and we have triggered the ire of countless prominent sorts, from a tourist newspaper we called practically worthless (it unsuccessfully sued us) to the many rip-offs weve condemned.

And because we believe that travel should be available to everyone regardless of their incomes, we have always been cost-conscious at every level of expenditure. Though we have broadened our recommendations beyond the budget category, we insist that every lodging we include be sensibly priced. We use every form of media to assist our readers, and are particularly proud of our feisty daily website, the award-winning Frommers.com.

I have high hopes for the future of Frommers. May these guidebooks, in all the years ahead, continue to reflect the joy of travel and the freedom that travel represents. May they always pursue a cost-conscious path, so that people of all incomes can enjoy the rewards of travel. And may they create, for both the traveler and the persons among whom we travel, a community of friends, where all human beings live in harmony and peace.

Arthur Frommer

M adrid and Barcelona are the yin and yang of Iberian identity. Madrid sits on an arid high plateau in the center of the peninsula, while Barcelona clings to the Mediterranean shore. The two metropolises are great rivals in politics, sports, culture, and even language. This book brings them together to highlight two differentand equally fascinatingfaces of Spain. For a trip that you will never forget, plan on seeing them both.

Although Madrid is paradoxically one of the youngest cities in Spain, it represents the culmination of the sweep of Spanish history. Felipe II moved the capital from Toledo to Madrid in 1561 just as the Spanish empire came into its own. Even today, Madrid remains the imperial heart of Spain, with the monumental architecture, royal palace, and regal art collection to prove it.

Barcelona, by contrast, is an ancient city with a mythic past. Founded by Romans, it has been a crossroads of Mediterranean cultures for 2,000 years. It rose to grandeur in the Middle Ages under the banner of the great warrior king Jaume I and became the capital of a far-flung Mediterranean empire. Nearly 8 centuries later, Barcelonas pride in its independent Catalan heritage and language remains undiminished.

Madrid retains a classicism, decorum, and sense of order befitting a national capital. With its exuberance and penchant for the fantastic, Barcelona is a leader in fashion, design, and gastronomy.

You will want to experience it allfrom taking a romantic stroll along Madrids leafy paseos to strutting down Barcelonas bustling Les Rambles. You will want to take your children to the outdoor puppet shows in Madrids gracious Parque del Retiro and watch them marvel at the water-spitting tile lizard fountain in Antoni Gauds whimsical Parc Gell in Barcelona. Long after you might have gone to bed at home, you can thrill to some of the countrys best live flamenco music and dance in the clubs of Madrid. On Sunday mornings in Barcelona, you can throw your backpack into the circle in front of the cathedral and join Catalans in the traditional folk dance of the sardana. In Madrid, be sure to sip sherry from an ancient wooden cask in a dark bar with hams hanging overhead. In Barcelona, celebrate the night with coupes of cava in one of the citys champagne bars.

Both cities are rich in detail and experiences and full of fascinating characters. You will undoubtedly make your own discoveries. This book will get you started.

MADRIDS best AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES

Watching school children marvel at the portrait of the young princess in Velzquezs masterpiece Las Meninas: The collections of the Museo del Prado encompass nearly all the great Spanish art painted before 1900and Las Meninas is one of the greatest paintings in the museum. Even Picasso felt compelled to paint an homage to this pioneering psychological portrait of the daughter of Felipe IV and her entourage..