http://www.madrid-guide-spain.com/madrid-weekend.html
EL RASTRO
The sheer size of the El Rastro market demands a dedicated page on Madrid guide Spain. What could be better than browsing Europes largest outdoor market in the centre of historic Madrid?
Whilst we can not hope to include eveything available our quick El Rastro guide will make sure you get the best of what is a Sunday morning institution!
When? Every Sunday 0700 - 1430
Where? Between Plaza Mayor, La Latina and Puerta de Toledo
How? On foot!
What? You name it... its there!
The El Rastro experience!
El Rastro is a series of winding streets passing though what is the oldest residential part of Madrid and this network of randomly networked streets contain the market. Although there is a main street dedicated to Market stalls (predominately clothing) the side streets contain the real treasures.
Starting at either Metro La Latina or Plaza Mayor follow the crowds heading downhill towards Puerta de Toledo (you cannot see the Puerta so follow the signs). Within 50m & 200m respectively you will find yourself shoulder to shoulder with what appears to be half of Madrid. Everyone enters for the main thoroughfare but you will quickly end up in one of the side streets as you continuously catch something from the corner of your eye that has to be "checked out".
Residents Tip: Keep an eye on your wallet or purse and if taking a backpack wear it on your front. Pickpockets, although not numerous, have been known to operate in the busy market environment.
Whilst not organised to any obvious pattern a rough rule of thumb is:
Top of the hill (start point) is clothing
Streets to the left contain Art and Handicrafts
The narrow alleys to the right Antiques and second hand goods
The base of the hill Books / computing and electrical goods.
Throughout the market shops located in this area open their doors or in some cases their goods spill out onto the street. This is particularly true of the Antiques and second hand goods area.
Prices are not fixed so you will need the phrase:
¿Cuanto cuesta? - kwan-to kwes-tah - How much is it
The stall holder will normally answer with an English number. 99% of the time this does not mean that they understand English but is more than likely what they remember from school. Trying to bargain is acceptable at all stalls although some stallholders will maintain their previous price and in reality have fixed prices.
El Rastro is not just Shopping!
A large part of the El rastro experience is not the shopping but the stopping at small bars and enjoying a Caña and Tapa (small beer with a portion of food). These are crowded and noisy as if the market has entered the bar! Madrid guide Spain recomends you try the "Taberna Andaluz" for fresh seafood although you will have to find it first!
If you are thinking of taking lunch it is recommended to leave El Rastro and return afterwards. However if you are happy with half a baguette and a can of fizzy drink these can be obtained and eaten on the move for less than 3€.
EL RASTRO The sheer size of the El Rastro market demands a dedicated page on Madrid guide Spain. What could be better than browsing Europes largest outdoor market in the centre of historic Madrid?
Whilst we can not hope to include eveything available our quick El Rastro guide will make sure you get the best of what is a Sunday morning institution!
When? Every Sunday 0700 - 1430
Where? Between Plaza Mayor, La Latina and Puerta de Toledo
How? On foot!
What? You name it... its there!
The El Rastro experience!
El Rastro is a series of winding streets passing though what is the oldest residential part of Madrid and this network of randomly networked streets contain the market. Although there is a main street dedicated to Market stalls (predominately clothing) the side streets contain the real treasures.
Starting at either Metro La Latina or Plaza Mayor follow the crowds heading downhill towards Puerta de Toledo (you cannot see the Puerta so follow the signs). Within 50m & 200m respectively you will find yourself shoulder to shoulder with what appears to be half of Madrid. Everyone enters for the main thoroughfare but you will quickly end up in one of the side streets as you continuously catch something from the corner of your eye that has to be "checked out".
Residents Tip: Keep an eye on your wallet or purse and if taking a backpack wear it on your front. Pickpockets, although not numerous, have been known to operate in the busy market environment.
Whilst not organised to any obvious pattern a rough rule of thumb is:
Top of the hill (start point) is clothing
Streets to the left contain Art and Handicrafts
The narrow alleys to the right Antiques and second hand goods
The base of the hill Books / computing and electrical goods.
Throughout the market shops located in this area open their doors or in some cases their goods spill out onto the street. This is particularly true of the Antiques and second hand goods area.
Prices are not fixed so you will need the phrase:
¿Cuanto cuesta? - kwan-to kwes-tah - How much is it
The stall holder will normally answer with an English number. 99% of the time this does not mean that they understand English but is more than likely what they remember from school. Trying to bargain is acceptable at all stalls although some stallholders will maintain their previous price and in reality have fixed prices.
El Rastro is not just Shopping!
A large part of the El rastro experience is not the shopping but the stopping at small bars and enjoying a Caña and Tapa (small beer with a portion of food). These are crowded and noisy as if the market has entered the bar! Madrid guide Spain recomends you try the "Taberna Andaluz" for fresh seafood although you will have to find it first!
If you are thinking of taking lunch it is recommended to leave El Rastro and return afterwards. However if you are happy with half a baguette and a can of fizzy drink these can be obtained and eaten on the move for less than 3€.
Filipino world boxing champion Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao was born on December 17, 1978, to parents Dionesia Dapidran-Pacquiao and Rosalio Pacquiao. He was raised in Kibawe, which is located in the Bukidnon province of Mindanao, Philippines. 
When he was a teenager, Pacquiao left his family and boarded a ship to Manila, Philippines, in hopes of training as a boxer and launching a career in the sport. Not long after, in January of 1995, his goals gained some traction; at age 16, he stepped into the ring for his first professional bout, against Edmund Ignacio. Pacquiao won the fight in four rounds, in a unanimous decision. The victory propeled him into a successful boxing run that would encompass the better part of two decades. Boxing Career
In December 1998, Pacquiao won a bout against Chatchai Sasakul of Thailand, taking the World Boxing Council flyweight title—his first major honor. In 2001, he moved into a larger weight division, and beat Lehlo Ledwaba for the International Boxing Federation junior featherweight title, in his first U.S. fight. Pacquiao won the fight with a knockout after six rounds. He went on to win several bouts in the years thereafter, claiming world titles in eight different weight divisions. 
That December, Pacquiao suffered another difficult defeat. He was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in the sixth round of their welterweight bout in Las Vegas. Pacquiao explained his loss by saying "I just got hit by a punch I didn't see," according to the New York Daily News. 
Pacquiao's impeccable footwork, speed and quick jabs has kept boxing fans on their feet. And his endearing smile, charm and chisled physique has only helped to boost his public appeal. In 2003, he was voted the Philippines' Person of the Year over President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He has also been named "Fighter of the Decade" for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America, among various other honors. 
