Whilst searching for a quote for an article that I’m currently writing, I came across an interesting article on the world-famous fashion designer Carolina Herrera. The article, called Spanish Steps and written by Mitchell Owens, offers a fascinating insight into Carolina Herrera’s love affair with Madrid. It talks about her favourite tapas, bars, museums and places of interest. I love a quote from the article where she says that the clientele for a famous restaurant – Casa Lucio – ranges from:

"the King and Queen to the local hooker"

She also comments on how life is so civlised in Madrid:

"The life here is so civilized. The lunches are late and the dinners are even later, which allows you to do so many things during the day. And have you noticed that nobody eats or drinks while they are walking? In New York, everybody eats in the street. But in Madrid, people go to a café and they sit down. Even in Starbucks, you buy your coffee and sit and drink"

And here’s an interesting shopping tip:

"Calzados Lobo, a store that has stood near Plaza Mayor for more than a century, is where the Herrera women stock up on the traditional handmade espadrilles (they start at around $8 a pair) that found favor with the Paris Opéra, which ordered dozens of Lobo shoes for a production of Carmen. The shop is about half the size of a one-car garage; its open shelves are crammed with boxes, and dozens of customers stand elbow-to-elbow clutching wait-your-turn numbers."