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When bread is not only to accompany, but becomes the protagonist: [H]arina Bakery in Madrid        

James Joyce told "mistakes were the portals of discovery".

The oldest and most original form of leavened bread was probably discovered by a big mistake.

Do you know what sourdough is? Basically, you have to mix wheat flour with water and let it sit in the open air at room temperature.  Then wild yeasts in the air will settle in the mix, eat the natural sugars and convert them into lactic (and other) acids which give it a sour flavor. The process needs to be treated for several days, but it is still the simplest and most natural way to get yeast you can employ for bread.

First time I tried this kind of bread, I definitely realize the enormous difference, and the high quality it has. It’s so tasting, easy to digest, different: such an amazing discovering!

This is why I am always looking for bakeries that use this type of procedure for their products. It's totally natural, lighter, more tasting and healthy. And the bread, while not having any kind of preservative, it retains much without getting old.

In Madrid, my favorite one is [H]arina. In this lovely place, with a magnificent views to Puerta de Alcalá, you can sit in or just buy and take away. And you will definitely find an amazing handmade bread using sourdough seven days a week.

Bread lovers will choice between: large loaf, baguette, rural bread, bread with five seeds, nuts and raisins bread, olive bread, bread made of dried tomato, onion bread, garlic bread…

And if it seems not enough, at Harina they prepare salads, sandwiches and tasting cakes. Everything strictly homemade!
Enjoy it.

Harina Website

Plaza de la Independencia, 10 – Madrid

Apartments in Madrid

What to do with children in Madrid

A bar in La Latina where there is usually a good atmosphere and good beers

The Corolla is a tavern in Madrid where we can take some excellent wines and exquisite tapas, while listening to good music and see one of his regular exhibitions.

This bar is specializes in delicious ‘tostas’ (small pieces of toast with different toppings) and avocado (aguacate), along with cañas (small beers). It is especially busy on Sunday afternoons.

The Corolla isn't a cheap bar, but is worth for its great atmosphere and good drinks

Open evenings and all day on the weekends:

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 20.30 to 1.00 hours
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 20.30 to 2.00 hours
Monday: Closed

Address
C/Almendro 10
Area Madrid

Phone
91 364 52 32     

Metro: La Latina (Green Line, L5) Plus 7 minutes walk

Madrid Useful Information:
Madrid Apartments

Eating with Javier Bardem´s Family

The Bardemcilla is a spanish tapas restaurant run for the cinematic Bardem family (Oscar winner Javier, sister Monica, brother Carlos, and mother Pilar). It is located in Chueca, a very lively neighborhood with many street cafes and boutique shops.

The restaurants caught the attention for its colorful walls dedeck with a lot of family photos and scenes from movies. The tables are adorned with individual mats created by the Bardem´s family. The atmosphere is very friendly and for shure you are going to have a good time.

The Bardemcilla is famous because the Tapas named after Bardem´s films, especially  Javiers´s ones (ham croquettes "Jamón, Jamón" and fried eggs "huevos de oro") and for the homemade dinners prepared by Javier´s Bardem mother: Pilar Bardem, another great Spanish actress.

Solomillo a la luna  (steak) and chuletas de cordero (lamb chops) are recommended main dishes on menu, and there's an interestingly varied wine list.

If you're close to Plaza de Santa Ana, take time out to visit The Bardemcilla, a mid priced tasty, nice wines and good service. Also for a great accomodation take a look of the apartments of Habitat Apartments near the area.

Address: Augusto Figueroa, 47
CO : 28004
City : Madrid – España
Opening hours : 12am to 5pm and  8pm to 2am – closing on sunday
Prices: Menu 10€  and cart 20€
Tel : +34 915 214 256
Metro/Bus : Chueca

Usual information during you trip in Madrid:

What to do in Madrid
Important Madrid Information

Reopening of the Prado Museum's Central Gallery

The Prado Museum is one of the most famous and impressive in the world. Please do not hesitate to go when visiting Madrid with Habitat Apartments.

On July 18, 2011, the Prado Museum reopened its central gallery, the most symbolic and the most representative part of the gallery in Madrid. There was a rearrangement of the works of this main gallery.

The gallery offers the visitor the option of doing a tour of European art through 59 works by artists such such as Tiziano, Rubens, Velazquez and El Greco. This space is home to some Italian and Flemish masters: Tiziano, Tintoretto and Veronés, who influenced Spanish painters in their works (Velázquez, Rubens and Van Dyck).

