The Best Things to Bring Home from Your Visit in Madrid
- Leather: Leather has long been one of Spain's highest valued products, and best buys range from stylish belts and handbags to handmade shoes and fine jackets. Check out such top shops as Loewe in the Gran Vía and Farrutx in Calle de Claudio Coello. Or rummage through Sunday's Rastro flea market for a secondhand bargain.
- Ceramics: Though this is not a Madrid specialty, you'll find a wide selection of ceramic vases, dishes, and jugs, from nearby towns such as Toledo and Talavera de la Reina, some of whose wares have the style and finesse of fine art. There's also plenty of choice from areas farther afield, such as Seville, Granada, and Manises in Valencia province. Visit the Antigua Casa Talavera for some of the best.
- Porcelain: Most popular and widely available ornaments in this field are made by the Valencian company Lladró, similar in style to the Italian Capodimonte; and, though considered rather twee by some, they are extremely popular with the majority of visitors.
- Capes: If your taste runs to the slightly eccentric, now's your chance to buy a genuine Spanish cape (or capa) and surprise your friends as you arrive at the theater in style! The place to find them is Capas Seseña.