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Boston Globe
03-07-2025
- Boston Globe
How to enjoy Madrid like a local during the deep sizzle of summer
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The Madrid summer schedule is glorious; if you do it right, it feels like an actual vacation. Advertisement Hear me out: Madrid has a lot going for it. The common refrain among travelers is that Madrid lacks the panache of Barcelona. True, Madrid does not have an abundance of Antoni Gaudí architecture, beaches, or Las Ramblas. Want to know what else it lacks? Locals who Advertisement The mural "Isabelita," by artist Fin DAC, adorns the side of the Mercado de Antón Martín. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff But don't waste your time comparing the cities. Madrid has a unique flavor. There are incredible museums, restaurants, shops, and a 350-acre park where you can escape under the trees and relax. JetBlue has a new non-stop flight between Boston and Before I arrived, I was fretting over the forecast. It called for sunny weather with a daily high temperature of 95 to 100 degrees. I looked at my itinerary, the forecast, and my itinerary again. I then Googled 'What are the signs of heat stroke?' Heat or no, I was determined to conquer Madrid. On my first night, I dressed up for dinner and set out for a charming restaurant called The evening thunderstorms subsided, and I was ready for dinner. Unfortunately for me and my new pants, the sidewalks were still wet and slick. In my rush to get to dinner, I slipped and fell in a spectacularly unflattering fashion. Bam! Think giraffe on ice skates. While sitting on the muddy sidewalk, I took inventory. I was sore, my hand was scraped up, but nothing felt broken. Two kind individuals sitting in a bar across the street witnessed my fall (ugh) and ran over to see if I was OK. They helped me to my feet and asked if I needed to go to the hospital. I assumed they were there to steal my phone or wallet. I brushed myself off as best I could, told them I was fine, and escaped to Bipolar for my mini pork belly ciabatta, which I recommend, along with the steak tartar and the lemon pie. Advertisement Don't judge. The stress of the fall made me hungry. While walking back to my hotel, I heard familiar voices. I realized I was in front of the open-air bar where the kindly potential thieves had watched me fall. '¿Estás bien?' one of them asked as she looked over my muddy pants. These two caring, non-theiving locals, Sofia and Miguel, were not trying to fleece me; they were generally concerned for my well-being. While I was eating at Bipolar, they were having pre-dinner cocktails and speculating on my condition. I assured them I was OK. They bought me a glass of wine, the best medicine for whatever may be wrong. They were fascinated that I was writing a story about Madrid, and offered to share their knowledge. The muddy, embarrassing fall was one of the best things that could have happened. Miguel and Sofia wanted to play tour guides, and I was happy to absorb their suggestions. Remember, if you fall in Spain and someone comes over to help, don't dismiss them as a thief. King Carlos III and his horse are memorialized in the Plaza de la Puerta in Madrid. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff Some lessons I learned from my new Spanish friends: Don't start your day early in Madrid. This is not a culture of early risers. This city is where people have dinner at 10 or 11 p.m. and perhaps a cup of espresso to finish the night. They also warned me that the hottest part of the day here is not midday, it's usually around 6 p.m. During the summer, the sun rises about 7 a.m. and sets at 10 p.m. These may seem like minor details, but they're essential when planning activities and meals. Advertisement Armed with this information and many bruises from my fall, I constructed a perfect schedule. I left mornings open for leisurely exploring neighborhoods on foot. By midday, when the temperatures began to rise, I sought shelter by spending time in museums or shops. I followed that with a late lunch and then a siesta at my hotel for a few hours. In the early evening, I'd head out again — also, I took many showers. I picked a centrally located hotel and double-checked that it had AC. My hotel, Once I had the routine, the rest was easy. I knew I needed to visit the Advertisement Art lovers beat the heat in the wonderfully air-conditioned Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff The Prado is part of Madrid's so-called Golden Triangle of Art. The other two sides of the triangle are the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is the city's modern art museum with a 20th-century collection of works by prominent Spanish artists such as Dali, Picasso, and Miro. Crowds gathered in front of Picasso's 1937 painting ″Guernica," which is easily the most recognizable painting here. I thought the massive Miro sculpture in the courtyard was equally impressive. Of the three museums, my favorite was the Thyssen-Bornemisza, which spans all decades and styles and fills the gaps left in the other collections. If you have more days and time for museum exploration, try the Advertisement Another favorite post-breakfast activity was shopping. Honestly, it's one of my favorite activities at any time of the day. This will sound a bit predictable, but I recommend checking out the department store Le Integral, a shop in Madrid's Barrio de las Letras, sells everything from records to pillows featuring singer Grace Jones. