Cruising Madrid
Have you ever heard the Pope talk about cruising? No? Well, it makes sense. This English word covers a wide concept that is nowadays part of the gay community. Nevertheless, this word of “cruising” still has a negative connotation and sounds like something wrong and forbidden. But really, it is a very common practice and quite understandable within the gay community and it deserves to be more respected by heterosexual people. If you have no clue what I am talking about, come to Madrid, the star city of cruising!
First of all, let’s focus on the actual definition of cruising. Sadly, the Real Academia Española has not yet included the word in its dictionary of the Spanish language; therefore, we’ll try and base ourselves on the definition given in the most consulted Encyclopedia of the World Wide Web. According to that, Cruising is an English word used in the gay community to talk about finding a partner for sporadic sexual intercourse in a public place, generally remaining anonymous and without ties. Cruising is generally organized in parks, beaches, and other open fields close to urban areas, such as public baths and highway rest areas. Alright, so we now have a better idea of what cruising is about but why should you go to Madrid if you’re interested?
The Spanish capital, one of the most important and fascinating cities in Europe, has become an international gay meeting point. Apart from the many bars, clubs, and fashion spots, Madrid is known to offer the gay community great places for cruising. Of course, there are the romantic parks and gorgeous gardens that invite you to make love. You should definitely check out the beautiful Parque Del Retiro, the Parque del Oeste or the mysterious Parque del Campo de las Naciones. At night, go to the Parque Casa de Campo where the top of the hill becomes a meeting point for those looking for something special. If you’d rather find yourself in a comfortable place, go to the Plaza de toros de la venta which is surrounded with cruising cars ready to take you any place you want.
But if you think that cruising in Madrid is just a night thing, you’re wrong. In famous malls like El Corte Inglés or FNAC or in the Estación de Atocha you may complete your shopping with a moment of pleasure in the bathroom not to mention the nice spots along the Manzanares River. The only thing to do is to let your imagination guide you.
Cruising is not some new practice that emerged in the last few years because of the crisis or globalization; this has been going on for a long time, in fact, some evidences of cruising have been found as early as in ancient Rome! In historical testimonies, the public baths are described as the place to go to find a lover. The poet Décimo Junio Juvenal tells that men looking for a sexual partner would scratch their head with one finger to express their need to the others. Obviously, the word cruising wasn’t used then. The word came up in the 70’s in the US as a reference to the Booze ´n´ Cruise, a gay bar on Road 66. At first, the word was used to communicate discretely among gay people without them being identified as homosexuals. Today, a lot of songs and movies include the word in their titles like for instance the film Cruising which starred Al Pacino.
For the heterosexual world, cruising might seem scandalous, but before criticizing it, you should know that the same practice exists for straight people under the name of dogging… we’re all the same in the end. If you’re in for a special vacation, go to Madrid and just enjoy! For a cheap and comfortable stay, rent apartments in Madrid – you won’t regret it!
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