You've reached the corner with the Travesía del Arenal, which is the only point of the entire street where cars can cross: even if you have the right of way, watch out!
At number 9 you'll see the entrance to the historic Palacio Gaviria, which was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II in the early fifties with a fairy-tale dance in the "Hall of Mirrors". At the time it was one of the most luxurious palaces in Madrid and belonged to a banker from Seville who was one of the ten richest men in Spain. The festivities took place in the magnificent frescoed halls and were "spied on" by the "uninvited" through the balcony windows overlooking Calle Arenal. Until recently, you could rock out at dances in this artistic setting: in fact, for a time the noble mansion was turned into a disco, which has since been closed. There have been various proposals about what to do with this illustrious palace - it once even hosted a traditional Christmas market - but for the moment, it remains closed to the public.
A few meters further on at number 8 Calle Arenal, there is a smallish house on the first floor, actually a really small house, which is instead really popular with children. This is the Ratón Pérez House-Museum: according to a popular Spanish tale, this character lives inside a box of cookies in the cellar of a bakery, and acts as a sort of tooth fairy at night, taking children's fallen teeth and leaving a gift in return.
Already from the front door you can see the small commercial gallery of times past, which preceded entry into the small house. Just a few meters more and you'll be back in the crowded Puerta del Sol.
FUN FACT: Calle Arenal got its name from the fact that centuries ago a small stream passed through here, surrounded by stretches of sand. In fact, Arenal means sand.
Language: English