Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time in Madrid, but never as a proper tourist (writes Careena Bruen). I’m lucky enough to have a very good friend who’s lived there for 20 years, so for about six years I have gone over once or twice a year to spend time with her and became, for a few weeks at a time, a bona fide Madrileña - the blondest one in all of Madrid.

The title was handed to me by another ex-pat friend, who added that I was also the palest woman in Madrid. My days of being blonde are a long way behind me, but on my next visit I will still be a strong contender for the palest Madrileña.

These “outstanding” qualities have had their drawbacks. I accepted long ago that I can never pursue a life of crime in Madrid, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. An example? On my first visit we happened across a wonderful Cuban tapas bar called  El Bar Santa Aña. Wonderful because they serve the best ropa vieja in the whole world. This may be an exaggeration, I have not had ropa vieja anywhere else, but I doubt if I did that they could surpass this gorgeous treat. Ropa vieja is a bit like a shredded Irish stew, but with a richer flavour. We had it with fried cassava root, which was to die for: you know it’s not potato, and it doesn’t look like sweet potato, but in taste it’s somewhere between the two. 

So, that was the first visit. I didn’t go back for nearly a year, and on my first Sunday we headed to the Rastro for the flea market and from there to El Bar Santa Aña again, hoping that it was open – its opening hours are something of a moveable feast. On walking in I was greeted as a returning friend: “Rubia!” they shouted, and knew exactly what I wanted. Before I could even order, the lovely patroness of the establishment said “Ropa vieja y cassava!” and moments later the food was brought to our table along with a couple of bottles of ice cold beer. Sometimes being distinctive – and wearing a big smile – can be a wonderful thing.

It was the same in many of the small bars we frequented. The larger ones didn’t care – and why should they – but over the six years, I just became “Rubia” to all and sundry. Drink orders were remembered, favourite foods were served with a smile, life was always sweet, or “La vida es siempre dolce”, as I would say when one too many of those drinks orders had been remembered.

This is all by way of introducing a very important aspect of Madrid. It is without a doubt the friendliest capital city I’ve ever visited. Before going, I’d heard that it was a bit stuck up, a bit cold, the very opposite of Barcelona – another favourite Spanish destination of mine – but it isn’t and I can’t stress this firmly enough. Madrid is warm, it is exuberant, it is full of life, fun, laughter and it is incredibly friendly.

Maybe I encountered this because I was, to all intents and purposes, an adopted Madrileña, but even when I was out and about by myself and quite obviously not a native – I speak a little Spanish, but not enough to fool anyone – all I met was kindness and smiles.  You may argue that this was to do with my location, maybe some parts of Madrid are more open than others, but you’d be wrong.  My friend used to live near the Retiro, which is pretty upmarket and now lives in La Latina, which is more bohemian, but it would be difficult to measure the difference in degrees of warmth in these two very different places. 

If its reputation has put you off Madrid, I hope this article goes some way towards redressing the balance. You may not be embraced as joyfully as I was, but then we can’t all be me! But along with the culture – which of course it’s teeming with – and the sights, you will find yourself in a city where the simple act of “being”  is a great experience.  I would add one word of warning. If you are wandering around the Rastro one Sunday and you happen across El Bar Santa Aña in one of the backstreets, please do not order the last portion of ropa vieja, I may be hot on your heels, and I’d hate for my disappointed rage to be the one thing that ruined your visit!

About the author

Careena Bruen has worked as an academic researcher, undertaken research projects for a health trust, written a fashion blog which has been used in edited form in fashion magazines, and written a number of articles on environmental subjects.