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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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The beautiful rice of Valencia
I have been daydreaming about rice. Not any rice. The rice of Valencia: Arroces. Each grain infused with a most flavourful broth. It’s texture deliciously chewy. Every chance I had to choose a rice dish on a menu del día in Valencia, I did. Still, this did not satiate my appetite. It only made me want to eat more rice. Rice is a huge part of Valencian culture. The tradition starts in the rice fields on the outskirts of the city. I took a short bus ride, 10 km south of the city, to visit the Albufera Natural Park. The large park is home to wetlands, bird sanctuaries, beaches, sand…
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La Lonja and other sights in Valencia
I don’t write about politics. This blog is a happy place. Little did I know I would get a lesson on politics when I visited La Lonja de la Seda in the old quarter of Valencia. A lesson in the sense of a caution more than a teaching. I didn’t know what to expect when I stepped in the building my tour guide Valentin described as the “stock exchange of the silk trade”. That didn’t exactly stir my heart but he suggested the gothic landmark was worth a visit. In I went. La Lonja was striking, in a stark and medieval way. The high vaulted stone ceiling and the delicate…
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Las murallas de Mascarell
There are many towns and villages that make an easy day trip from Valencia. One that peaked my interest was Mascarell. A town entirely enclosed by walls (or murallas) and surrounded by: A moat. Well not exactly. There is no longer a moat. The moat was repurposed as irrigation ditches. So now this unique walled town is surrounded by: Orange groves. Even better. Mascarell is one of two completely walled towns in Spain. I am guessing it’s the only one completely surrounded by walls AND orange groves. To get to Mascarell, I travelled to Nules, which is about 45 minutes north by commuter train from Valencia. Mascarell is a hamlet…
