The plaza was so alive with people, many sitting at cafes enjoying the evening. Madrid is so wonderful, not even the sun wants to leave it, refusing to set until 10:30 each evening.
My favorite place we went was the mercado, the marketplace.
People walk through the mercado, picking up whatever looks appealing to eat. Wine, cocktails, and beer are also available. Olives, cheeses, oysters, empanadas, tortillas, sweet treats, and a variety of other foods lay in glass cases, each look more delicious than the previous. The people pick up what they want and stand eating and socializing. If I lived in Madrid, I would come here often.
After having a beer and empanadas at el mercado, we continued our tour of the historic area. We saw the palace, the churches, the statues; even the lanterns put in the city by Queen Isabella.
Before heading home, Carmina took us for her favorite treat, a small beer and calamari sandwich.
After two nights in the city that doesn't sleep, I was very relieved to find Carmina had turned back the beds and opened her lovely home to us. I got a great night sleep!
We woke up rested and ate fruit for breakfast. The cherries are in season and so delicious. We met the rest of Mercedes' family at a local cafe for coffee. I have done well to interpret what people are saying and working hard to communicate; it helps being immersed in the city and with her family. We did some shopping and had drinks and tapas with her family in the afternoon. Tapas in Spain are very different than tapas in America. True tapas come with cocktails, free.
Now, we sleep, for tomorrow, we head to a town in the spanish countryside to visit a friend of Mercedes' parents. Goodbye Madrid, I will be back.
No comments:
Post a Comment