The renovation began in 2009 and has led to the recovery of 25 new rooms for exhibition use, leaving eleven more to renovate on the second floor. With the addition of these rooms, to date, the Museum's permanent collection has increased by more than 300 works.

The works found now in the Prado owe their origin to the hobby art collectors during the ruling dynasties over the centuries. The art reflects the personal tastes of the Spanish kings, their network of alliances and their enmities policies. Most works are from the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Carlos III was the man who ordered the building to be erected. He favored the architect Juan de Villanueva and in 1786 a building that was intended to be devoted to science was begun. However, later, Charles III's grandson, Ferdinand VII, was inspired by his wife Isabel to transform the project into a museum of art. The inauguration of this fantastic musem was in 1819. At its inception, it housed the royal art collection pieces. Gradually though, it expanded to other collections as well.

The most important part of this museum is the Spanish painting section that consists of 4900 works of the great masters: Velázquez (Las Meninas), Goya (Tres de Mayo), Zurbarán, Murillo and Eduardo Rosales. The Prado houses the best collections of their works that exist worldwide. In addition to Spanish paintings, we must also recognize the contribution to the museum of paintings from other countries in Europe including Italy (Tiziano), Belgium (van Dyck), Holand (Rembrandt), France (Poussin), etc.

The Prado Museum is located in the Paseo del Prado in Madrid.

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday: 9am-8pm

Price: 8€. Reduced Rate: 4€

After a day of sight-seeing in museums or at monuments, what better to enjoy the evening than one of the many events that Madrid offers!? With summer nights in July comes endless festivals with the best music of the day. So, we at Habitat apartments, want to recommend three great concerts for you to enjoy during your stay at one of our apartments in Madrid.

Black Eyed Peas Concert & David Guetta. 14/07/2011
Place: Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid

The world’s number one DJ, David Guetta (a Frenchman) will appear as a guest and opening act at The Black Eyed Peas concert in Madrid on July 14. His album sold over 2 million copies worldwide and over 3.2 million singles were sold. Fans in attendance will enjoy 75 minutes of the best house and dance music of the day.
After David Guetta’s performance, Black Eyed Peas will kick it off with their highly anticipated concert.
 

The Black Eyed Peas, composed of  Will.I.Am, Apl.de.Ap, Taboo and Fergie, is today’s most famous American hip-hop and funk group, which became known worldwide with the single "Where is the Love?". After the albums "Monkey Business" and "The E.N.D.", which brought us songs like 'I Gotta Feeling', 'Meet Me Halfway' and  'Rock That Body, " this band definitely knows how to reach the top of the charts. Now they are bringing to Madrid their new work, entitled "The Beginning," a symbol of the advent and acceptance of new technologies such as augmented reality, 3D, and video 360.

·  Early entry:  Mywayticket

ZZ Top in Concert. Summers Live Festival 2011
14/07/2011. La Riviera, Latina. Madrid

ZZ Top, affectionately known to their fans "The Little Ol 'Band from Texas" is an American Southern-rock and hard-rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. Members of the group are guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill plays bass and vocals, and finally Frank Beard on drums. They have the distinction of being one of the few rock bands that still retain its original members after 40 years. The guitars they use are really interesting and mostly co-designed by master luthier John Bolin.
They reached the peak of commercial success in the 70's and 80's, but still continue to rock out today. Now coming to Madrid to present their latest album called “Rancho Texicano”: The Very Best of ZZ Top.
·  Early entry: Red Ticketmaster

The Beach Boys. Summers in the Village Festival 2011
15/07/2011. Escenario Puerta del Angel (Angel Stage Door), Madrid

The Beach Boys are an American band, formed in the city of Hawthorne in 1961. This group is thought to be most representative of the California lifestyle in 1960, as well as music and surfing culture of this time. Generally the group was made of the Wilson brothers: Brian, Carl and Dennis as the cousin of the family; Mike Love, a classmate of Brian; Al Jardine; and later joining the group, Bruce Johnston.
Nearly fifty legendary songs played throughout the world and they had several performances at the White House to support their long history. They had such hits as “Good Vibrations,” “Good Only Knows,” “Barbara Ann,” and the album "Pet Sounds," considered by the Rolling Stones magazine to be one of the best albums of the twentieth century.
·  Early Entry: Entradas.com