Madrid Mini-breaker for old souls and vintage lovers.

Before you go anywhere always check it’s open, coz everywhere is always closed.

Come back later por favor.

1. Museo Del Ferrocarril was my regular weekend jaunt. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday with the stylish Spanish. Paseo de las Delicias, 61, 28045 Madrid. www.museodelferrocarril.org Go in the morning and get off the Metro at Delicias. There’s a really good Humana with lots of quality vintage and unusual colourful gear on Paseo de las Delicias, 55, which is on the way to the Museo. After you’ve filled your boots in Humana join the flow of folk strolling down the road to the Motor Museum.

One return ticket to the past please.

There’s a very nice vibe when you get there and I swerve right to do the outdoor flea market first. There are lots of traders and loads of vintage and antique merchandise, it's not cheap, but it’s a great atmosphere. Inside the converted railway station (free entry) is the indoor market with arts and crafts, food stalls, live jazz, and a breathtaking collection of historic train engines and carriages restored to perfection. I loved clambering over the old railway tracks and peering through the windows, imagining who had passed through history in the carriage, what they were wearing and where the had been. Have a romantic breve encuentro (brief encounter) with yourself in a past life, take a hanky. 

2. After swanning about The Motor Museum, walk south down Paseo de las Delicias. There is something about that street, the architecture, the doorways, the local cafes, the peace after the hustle and bustle of the market, that gives me the feels. Nothing special to do, it’s just one of those places that gives you pleasure from the experience of being there, soak it in, you’ll know what I mean. 

3. All the way down at the end of Paseo de las Delicias is the Matadero, Paseo de la Chopera, 14, 28045, Madrid. www.mataderomadrid.org. If you can’t face the walk, Legapzi is the closest Metro station. The Matadero is a fantastically successful reinvention of an old slaughterhouse into a cultural centre. There is a weekend food market (sometimes), a uniquely designed theatre with a great cafe, and an amazing programme of music events and art exhibitions. It’s a real triumph of repurposing and regeneration. 

From slaughterhouse to cultural centre.

4. If you like your museums big, then the Thyysen is the best major museum I have ever been to. It’s like a sweet shop for masterpieces. Mind blowing works of art all rammed in there together for sensory delight. Get stuck into the cultural banquet. 

However, if you like your museums intimate and eccentric please treat yourself to both the Museo Cerralbo www.mecd.gob.es/mcerralbo  C/ Ventura Rodriguez, 17. 28008 and Museo Sorolla C/ General Martinez Campos, 37, 28010 www.mecd.gob.es/msorolla

5. Take the metro to Plaza de Espana for the Cerralbo, the most flamboyant, decadent, no expense spared private house museum that I could never get enough of. If you like your bling with jam on it, this is the place for you.

Dinner time at casa Cerralbo.

6. By total contrast, the exquisite Sorolla museum is the house of serenity. A treat for the eyes, mind, body and spirit. Take your time to absorb the atmosphere, it’s as if the artist has just put down his brushes and will be back in an hour. Once you've finished floating around the studio, glide outside for a peaceful sit in the garden.

Serenity at the House of Serolla.

7. Malasaña, traditionally the student area, is full of cafes, bars, independent boutiques and a rich cluster of inviting vintage clothes shops and markets. The best metro is Tribunal, which brings you out into the beating heart of life and things. Type ‘vintage clothing stores’ into google maps on your phone and follow the trail of red dots. For that mysterious and misty experience, Calle del Espiritu Santo is inexplicably spine-chilling when you sweep round the corner onto the street in your cloak, clearly rammed with the spirits and spooks of the great and the good of the Madrid ghosterati. Best explored after siesta when the sun has gone out and the gas lights come on.

Waiting in white.

8. To complement your vintage experience, when the last shop has shut, go directly to Cafe Barbieri, Calle del Ave Maria, 45, 28012 in Lavapies. Repurposed from a traditional barbers, the decor is to die for with the original engraved wall mirrors, dark wood fixtures, red velvet drapes and palm plants, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, the food absolutely delicious, the staff helpful and engaging, the clientele mature and amiable, plus there is quality live music (more jazz than rock) every night. If you like a bit of authentic old fashioned faded glamour, comfortable seats and relaxed decadence, I can’t think of a better place. 

9. Only one cat spotting shop - Libros book shop in Malasaña, but remember to look up as much as you can at the ornate facades and you might get lucky and see a little face in a window looking back at you.  

Shop cat spotting.

10. The Sala Canal de Isabel II, Calle Santa Engracia, 125 is a bit of a secret treat. One for the architecture lovers and odd old building fanatics, this converted water tower is a delight inside and out. It's dry and cosy inside now and host to eclectic and incredible international exhibitions, there's a tiny film screening nook in the roof too. Nourishing.

Water tower wonder of the world.