Hola Amigos! Today is Sunday, and apparently everyone in Madrid goes out together to celebrate the sun, the family, music, and each other. We awoke to street sounds, and music. Looked out of the balcony and saw thousands of people walking up to the corner of our street. It was El Rastro, the largest flea market in Europe. Takes place every Sunday from 10-2 and it was a sight to see.
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| These guys played the Pacabel over and over. Beautiful! |
I was looking for a ring for a souvenir, so we had a mission, Didn't find one, but tried on many. Then off to another plaza, not quite so crowded but we sat and had a drink, then ordered lunch. We had an order of Calamari to share, with a salad and croquettes. It was beautifully sunny so we sat for a while. Visited with a couple from Kent, England next to us. They came to Madrid for the weekend.
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| looks like onion rings but it is really squid. Yum! |
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| Is that Sangria I see? |
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| Mime |
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| he's like 10 feet in the air |
Walked some more. Wanted you to all see what spring looks like. I know it has been a while.
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| Jerry's new buddy |
Went out for a meal but Jerry wasn't feelin' it so we walked and walked and ended up at our old standby Tragatapas on the corner. It was just what we wanted. And, Jerry got some fried potatoes. Yum. Also I had fresh orange juice that they pressed right there. So it was great! Garlic Shrimp, fried potatoes, ham and egg sandwich things, mussels, 2 beers, 1 mojito, 1 fresh orange juice. $27. Amazing.
We are off in the morning to Valencia, which is on the Mediterranean Sea about 256 miles away. Our train ride will be a little less than 2 hours on the fast train, and we will arrive at 2:18 PM our time. We will meet our landlord at the next apartment in old Valencia City and then scout out the new place. Hope to blog about the train ride and the apartment tomorrow.
Will I miss Madrid? No. It is definitely a town for young people who like to party, and while we do, we are not able to stay up with the Spanish by any stretch. The food is plentiful and interesting, but pretty one note, and while prices are good, we really don't know what we are ordering other than in a general way. The people have been very nice, but this is a very crowded city, and I welcome the quiet when we get back to our apartment. Jerry likes it more than I. I am looking forward to Valencia.
This is the beauty of traveling; you go, you conquer, you may not like, you do not return! :) At least you can say you have been to Madrid. It is all about being able to say that. My cousin lived in Valencia the summer before I left for my first trip to Europe and loved it. I know you will too! Ciao!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the thrill of ordering food in a foreign country. Like you said, you never really know what you are really getting until it arrives. Sometimes it is good, sometimes... Not so much.
ReplyDeleteBarcelona is coming soon. I have three recommendations. In order to see a lot of the Gaudi architecture, take an open air bus tour all around the city. It's a little pricey, but well worth it. Use the subway. It is easy to use and you can get all over the city quite easily. And lastly... There is a pretty cool cable car that will take you from down near the sea up to a hillside that overlooks the city. The view is great. I wish I had better directions as to where it is located, but as I remember, it is quite visible from anywhere down by the port area.