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| Ferrian Adria's legit veggie burger | Reunited and it feels so good! - Plaza Mayor |
The capital. It's a phrase that was essentially meaningless to me back home. O yes, DC has a unique culture that prides itself on the relatively short history of the US. But, next to LA, it's a smaller city that seems...quaint.
But Madrid is clearly the capital of Spain. It buzzes with movement and history, with a bustling city population of 3 million--making it the 3rd most populous city in the EU after Paris and London.
It was the greeting of a bright pink facade of a building that won me over. Just as we exited the metro by the Way Hostel, I saw the almost tropical color of buildings with the neo-classical style so familiar from Barcelona. Both a comfort and a new vantage point.
Hungry travelers as we always are, Kristin and I got down to business. Food, that is.
FRIED goat cheese with RASPBERRY jam
(CAPS is where my heart beat INCREASES)
The Casa Alhambra had some amazing raciones like the above fried cheese, ensalada with white asparagus, and we even shared some paella! My first in Spain, but not necessarily the most noteworthy...
Next comes the sites. Luia and Jess had trained down from France, and it was absolutely amazing to see them in the bright sunny Plaza Mayor!
One great thing to do is take a 2 hour walking tour with the Tourism Office (only 3 euros), but you learn a lot. Here's our wondrous guide:
One great story: there's this Ferdinand VI character who met his arranged-marriage-wife, Barbara, in Portugal and they initially hated each other--then they fell in love and brought a Renaissance age to Spain by being patrons of arts and culture. When she passed away, he wallowed in the gardens alone for 9 months, and then passed away himself. She, sadly, wasn't allowed to be buried in the royal mausoleum because she never had children (you had to give birth to a king to be buried there), so Barbara was buried in a cathedral now called Santa Barbara. And just before Ferdinand died, he insisted on being buried with her. So now the two are together at the intersection of Carrer Ferdinand & Barbara in the Cathedral Santa Barbara. TEARS
We took a free visit The Prado (from 6-8pm that day), and saw Las Meninas by Velazquez. It was amazing to see the scope of the painting, and how it was actually three panels stitched together to create the portrait of the princess and her servants.
That night we met up with some fellow Spanish-studying BK6ers at a...Mexican restaurant? Haha, they were craving it.
Poor Michael: They have no concept of veggie enchiladas...
Then came our first night out on the town. We met with Luia's sister's exchange friend Alej, who lives in Madrid. Here comes bar-hopping, and that wonderful Madrileño phenomenom of bouncers enticing girls into clubs with free drinks. So it began.
A skeevy bar that kept us with sangria and random bursts of YMCA
~
The next day was RAINY and OVERCAST. But no matter, good food was on the way. Ever heard of Ferran Adria? A spanish chef of godlike magnitude, he owns the infamous El Bulli, a restaurant where 2 million people apply for a reservation in a given year, and only 8,000 are awarded the honor. The experience will set you back 290 euro, but he operates at a loss and the experience is pure gastronomy.
Without said budget or said reservation, I opted for Adria's gourmet fast food concept called Fast Good.
Spinach Pate-style Veggie Burger
AH, this ranks among the best veggie burgers I've ever had. The spinach wasn't mealy at all, and seemed more like a pate that was loosely pan-fried with grains to give it some shape--though the facade of structure fell apart in your mouth as it melted away. YUM.
Then, the tourist bus from hell. No transfer + smelly passengers + stupid audio + 17 euro = epic FAIL
At least we had high spirits!
Then a Palacio Real tour, where the Royal Armory used to be. And guess who we bumped into? A HUGE group from the USC Bilbao program!!!
My high school/college mate, Sarah & I!
Cold and soppy from the rain, we decided to indulge in a little bit of healthy comfort food at the Chocolateria, a 24-HOUR churro restaurant. God. Bless. Spain.
Churros at all hours? Chocolate twice in a day?
After siesta (yes, siesta does a body good), we decided on dinner at a place I had total food anticipation for: El Tigre. And once you get food anticipation, come hell or highwater or elephants, nothing will stop me from my ultimate goal.
Imagine walking into a bar with a sea of heads, a slim bar, and the scent of smoke. Seem enticing? At El Tigre, it's exactly what I expected and wanted. The experience wouldn't be the same if you didn't have to elbow a few people to get to the bar and order. The wonderful gimmick is the order strategy: buy a drink, get plates of tapas for free. Go with friends for a round of drinks, and you've got yourself a full on meal.
Patatas Bravas y Croquettas
Two staples of the tapas culture are patatas bravas y croquettas. Patatas are fried potatoes with this slightly spicy brava salsa, which has some vinegar and ketchup...sometimes served with aoli which leaves you reeking of garlic. The croquettas are fried pillows of cheese. Sometimes blue, always soft, this combo is the perfect drunken munchie food!
You would think after a full night of greasy tapas we'd be full for days. But a wonderful veggie buffet was on the way...
Veggie sushi?!?!
Of course Kristin and I would find the only veggie buffet in town. Seems I ate quite healthy in Madrid...I even got a taste of Spanish "street food" with roasted chestnuts and corn on the cob :)
But the grand finale of my foodie tour of Madrid came with a visit to the world's oldest restaurant. Welcome to El Botin, and an experience that was possibly one of the best foodie pleasure of my life.
They have a line of people waiting patiently at 7:55pm to get their seats at 8pm, which was our reservation. The restaurants is an intimate space with two labyrinthe floors, and a seemingly disconnected cellar that require a walk behind the front counter passing the kitchen. Just going downstairs and seeing the vaulted ceilings inlaid with stones older than my country's Constitution was something to behold.
New Friends, Old Recipes :)
To begin, as usual, sangria. Except Botin-style, with a pitcher that's probably 200 years old.
Garlic Soup with Bread Crust & Egg
Happy Chew with Scrambled Eggs and Green Asparagus
Madrid Cream Puffs
This is a new phenomenom for me...to truly savor a full meal, with wine, starters, bread, main, dessert. It's a typical lifestyle, that's actually big for lunch here in Spain with menu del dias, and I'm learning to sit for hours and enjoy my meals. Food may never look the same.
Tomorrow, I leave for Ireland. Will this veggie starve in a land of meat, game, and fowl? Thank goodness for beer carbs.
Until I find my pot o' gold,
The Chew
Patatas bravas? Awesooome.
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