Templo de Debod

As summer approaches, you will start to find more and more young people gathering in the streets to enjoy a drink or two, before heading into the centre to the bars and clubs. This is known as a botellón “an open-air drinking session”, and although strictly speaking it’s not allowed, the police will normally turn a blind eye and move you along, providing you aren’t causing a disturbance to other members of the public. 

When I spent my summer in Madrid two years ago I found that Plaza de España and Templo de Debod were both popular places for “botellóns” to take place. Located within an easy walking distance to the bars and nightclubs, but just far enough away to offer plenty of sitting-down space, it’s a great area to enjoy the mild May-June evenings with friends. I always preferred Templo de Debod, simply because there’s more space and the lit up temple adds a certain ambience. There were also always lots of alternative groups playing and making music, which provided us with entertainment at times! 

You’ll also no doubt start to see lots of Erasmus Facebook events mentioning Templo de Debod as a meeting point. These events are always a fun way of meeting more people, so go along with friends or, if you’re feeling brave, why not go solo?!

via photo: http://welkcome.blogspot.com.es/2007/08/templo-de-debod.html