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Tuesday 27 April 2010

THE OLD "RASTRO" MARKET IN MADRID

hare krishna followers also like to go to El Rastro on Sundays ........

If you're in Madrid and it is Sunday morning you have an event you can not miss: to visit the Rastro, the outdoor largest market in Spain. It is a medieval street market. And you can find in it all kinds of objects: clothing, footwear, antiques, collectings, books and magazines, posters and picture frames, handicrafts, music, tools, flowers, new and used items, etc. It has more than a thousand stalls.

The name “Rastro” comes from the use that the main artery of this market, Tannering Street, dragging the carcasses with their skins of the animals from the slaughterhouse (which was very close) to the tanneries and in the way they left a trail of blood .... (so “rastro” means trail).

The centre of this large market is Cascorro Square, so named by a Spanish soldier named Eloy Gonzalo, who bravely fought in the war in Cuba (1895) in the city of Cascorro (in Camaguey town) and died there at age 29, of dysentery. His statue carries a rifle on his shoulder with a rope and a can of oil in their hands, which are the objects that he used to carry out their deeds.


This place is full of tourists and nationals every Sunday, with people of all ethnic groups and nationalities, to seek bargains and bits and pieces or souvenirs for family and friends, or to taste the gastronomy of Madrid or just to stroll.

this friendly French guy told me he loves playing the Spanish guitar in el Rastro

after taking this shot the guy waving offered us his lovely .... bottom for a photograph,
unluckily I didn't!

As midday approaches, people are often closer to the bars in the area, near Plaza de Cascorro, to take the appetizer, that can be a vermouth or a glass of wine or a pint of beer, accompanied by a cover (the famous Spanish ”tapas”).

I use to go to the Rastro from time to time (I live quite close to it, by the way) and so I did last Sunday with some friends. I took my camera with me and these are some of the photos I took this time…………


a "chulapo" (man in a typical madrileño suit) selling "barquillos" (sort of sweet cones)

old furniture

a short musical break

a tourist and .......... Salvador Dali?

there you can find.....anything

and anyone?

maybe you need a frame?

and of course the typical poster for tourists can't be avoided

And if you get there remember to be very careful of pickpockets who thrive, among so many people!

For those who wants to know more about this famous madrileño market, here you have this link to have a look:


1 comment:

  1. Funcionario's blog3 May 2010 at 22:23

    Vaya, es curioso: trabajo en el Dpto. de Comercio, lo que implica que damos las licencias de venta ambulante (mercados, mercadillos y ferias varias).

    Ver este tipo de cosas me lleva a la deformación profesional, a coger ideas de aquí y allá, a hacer propuestas de mejora, a preguntarme si todos tienen licencia y los papeles en regla o no y cosas de eso.

    Curioso. Por cierto, avisa que en este tipo de mercadillos grandes suele haber carteristas, que los guiris vienen muy despistados y que esto es como su país de origen: todo seriedad y respeto al prójimo.

    Buenas noches. Un placer.

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