Episode 2 – Day 1 – Madrid

Everything’s going pretty much according to plan. I slept about four hours on the plane, arrived on time in Madrid, was at the hotel by noon and they even had a room ready for me.

First thing I did was unpack. I quickly came to the realization that I either brought too much stuff or way too much stuff. I think it’s the latter.

After a shower and change of clothes I headed out to reacquaint myself with Madrid. First thing I did was look to for our favorite places. The violet candy store that the kids and Cary loved is still going strong:

The print and map store called “Mexico” where I have made many purchases through the years as well:

Unfortunately not such good news on the one man storefront potatoe chip factory in the Barrio Letras that we stumbled upon with Emily in the summer of 2010. Cary and I brought Emily to Spain for an SMU summer program in Valladolid. The three of us went to the Batalla de Vinos in Haro and then Barcelona and after leaving Emily in Valladolid, Cary and I returned to San Sebastián to celebrate our 25th Anniversary and dined at Arzak where we had been on our honeymoon.

Anyway in 2010, with Emily, after touring the house of Cervantes and the Museum of Lope de Vega we followed the smell of frying potato chips to a storefront where an older fellow was frying and packaging potatoe chips by hand. They were incredibly fresh, hot and delicious. Emily loved them. Cary and I found the place again in 2014, same guy with same delicious chips. His business was supplying them to many of the tapas bars in the area. After wandering around for a half hour or so where I thought the factory had been located I asked some people in one of the nearby bars and learned the  guy retired 6 months ago and closed his shop.

Sorry Emj! I really wanted to take a picture of me eating those delicious hot chips that you loved so much.

Disappointed but not discouraged I set out for the Museo de Jamon near the Puerta del Sol and ordered a sand mixto that I ate with a knife and fork just like Cary showed me so many years ago. Here’s a picture of Cary, circa late 1980’s, demonstrating the right technique:

Next off to the incredible Prado Museum. I got the Spanish audio guide and it was great to tune my hearing to Castilian Spanish. I was a little nostalgic but not too bad until I entered the gallery where Goya’s Black Paintings are displayed. The first time I saw them was with Cary on our honeymoon. I remembered her telling me then that Goya most certainly had lost his sanity when he painted these dark disturbing paintings on the walls of his house.

Weirdly I not only remembered what she said but was almost certain I heard her voice talking in the quiet almost conspiratorial whisper that she used at the time. Not the voice she had later in life but the voice of my young bride. Of course, it brought tears to my eyes and I sat down for a while on a bench in the gallery and cried thinking of how much I miss her.

After that I was teary in almost every gallery until I entered a gallery of paintings of Velazquez and saw the painting La Fragua de Vulcano. I smiled broadly remembering how much Hannah loved the tapa bar with the same name that we went to for Paella in 2009 when we were here with all the kids. I thought of the joyous expression on Hannahs face when the waiter placed a tapa of Paella rich with tiny clams and saffron rice in front of her.

After the Prado I walked the beautiful and spacious Buen Retiro park:

then to the Puerta de Alcalá, the Cibeles statue, then Banco de España, the length of the Gran Via, down to the Teatro Real and the Mercado San Miguel and arrived back at the hotel at about 7:00 this evening. I logged a little over 11 miles. I was tired but determined to stay up til at least 10:00 so I showered and went out tapa hoping. My first stop of course was Fragua de Vulcano:

And yes Hannah it was as delicious as you remember. I had several canas and some tasty tapas and headed back to ME Madrid about 10:30. The view of the hotel from the Plaza Santa Anna is lovely:

And look what was waiting for me in the room when I returned:

The old Hotel Reina Vitoria didn’t offer such amenities. This place is fancy today but I liked the old Reina Vitoria just as well. And yes Hannah the macaroons are delicious.

So all in all a very good start. It’s now after midnight so hopefully I’ll sleep through the night and be wake well adjusted to the new time zone. Tomorrow it’s some combination of the Thyssen, Cason del Prado, Museo de Lazaro Gaudiano, Centro de Arte Reina Sofia and/or the Palacio Real and a lot of walking maybe I’ll log 15 miles tomorrow.

Oh and BTW to Will the stores are full of Barca and Real Madrid soccer jerseys etc.

I guess that’s it for Blog Post no. 2.

Hasta Mañana y’all!