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…

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.…

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…

I am sitting on a high speed train from Málaga to Madrid. Leaving the coast the train tunnels through the mountains and into the expansive countryside: white houses scattered on the hillsides, olive trees as far as I can see, stone walls crisscrossing the landscape. In Málaga I visited the delightful Muséo Carmen Thyssen. The collection focuses on 19th Spanish art and Andalusia in particular. It was a nice way to see traditions I learned about (like the Sevilla April fair) and the places I visited (like Cadiz) during my trip, as depicted in the 19th century. As I stood in front of a large painting by a Spanish naturalist…

My evenings are reserved for vermut, my days for walking and exploring the streets of Madrid. I discover the neighborhoods (barrios) of Madrid are as varied as the vermut.  I love the elegant streets of Las Letras (or the literary quarter) which is where some of Spain’s literary greats lived, such as Miguel de Cervantes and Lope de la Vega. There are quotes from these masters embedded in the streets. Meaningful and poetic no doubt. It’s a test for my high school Spanish. I do not pass! But I still enjoy stopping to read the words. Luckily my Spanish is good enough to ask for a table (una mesa) on…

I am sitting outside on a terrace as the sky turns deep blue. The sky darkens and the ornate sconces turn on, adding a soft glow to the weathered plaza. The air is warm. Church bells ring. A man walks his dog across the cobblestones. It’s quiet but for the animated chatter at the tables around me. At the table next to me sits a family with three little girls. Their three scooters, nestled together, are leaning on the table. It’s getting late. Except this is Madrid. The night is young. This scene seems to repeat every night. People of all ages come together for drinks, a tapa, a meal.…