-
Literary figures in barrio Las Letras
Let’s take a tour through Madrid’s literary district, Las Letras. The area was home to several famous Spanish writers in the 16th and 17th century and today celebrates the country’s rich literary history. On my first trip to Madrid I sipped my very first vermut the bustling Plaza Santa Ana where we will begin our tour at the monument of Frederico Garcia Lorca. He was a well-known poet and playwright in the 1920s and 1930s in Spain and part of a movement exploring avant-guard forms of art and poetry. He was assassinated at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 at the age of 38. The monument is…
-
Historic taverns in Madrid
On my recent visit to Madrid I was on the lookout for painted red doors and bronze plaques. These are markers of a historic Madrid tavern. Stepping into one of these classics is like stepping back in time. Back to another century. Businesses over 100 years old, centenarios, are celebrated in Madrid with a decorative bronze plate on the ground at the entrance. It’s not only restaurants and taverns, there are also historic hotels, pharmacies, and shops selling shoes, capes and hats. There are around 150 of these centenarios in Madrid. This could have turn into a prolonged treasure hunt, but I was mostly interested in the eating establishments. I…
-
Madrid is always buen rollo
I bought a T-shirt in a Madrid store called dear tee. The collection of shirts had fun prints, all designed in Madrid, made in Portugal. The white shirt I settled on is emblazoned with Madrid is always buen rollo. I didn’t know exactly what buen rollo meant when I chose it. It sounded positive. The salesperson explained the best translation was “good vibes”. It fits. The T-shirt, yes. The expression, absolutely. In the short time I have spent in Madrid, I got that feeling. Good vibes. Is it always good vibes? Well, close enough. Printed words on a T-shirt are allowed to exaggerate for impact. Madrid is a big city.…
-
Menú del Día, it’s a wonderful thing
I do love the tradition of vermut in Madrid. A close second (if I had to rank them) is the tradition of the menú del día. A weekday lunch. It’s not like any lunch I ever had during my working days, but in Spain, having a three course meal in the middle of your work day is not unusual. It’s a tradition. This hearty ritual serves up a starter, main, dessert, bread, and a drink. All for one fixed price. Only Monday to Friday. The service is quick. The options are plenty. And the good places get really, really busy. So when I first stepped into Restaurante El Bierzo (in…
-
Look behind
I went for a walk after dinner last week. The air was wonderfully warm. Tranquil. The crickets chirped. So lovely was the evening I was actually telling myself to be present and savour it. I wanted to imprint the end of summer feeling in my memory bank so that I could recall it on a cold wintery day. (As you can see, it does not come naturally for me to be present so I need to remind myself!) In front of me fairy lights twinkled in the distance. I stopped and admired the pretty view. I was about to take another step forward. Instead, I paused. I turned and looked…
-
Uncovering messages
Not being ok is also ok No estar bien tambien está bien I had a hunch these signs conveyed positive messages when I spotted them in Spain. I did not understand every word. I got the gist. I took photos so I could translate them later. Inspirational, encouraging and reassuring quotes can be found most everywhere I suppose: coffee shops, waiting rooms, painted rocks, wall art. The extra step of studying the Spanish words to uncover their meaning makes these all the more special. Whether you read them in Spanish or English, the messages are clear. And ones I want to remember. Life is not waiting for the storm to pass,…
-
Firecrackers and Flowers
“El jueves es el noche de San Juan,” my Spanish teacher informed me a few weeks ago. She explained that she would be going to the beach Thursday evening for bonfires and a dip in the sea to cleanse her soul. Every year Spaniards flock to the beaches to celebrate the festival of San Juan on the night of June 23rd. I love learning about holidays and festivals in Spain. I am in awe of how many there are. During my trip in October I came across two statutory holidays (Spain’s National Day and All Saints Day), a “mini-Semana Santa” in Málaga, and an autumn festival in a small mountain…
-
Summer snow
It’s snowing in my backyard. The white fluffy petals tickle my nose. It smells nice. Nothing like those pesky squirrels. I don’t like how they smell…or how they look at me from their perch on top of the fence. It’s my turf. It’s Caramel territory. About this snow. I was a bit startled. Not bad startled like when a raccoon walks along the fence. More curiously startled like when small birds rustle in the bushes. I needed to sniff around. Investigate quietly. Sniff, Sniff. No barking or growling. It turns out the “snowflakes” are blossoms. Tiny white blossoms falling from the big tree. Phew. I am not ready for winter.…
