I've already
talked about
my abnormal interest in this very important meal and
how those morning calories are hard to come by in Madrid. Well, given
that nobody here eats much in the morning, you might as well do as the
Madrileños do - that is, eat only
un poco. But where?...
Read the rest of: "Why Faborit is my Favorite. Reason #1: Breakfast"»
Walking along Paseo del Prado yesterday, I couldn't help but notice all those kiosks and stands filled with books. Bookish types were swarming around them like insects.
So, I browsed a little bit and even though most of the material on display was clearly junk, I had to remind myself more than once about airline weight restrictions - otherwise, I would already have in my possession various 2€ encyclopedias and sub--10€ hard-cover editions of literary classics published in the 70's.
I couldn't figure out the exact dates for this event, but it looks like the stalls will be there for at least a few more weeks.
Don't get me wrong - I love Spanish food. In fact, I adore it.
I can't get enough of all that
cocido,
jamón serrano,
chorizo and
tortilla española, so whenever I am in
Madrid, I basically eat in advance.
Madrid is a city where I can go to a sketchy diner, sit on a bar stool at the counter pretending to be a visiting American, take out a French novel from my pocket... and
still get friendly service along with a hearty, delicious meal - all for less than 10 euros!
But that doesn't help me solve the problem I encounter almost every morning.
My problem is breakfast...
Read the rest of: "VIPS: Breakfast in Madrid"»
To have a coffee in a literary setting that's oozing atmosphere and tradition
in Madrid requires almost no effort.
Just walk to Pasillo de Recoletos,
look for the address plaque that says "21" and open the door to Café Gijón.
Read the rest of: "Café Gijón"»
¡Feliz Año Nuevo desde Madrid! By the way, this is
Madrid's Puerta del Sol on New Year's
eve (right around midnight). Did you know that Spaniards eat grapes
instead of drinking champagne during the countdown?
You're supposed to eat exactly twelve during the
last minute of the year - that works out to be one grape every five
seconds, if my degree in Mathematics was worth anything at all.
If you linger or hesitate then it's bad luck. All
grocery shops around Puerta del Sol sell seedless grapes (is that cheating?), neatly packed by
the dozen.
This is a wonderful sunset view of Los Austrias - my favorite neighborhood in Madrid. Of course,
my camera gets weird in such light, but you get the point. It is beautiful.
If you look closer, youll notice a plexiglass wall separating the sidewalk from the banisters. It is there
for a good reason. Many people, perhaps thoroughly impressed by such views, have
chosen to plunge to their deaths from this very point of the bridge - and by the way, there's a
street below (Calle Segovia). Imagine how annoying it used to be for the drivers when some
suicidal freak would just make a mess right in front of their car.
Madrid 
