Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-02-02

avenue General1SSlm0 Franco.
But even as New Workers insist on
calling Sixth avenue by its old name
instead of the cumbersome avenue
of the Americas" Madrilene still
call it the "Castellana."
Although Spaniards will often in
sist that Madrid is not one of the
truly colorful centers of old Spain,
1T is an interesting city. One OF the
|strangest sights to the visiting for
Feig1aer are the London buses and
Italian streetcars which provided
shes public transport system.
One Spaniard who worked for
cafeterfas III New York has in
troduced the American lunch coun-
ter in Madrid. Here you will find
bacon and tomato sandwiches on
buns. Even banana splits. But
griddle cakes are served with
whipped cream and chocolate sauce
the Spanish influence on the Cafe
Americana"
u. s. Movies Popular.
This city of 100000 persons goes
for American movies in big way.
Out of so cinemas listed, 80 are cur
rently showing American films.
Greer Carson in Mrs. Miniver" is
getting big billing here as la Sc
nora Miniver."
One is constantly reminded in Ma
drid of an old Spanish saying:
an Spain everything starts late
and nothing is ever finished"
The dinner hour may be anywhere
from 10 to IL o'clock at night. The
rest of life regulates itself accord
ingly. The early riser quickly
changes his habits. There is moth
ing to do If you do get up. Offices
work until pm. and after.
From the visiting correspondent S
viewpoint, Madrid is expensive,
sometimes difficult, but always COL
orful and interesting. Let us con-
slider the everyday aspects of a
foreigners life here aside from the
political aspects of the Franco
regime.
The Spanish people are charming
and likable. The local newspapers
carry on heated campaign against
| the United Nations. But the average
Spaniard is always friendly to what
in Spain are called the "Norteameri-
canoS."
Food Real Expense.
There is a very small colony of
American and British correspon-
dents here. A few have their fami-
lies with them. One group lives in
a small apartment hotel in the
center of town called the Edificio
Monopole. Most of the apartments
are two-room studio affairs with
ikitchenette. Mine, for example, costs
300 pesetas a monitor 70 dollars,
This includes maid and telephone
service. Finding any Madrid apart
ment under 1900 pesetas is difficult.
Most of the decent ones run from
ZOO up; and 1000 pesetas month
for a Madrilene is a good salary.
A bank clerk Is lucky to make 900
pesetas monthly plus an occasional
bonus.
For the temporary visitor, the big
modern Palace Hotel provides spa
cious rooms for about four dollars
a night. Food is the real expense.
A fountain lunch place called the
Cafe Americana serves such Ameri-
can short-order specialties as bacon
and eggs, matted milk and sand
witches. A matted milk, sandwich
and pie lunch costs about $40. The
local restaurants are much higher.
The Edelweiss, banned to Americans
during the war because of its Ger
man proprietorship, is popular. 1t
serves green vegetables, good beer.
chocolate cake and similar things
not found in average Spanish cui-
sine. The most elegant place in
town is the Jockey Club, where the
atmosphere and food and prices are
lcounterparts Of Tho stork Club"