July 6, 1999 Madrid, Spain. My first Posada      Posada is derived from a Latin (and Greek!) word meaning foot or walk. The literal translation is a stroll. There are forms of it in Greece, Italy, and Spain. On my last two trips to Mediterranean Europe, I have brought two "sets" of clothing. My day set and my evening set so I could partake in the posada. That is because in most towns, the posada is the social event of the day. Let me explain it to you.     On my first trip through Europe I didn't really know about the posada (well I did but I didn't truly comprehend it). As I was preparing my second trip through Europe, my guide book for Spain said to be sure to go out one night to just watch the posada. So I put "Watch posada" on my to do list.     When I got to Spain, I put off this entertaining task until I got to Madrid for a number of reasons. The reason I chose Madrid was that my Hostel was in the cozy little Plaza del Sol (Plaza of the sun). This is a prime location for the posada. It had benches and restaurants. Furthermore, it had a nice park in the center of it.      On my first night in Madrid, I went out to the plaza about 6:30 and saw a couple drunks, a few homeless people and no one else. Basically what you expect to find in a large city park near downtown at 6:30 in the evening. This initially tuned me off. Perhaps my book was incorrect. Being so near to my Hostel (the door opened into the plaza) I decided to go to a bar, have a beer, and write in my travel log. I had had an eventful two days therefore I had a lot to write about. I sat busily writing for about an hour, not paying attention to anything around me (I know, bad people watching form ).      Around 8:30 or so it began to happen. I watched a pair of girls walk the length of the plaza, make a pirouette, and stroll back to where they started. Then they found a nice bench to sit on and started chatting. These two girls were the prototypical Spanish beauties. The girls had long dark hair, Mediterranean skin, and brown eyes. What is remarkable was how they were dressed. Their hair looked as if they had spent an hour on it. Their makeup was bold and beautiful. They were wearing the latest fashions of the day. I then noticed that other people were sitting on benches and walking up and down the plaza. Everyone was meticulously groomed to look his or her best. This was what the Posada is.      I left out part of my description of the Posada above. The word means to stroll. But this is a stroll with a purpose. This is the chance of people of all ages to go out and basically show off they've got. It is a chance for people to check out other people unobtrusively. It is also a chance to strut your stuff. (If only we had something like that in the U.S.)      The way the Posada works is couples, groups of friends, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons or whatever other grouping you can come up with go out to the local plaza, square, embarcadero, or other promenade dressed as fancy and as good looking as they can possibly get. They are putting themselves on display after all. They expect to be looked at. They then slowly (I swear the word quickly does not translate into Protégés, Spanish, Italian, or Greek) walk up and down the street for everybody to see. As they are doing this, they basically are checking out everybody as they do this.      So there I was, sitting in my traveling shorts and a clean, but well used shirt. I had flunked my first Posada. I did not have the clothing to be checked out or to be taken seriously. However, it was quite entertaining watching people walking up and down the street being checked out and looking at other people. Again, an example of how customs in one country (like not staring in the U.S.) are quite different in another.      The next night I returned to El Plaza Del Sol. However this time I was prepared. I was wearing my "nice" shirt and kaki pants. I realize that it was not the most current fashion, however it was what a backpacker could wash without worry. (The ironic thing is I think this was the day I got yelled at in Toledo for not wearing nice clothes to the Cathedral). I again commandeered a plaza side table at a bar quite early. I didn't want to miss the spectacle that would ensue. Sure enough, the masses converged upon the plaza. Guys were attempting to look slick. Women were dressed to kill. People slowly walked up and down the plaza trying ignoring the looks they were getting. Onlookers gazed at people as the gossiped. This was the place to be. At least the place to be in the early evening.      After this I learned to look out for the local Posada. Whenever I go to the Mediterranean, I bring an extra set (or two) of clothes. Then, before I head off for dinner, I try to locate the local "posada" and have a look. And hopefully get a look at in the process. Guide Books |  FAQs |  Photos for Sale |  Travel Essays |  Links Contact info: