One of my favorite cafes in Madrid, near Plaza de España, and where they make the best palmeras in Madrid.

For those who like looking without truly seeing, walking without thinking and see themselves as mere useful cogs - benches are, in fact, useless objects in a big city. However, for many Spanish people, benches are the last paradise for contemplation and hope in places where there is no time for such 'waste'. Benches are an invitation to stop. They are a place to turn our backs to cars, buses and motorbikes and watch inwards. Benches take us to invisible places inside our heads. They help us watch passers-by as if we are watching a movie. A movie featuring real, everyday characters. And those sitting are actors as well. They become both audience to and player in a huge live theatre. The drama is built frame by frame, minute by minute. This is the way that life passes for those who contemplate the invisible. The bench helps us to look outwards to the city and inwards to ourselves, and to watch the great cinema that is the city. And a city like Madrid is full of amazing stories. foto by Eneida Serrano

Conde Duque is a contemporary creation center, a nice place to go to see concerts and expositions. It always has an interesting program going on. Every year several design and dance festivals are held and in summer you can enjoy a summer cinema. Conde Duque has become an essential pillar of Madrid’s cultural activity. It is proud to be one of the city’s three large metropolitan cultural centres, alongside Matadero Madrid Contemporary Arts Centre and CentroCentro. Conde Duque can be found in the university district, or Universidad, right in the centre of Madrid. Universidad is an area that stands out for two great reasons: for its wide and rich heritage and for its concentration of cultural activity.

A bar and bookshop to enjoy a glass of wine while reading a book or to read a book while drinking a glass of wine. They show a careful selection of contemporary literature and artworks downstairs, from where you can spy on the people upstairs because the ceiling is made of glass.

A piece of Egypt in the city centre. This temple, a gift from the Egyptian government, was taken stone by stone from the valley flooded when the Aswan Dam was built. It’s a great place for a picnic in the summer. You can enjoy the sunset and the (grey) skyline of Madrid.