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff If you're looking for souvenirs, skip the tourist haunts and pick up a T-shirt at The band Air performs as part of the Noches del Botánico concert series in Madrid's Real Jardín Botánico Alfonso XIII. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff The city starts waking up once the sun sinks in the evening sky. One of my favorite bands happened to be performing in Madrid while I was there. Fortunately, for me, they were at Another of my favorite evening escapes was the 325-acre Retiro Park. People called it Madrid's version of Central Park, but I found Retiro to be much more of an escape. You can hide in a shady nook if you want to avoid other people. Or, if you want to be a part of the action, rent a boat at the park's man-made lake. Normally, I would have skipped the Spain's capital may not have a proper beach, but the large, man-made lake in Retiro Park is a popular spot to sunbathe or rent a boat. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff Before dinner each night, I'd meet Miguel and Sofia to talk about the places where I'd been (inevitably, they told me I missed about a dozen places that I should have seen), and then we'd talk about the plan for the night. These daily briefings were held at both small taverns and sprawling rooftop bars. On the last night of my trip, we met at the top of the 'You can't leave tomorrow,' Sofia told me when I reminded her that my flight was the next day. 'You've barely scratched the surface.' The roof deck at Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid is filled on a warm June night. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff She was right. I had barely scratched the surface. But a good vacation should always leave you wanting more. And I left wanting to experience more of Madrid. Next time, hopefully, I'll experience it without slipping and falling on a muddy sidewalk. Christopher Muther can be reached at
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man on the hunt for $200M historic treasure that could be in waters near New Port Richey
The Brief A captain believes he's closing in on the treasure of a French privateer, who he believes left behind a $200 million treasure in water off of New Port Richey. He believes studying his find could help shed light on what happened to the 22 enslaved people believed to have perished on his ship. NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - For 30 years, Captain Joe Zsiga took to the water in search of fish, but when he retired, he became a treasure hunter. "Do I want to get rich and be the next Mel Fisher? Is that going to happen? Who knows." he said. READ: New businesses moving to West Tampa hoping to revitalize historic area: 'A lot of value here' He believes that he's closing in on the treasure of Commodore Louise Aury, a French privateer who pirated and traded and, Zsiga believes, left behind a $200 million treasure in waters near New Port Richey. However, there's a twist in Zsiga's treasure tale. "When people think of treasure, they think of shiny gold pieces like gold and silver and emeralds," he said. "There's more to treasure than that, there's history." Follow FOX 13 on YouTube That's what Zsiga believes he has found in 21 feet of water in the same area. What appears to be two anchors and a large pile of ballast stones. "We know the slave ship, 'Isabelita,' came to Anclote Key some 204 years ago," said Zsiga. He believes the ship full of more than 100 enslaved people came to this area to take on fresh water. The area has long been famous for its many springs. Zsiga said when the ship tried to leave, it became stuck on some rocks, and they had to leave the anchors and ballast to free the vessel. By the time they arrived at a slave auction up north, only 95 of the ship's original 117 enslaved people had survived. MORE: Historic Seahorse Café on Pass-a-Grille Beach ravaged by storms "What a terrible time those people must have had," sais Zsiga. "It's unimaginable." He believes studying his find could help shed light on where the 22 enslaved people perished – or did some escape? "There might be somebody that sees this and says my grandfather got freed and made his way down to Tampa. You don't know," said Zsiga. He plans to dive on his find when the weather turns warmer. The Source The information in this story was provided through interviews with Captain Joe Zsiga. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
