I'm Clare, an ex-museum curator and specialist English teacher who loves exploring the lesser-known areas of Madrid.

After studying medieval history and archaeology, I was a museum curator in Sheffield, England, for over 20 years. Working with their internationally renowned metalwork collection (and lots of other objects too!), my specialism was the cutlery industry that made the city world-famous.
Over the course of my career, I've researched everything from Fijian barkcloth to pewter teapots, given talks on Chinese ivories and surgical instruments, and organised exhibitions on stainless steel and Japanese enamels.
You name it, I've probably researched it!

I moved to Spain in 2018 to start a new life, but of course, I couldn't just leave my love of history behind.
Living in the southern Madrid neighbourhood of Usera, I almost discovered the Manzanares River by accident. For the first few weeks, I wasn’t even aware that the city had a river, as none of the tourist literature or any walking tours really mentioned it.

So I decided that, as I couldn't take a river tour, I'd use my research skills and write one myself. After hours of walking up and down the river, multiple visits to my excellent local library and extensive research at several of the city’s museums, I've pieced together a fascinating timeline of this hidden gem. The Manzanares has been shaped by centuries of constant evolution, grand ambitions and a practical use that even surprises people who have lived here for years.

Now I'm an English teacher for people in the heritage sector, and I continue to share my knowledge of the museum world with students from dozens of countries. I also love to investigate Spanish history and to share fascinating facts and exciting stories on my tours of the city. When I'm not delving into the past, I love walking in the Sierra Mountains, doing dance classes, and playing board games (of course, I like the history-based ones the most!).