Notes from Spain 48 - El Rastro

[Ben]

Ben and Marina wander down to the Rastro, Madrid's wonderful Sunday morning flea market.

Listen here (http://www.notesfromspain.com/583/), photos here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/spanishben/sets/72157594307900190/), and a small random video here (http://www.notesfromspain.com/582/)!

[richardksa]

So! Not so crowded as usual!!!!!!

[Brian]

Haven't listened to the podcast yet, but my only brush with crime in Spain was at the Rastro market. I caught an elderly pickpocket trying to separate me from my wallet, which was in my front pocket, not in the back one as he had falsely assumed.

[gary]

Haven't listened to the podcast yet, but my only brush with crime in Spain was at the Rastro market. I caught an elderly pickpocket trying to separate me from my wallet, which was in my front pocket, not in the back one as he had falsely assumed.

Ben,
NIS video production company is born.... The quality of both sound and audio are very acceptable and I di think that a short snippet of video gives an idea of the ambience of a place.

I was listening to an old podcast made in a bar in your bario and would have loved a short snippet of vid...

Did you have a dedicated camera or use the video feature on your stills camera?

[Ben]

I used my Canon Ixus though I am very tempted to go out and get a mini DV video camera from the Corte Ingles. Great fun. Just been to the Retiro and have some more 'footage' to play with now!

[richardksa]

Quote from nearly a year ago on the blog:

"Comment from Richard
I spent Sunday morning at the Rastro street market. Surely lots of material there for a podcast!
Comment from Ben (http://www.notesfromspain.com/)
Time: November 2, 2005, 4:31 pm
Really glad you liked the podcast. The Rastro is definitely a good podcasting location, though I’m not sure just how big a fan I am - it’s always soooo crowded!
Ben "

A year!!! A year it took you. (Well nearly). I knew you would get there eventually. Still it's good to know you do heed your members. Good one. Really full of atmosphere.

[Brian]

Listened to the podcast in the car today. What a heavenly slice of laid-back spanish life.

How were the bocatas de tortilla?

[Ben]

Quote from nearly a year ago on the blog:

"Comment from Richard
I spent Sunday morning at the Rastro street market. Surely lots of material there for a podcast!
Comment from Ben (http://www.notesfromspain.com/)
Time: November 2, 2005, 4:31 pm
Really glad you liked the podcast. The Rastro is definitely a good podcasting location, though I’m not sure just how big a fan I am - it’s always soooo crowded!
Ben "

A year!!! A year it took you. (Well nearly). I knew you would get there eventually. Still it's good to know you do heed your members. Good one. Really full of atmosphere.
We always get there in the end! Glad you enjoyed it. Any more suggestions welcome - we'll try to get round to them quicker this time ;)

Listened to the podcast in the car today. What a heavenly slice of laid-back spanish life.

How were the bocatas de tortilla?
Never had one in the end! Went to a great Greek restaurant round the corner from our house instead :)

[Ben]

Ben,
NIS video production company is born....

Here's another vid (http://www.notesfromspain.com/584/). A really incredible musical instrument.

[Brian]

Never had one in the end! Went to a great Greek restaurant round the corner from our house instead :)

I suppose talking about your honeymoon in Greece made you a bit nostalgic, eh?

Greek food is fantastic.

[gary]

Here's another vid (http://www.notesfromspain.com/584/). A really incredible musical instrument.

These guys (or similar) were on Barça last year... its a sort of hippy steel drum made out of a wok (i think). We used to jave a West Indian guy lived behind us as students - he made and tuned steel drums - not a pretty sound

[eLiNe]

I was amased when I a couple of weeks ago,by accident found the intermediate notes in the itune store. And after a week more or so I discovered the notes from spain. And got more amazed :)

Since I am fairly new, I still have some notes left to listen to. I really liked the one about ETA, and the one about the flag.

Thank you Ben and Marina for this really great website, with all the different activities.

And off course, since I am writing on this thread about the rastro marked, I really enjoyed this one too. I will try to post some photos on the flick- thing from rastro when I was there in april this year. If I can figure out how to use the flick thing.

Adios

[Ben]

Hola eLiNe, great to hear from you, and welcome to the forum!

[Marina]

¡Bienvenida eLiNe!
It would be great to see some of your Rastro picks and/or any other places that you visited while in Spain.

[Edith]

These guys (or similar) were on Barça last year... its a sort of hippy steel drum made out of a wok (i think). We used to jave a West Indian guy lived behind us as students - he made and tuned steel drums - not a pretty sound

Gary, there is more info on this instrument in the comments on the podcast itself. It's called a Hang and it's some sort of New Age thing.

[gary]

Gary, there is more info on this instrument in the comments on the podcast itself. It's called a Hang and it's some sort of New Age thing.

Its a hammerred wok tuned to a pentatonic scale(I reckon) - no real musical ability needed - but it does sound good - i have heard 5 0r six plated together with overlapping rhythmical patterns - very nice. The hippies in barcea were selling them.

[Edith]

Yes, it does sound good actually! I find it very relaxing.

[gary]

Yes, it does sound good actually! I find it very relaxing.

My wife is abeauty therapist - we have CDs of relaxing music - Whalesong, waves crashing --- etc - all i hear is the sound of gently decomposing garbage whenever it plays

[Edith]

My wife is abeauty therapist - we have CDs of relaxing music - Whalesong, waves crashing --- etc - all i hear is the sound of gently decomposing garbage whenever it plays

:D :D :D

Which reminds me. There is a disgusting episode of Blue Planet in which an Alaskan kodiak bear eats a decomposing whale! Oh, that was just so gross... Have you seen it?

I have only got a CD with bird and insect sounds from the Sonoran Desert. That's music to my ears. ;)

P.s.: I'm afraid we are getting hopelessly off-topic! We were talking about... El Rastro! Have you ever been there? I would like to; I have been to el Parque de Retiro, though, where I saw my first Spanish Hare Krishnas.

[eLiNe]

Hi again :)

Just got home from a late spanish class by Atonietta from Mexico.

I put my photos in "the flick", and made them viewable for the group "notes from spain", but they don`t show on your website. Did I do something wrong/ forget somehting?

Eline

[Ben]

Hi Eline, that is very strange. Can you give me a link to your usual Flickr photo page? Maybe then I can work out what is going on...

[laduque]

First of all, I think your podcasts are fabulous!!! They always take me right back to where ever it is you are podcasting from.

This one on the rastro takes the cake! I really felt I was back there, I could see that old woman with the music machine and the ceramic 'shop' is always a must stop for me as well to stock up on presents for U.S. family and friends.

Please keep up the wonderful podcasts, I love them!!!!!!! They'll keep me satisfied until my next summer jaunt to Madrid.

Saludos, Lisa

[Ben]

Hi Lisa, and welcome to the forum! We really enjoyed that one as well, I can tell you. That is my favourite kind of podcast, what are sometimes referred to as 'sound seeing tours'. More soon!

[sully]

Excellent soundscape. I went to the Rastro when I was in Madrid last year. I liked all of the activity but hated having to worry constantly that I was going to lose my wallet.