« Take Shelter in Culture » has been set up by Madrid’s city council, and is aimed at tourists and locals alike.
ADVERTISEMENTIt’s the middle of August and the thermometers are soaring, but not everyone can escape the city and Spain’s high temperatures.
Big cities are offering more and more options to stay cool and entertained, such as the Madrid City Council’s ‘Refugiate en la Cultura’ initiative.
Faced with the large influx of tourists and citizens staying in the capital, « we are looking for them to take refuge in culture, especially during the intense hours of heat, » Rafael Cabrera Yagüe, general director of cultural activities at Madrid City Council, tells Euronews.
The initiative proposes 15-minute flamenco micro-shows during the day’s hottest hours in three of the capital’s main museums: the Prado, the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum and the Museo del Prado, as well as other libraries, cinemas and museums in the city.
Rai Dominguez is from Pamplona and has come to Madrid for a few days of vacation. At the flamenco show at the Prado Museum he said, « in addition to promoting art and flamenco, which I think is something we all like, it’s also to find a place of refuge where you can protect yourself from the heat ».
A green oasis in the heart of Madrid
The Círculo de Bellas Artes is an example of a refuge from the heat this summer.
Its former ballroom is now a green oasis with more than 300 plants. Inside, temperatures stand at about 27 degrees, a contrast with the 45 degrees outside.
Visitors are enthusiastic about this haven where they can work, rest or just hang out. Tiziana Anelli, who is Italian and lives in Madrid, works as a freelancer. « I work at home and I don’t have air conditioning. So it’s a good option to be in a cooler, nicer, different place ».
There are also shelters for the younger children, the so-called « Madrid Beach » is a favourite for parents and children.
« We come here for our daughter. It’s very hot and you can’t do anything else. Either you go into a shopping mall or you come to these places, » explains Cristina Alonso.
La Playa de Madrid is composed of large ovals with water jets coming out of the ground located in the Madrid Río area, on the banks of the Manzanares River.
Laura García Bermejo, mother of two children, says that places such as these keeps children from staying indoors.
In Spain, one in three households with minors cannot afford even a week’s vacation, according to Spain’s National Institute of Statistics, with initiatives such as these giving children the opportunity to enjoy themselves without leaving their city.
