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The people of Madrid like to party into the small hours, so it seems fitting that the city should sponsor an annual all-night celebration of contemporary art and culture.

Planned to coincide with the full moon, Noche en Blanco, or White Night, happens this year on Saturday (September 11th).

Hardly an area of the city will be without something entertaining — and environmentally sound — to see. The lively Gran Via will be turned into a giant playground with recycled objects, building materials and tools; Bijari, an artistic collective from Sao Paulo, plans to construct an enormous ‘sculpture-poem’ made of blocks of plastic waste at the Royal Palace; and DJs and pop singers will entertain in the Plaza de Cibeles.

For those more conservative in their tastes, all the city’s major museums will be open until late into the night, with no entrance fees.

Last year, more than a million people turned out for the exhibitions, concerts and performances.

by Andy Moreton

Spain’s capital city is buzzing by day and night, and Luxique offers a choice of more than 20 luxury hotels in Madrid.

The Spanish capital, Madrid, is one of a number of destinations to which the train is expected become a viable alternative to the plane within Western Europe during the next decade.

It’s thought a high-speed Paris–Madrid train link will be in place within the next two years, bringing the journey time between the two cities to 5½ hours.

Although a flight would take less than half that time, you have to add several hours for checking-in, airport security and travel to and from the city centres. The rail industry is hoping to attract passengers who are becoming disenchanted with this ‘airport hassle factor’.

The German train operator, Deutsche Bahn, is in talks with Eurotunnel about a direct train route to and from London through the tunnel, while Eurostar – which currently runs services from London St. Pancras direct to Paris and Brussels – has also made no secret of its interest in taking trains farther afield.

There would certainly be no lack of support from the respective governments as trains are seen to be more environmentally friendly than planes in short-haul travel.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique offers a wide choice of luxury hotels in Madrid, from the traditional Westin Palace to the quirky and fun Room Mate Mario.

Madrid is going to unprecedented lengths to try to make sure its streets are clean and free of litter.

A 300-strong team of rubbish police will patrol the Spanish capital and slap fines of up to 1,500 euros (£1,340 / $1,880) on people dropping paper, tossing away cigarette ends or failing to scoop up their dogs’ mess.

Also targeted by Madrid’s conservative city council will be graffiti artists, men who urinate against trees, people feeding the ducks in the park and even residents who sprinkle the pavement when watering pot plants on their balconies.

The most controversial regulation is aimed at the poor and hungry who rummage through rubbish containers for discarded food or cardboard to sleep on. It could result in a fine of 750 euros (£670 / $940). A spokesman for the opposition United Left party called this measure absolutely shameful. “Anyone who is in such need doesn’t do it out of choice, but to survive.”

One group of Madrilenos who seem likely to have to change their ways are the many who enjoy pipas or sunflower seeds and create a little pile of husks at their feet while sitting on a bench watching the world go by.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique’s selection of luxury hotels in Madrid is anything but rubbish. Check it out!

Google Earth, which allows web-users to look at satellite images of practically anywhere on the planet, is now offering a virtual tour of one of the world’s leading art galleries.

Viewers will be able to scroll around a three-dimensional representation of the Prado Museum in Madrid and examine in the finest detail fourteen masterpieces by artists including Velazquez, Fra Angelico and Goya.

A spokeswoman for Google Earth said the paintings had been photographed in very high resolution and contained as many as 14 gigapixels.

“With this high-level resolution you’re able to see such fine details as the tiny bee on a flower in The Three Graces by Rubens and delicate tears on the faces of the figures in The Descent From The Cross by van der Weyden,” she said.

The arts correspondent in the Guardian newspaper in the UK, Jonathan Jones, applauds the new technology, but says there are many things about the Prado that can’t be rendered digitally. “The world’s greatest museum bar, for one thing, and the atmosphere of its galleries.”

If you’re heading to the Spanish capital to see the art treasures ‘for real,’ book a luxury Madrid hotel through Luxique. We offer nearly two dozen, many of which are within walking distance of the Prado.

by Andy Moreton

Property developers on Spain’s holiday coasts were already feeling the pinch well before the present credit crunch.
Hundreds of estate agency offices have closed in the past year since the bubble burst on a construction boom that had been powering Spain’s economy for some ten years.

One company on the Costa del Sol recently resorted to desperate measures in an attempt to sell new homes – offering two for the price of one.

At the Malaga property fair, the company said that buyers of one of its £620,000 ($1 million) beachside homes would also get a one-bedroom flat at a golf resort.

Organisers of the fair reported a significant drop in exhibitors at this year’s event and added that the price of homes on offer had fallen by up to 20 per cent from last year.

The President of Spain’s Association of Constructors and Developers, Guillermo Chicote, said the industry desperately needed government help to aid its recovery. “If the government doesn’t react, this situation could last for another three or four years,” he said.

Even super-rich celebrities are not immune to the property squeeze in Spain. David and Victoria Beckham have apparently been trying to sell their luxury villa in the capital, Madrid, since last year when the couple moved to the US. The price has reportedly come down from £5 million ($8.6 million) to £3 million ($5.2 million).

The five-room villa in the chic suburb of La Moraleja is ‘incredible’ according to the selling agent. It includes two acres of land, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a small soccer pitch and a children’s playground.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique offers a selection of luxury and boutique hotels throughout Spain, including two boutique hotels in Malaga and 12 luxury hotels in the Costa del Sol region.