Day 20 Madrid

Madrid is awesome.

After setting our luggage down at the hotel, we got breakfast, showered, slept and finally left the hotel at about 4 p.m. We took a couple streets down to Plaza Puerta del Sol and had our first taste of tapas at Museo del Jamon. We ordered chiquitas con chorizo, a sort of salami on bread snack. Tapas seem to be the thing to do here; people get a tapas or two, usually about 1 euro each, and a glass of wine or a beer. We continued walking down to Plaza Santa Ana where we had albondigas (meatballs), tortilla española (potato omelette), and Sangria. We enjoyed the setting sun and explored side streets while searching for another tapas restaurant that looked good. We settled on a wine bar and ate three pieces of toast, each with something a little different. Salmon with pesto; anchovies with chives and cream cheese; and goat cheese on caramelized onions. Leslie was feeling full but I was just getting started, so we continued toward Plaza de Jesus. We passed a few eateries before being lured into Los Gatos cervecerias. I ordered baby eel on warm cheese and toast, snacked on black olive, anchovy and pickle and drank a beer while Leslie watched in horror. Mmm, mmm. Good. We paid and tried to leave but the owner insisted we stay, have a few free drinks and try a few more tapas, including manchego cheese, chopped chorizo and boudin (blood sausage) on toast, and anchovies and house-made potato chips.

- John-Laurent

After our tapas extravaganza, we headed back to the hotel by way of the Plaza Cánovas del Castillo, near the Museo del Prado. We passed by this building that was far too beautiful to be the Palacio de Comunicaciones. Tonight, we enjoyed an authentic Spanish cuisine at La Paella de la Reina at the recommendation of our hotel concierge. We dined on clam and lobster paella with sangria. It was muy delicioso! Later, we enjoyed a drink at the hotel bar.