Puerta del Sol

Monday evening walk: I love to stroll through the various neighborhoods of Madrid, especially at night where you experience another segment of Spanish culture. It´s neat to see people as they engage in the activities of the night. Meeting friends, making plans for dinner, which usually occurs at around 9:30 or later, and chilling out in the cafés and bistros that line the streets throughout Madrid. After supper, I walked to the Puerta del Sol, one of the most famous plazas in Madrid and central transportation hub for the city. It is also the place to meet up with friends. The area is equally renown for its shopping district. But who shops at 9:30 pm?

Sol during the night

Sol during the day

During the day, plaza looks busy, in continual movement. At night things, however, move slower. Folks stroll past the central fountains. Young folks congregate near the corners, waiting for their cohorts. The older crowd stands in front of restaurants or strolls through the plaza, trolling for adventure. Families run through the plaza with strollers in tow, absorbing the energies of the area. Screams of joy as they discover the statute of the Madrid "Bear".

Tio Pepe sign

One of the iconic images for me is the illuminated sign for "Tío Pepe", a brand of sherry produced in Andalucía. Named after one of the founder´s uncle, the brand has a decent reputation. The company has been making this brand since 1844. But in the plaza, it´s the sign that attracts people, not the quality of sherry. In fact the crowd out here tonight does not seem like the sherry-drinking type.

As I walked down the street, the massive lighted sign overlooked this vast metropolitan plaza; the building seemed to fade into the darkness. But the memory of Sol at night lives vividly.