Hi Flame,
Enoying your latest installment. Glad you loved Casa Patas!

(and I'll check the current state of dress of the Cornucopia staff in June!-owner is an American, BTW!)

Eagerly awaiting your next installment!

HarryS,
The only other Madrid hotels that offer the free mini bar (juices, sodas, beer, water) are those of the AC chain. They started the "free mini bar" idea and offer it in all their hotels in Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Glad you enjoyed Casa Patas. I liked it so much on my first visit to Madrid that I brought my husband there on the second visit.

My reaction to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum was a little different from yours. I actually loved this museum, and the fact that it had less well known works by well known artists as well as major works by less known artists was very appealing and refreshing. I thought the art was well selected and wonderfully displayed.

Maribel - glad you are enjoying. Would love to hear your assessment of Cornucopia in June and to find out whether my comments were taken to heart.

HarryS - after sending my reply to you, I remembered that actually several years ago when I was in Barcelona we stayed at a hotel Intercontinental Palacete where they had a 24 hour free buffet downstairs near the lobby. Since I was then traveling with 2 always-starving teenage boys, it was a godsend.

Nikki - I can surely appreciate your take on the Thyssen museum. Thank you.

We actually liked the Thyssen more than the Prado (which I think is in dire need of remodeling)! It's a well-known fact that we are NOT art aficionados, but we loved the chronological format and general manner of display.

Actually I believe that of the "big three" I liked the Reina Sofia best. The art itself was great, needless to say Picasso's Guernica was breathtaking (we had first seen it at MOMA in Manhattan before Picasso "allowed" it to be shown in Spain so it was quite moving to now see it there!!), I liked the way the museum was laid out.

I also was moved by the Guernica, having grown up with it in New York. But the rest of the Reina Sofia left me cold. Could be I was just tired. Interesting.

Glad you made it to the Cafe Central. I kept walking past it and it looked like fun. I wanted to go there but the hours they have live music always conflicted with dinner (since dinner in Madrid seems to begin around 10PM), and dinner won. I went with my friend after dinner the first time, and found that the live music was over by then. If I ever go back...

Nikki - we loved the Cafe Central so much we actually went a second night as well. More on that later!!

Day Four - SEGOVIA

We set the alarm for 6:20 today because we wanted to make the 8:30 fast train to Segovia, for which one of the hotel clerks had found and printed the schedule for me 2 days earlier. When I went down to them before leaving just to make sure I understood where the station was, when the train left, etc. etc. it turned out that because it is Saturday the 8:30 train does NOT run and the first one is only at 10:30. Boy was I upset. But then the clerk said we could take the bus that runs every half an hour. Yes it is about 1:15 to 1:30 hours instead of just 30 minute for the train but my husband did not mind and he said "why not see some scenery also along the way"?

So we got a taxi and it was 4.60 Euros to the bus station, not bad. We got there and had a bit of a time trying to figure out exactly where and how to buy tickets, the ticket station was not yet open, people were talking to us in rapido Spanish, etc. It was certainly the experience. But we managed to buy tickets (13.50 for both of us one way) and the bus left promptly at 8:30. It was very comfortable, and it took 1:15 because there was no traffic. Nothing really nice in terms of scenery, but just an experience to see the Madrid industrial area and then some countryside and in the distance snow-capped mountains.

When we got to Segovia, even though it was 10 AM and felt like midday to us early risers, most of the place seemed fast asleep. We had a coffee and something called fritas which I have NO idea what they were, very weird. My husband enjoyed half of the second sandwich that I prepared this morning, I saved mine and had it later.

And we got some information from a very nice woman at the station who gave us a map, walked out with us to show us exactly where to start the walk (seems to be a pattern – Spaniards are very very accommodating, caring, willing and wating to go the extra mile for us – really nice). So off we went down a pedestrian street which took us straight to the old 1st century Roman aqueduct which was amazingly built at the time with NO cement or anything to hold together the stones. And it is standing very well thank you to this day!!

Right by the aqueduct was a major tourist office and finally people who spoke English well so we got all the other info we needed. The weather was still a bit nippy but soon after got warmer and it was just perfect, as it HAS been the whole time so far. Knock wood.

We got to Plaza Mayor, yes it seems there must be a Plaza Mayor in every small Spanish city. And right off that was the large cathedral which was truly impressive. We went in and sat for a while and then took lots of pictures and walked around the entire large church and gardens.

From there we walked to the Alcazar which was interesting, if not as beautiful inside or out, as I had read and thought. But we spent some time there and again I took lots of pictures. By then it was after noon and we decided to walk back down another way so that we actually made a circle around the historic center and the most important sights to see. We walked through the area Juderia which used to be the old Jewish center, it is under renovation so lots of construction there now.

We looked at some restaurant menus along the way but they were all terribly expensive and when we got back to one of the main plazas, I saw a restaurant that I had read about but here it was also very expensive (between 25 and 37 Euros per person for the menu del dia) and so we decided we were not that hungry. On the way we stopped at a bakery and picked up some supposedly typical Segovian cookies, packed nicely as a gift and bought two of those to bring home.

I wanted to sit at one of the local pubs/restaurants since it was nice and sunny now but either there was no room or they did not have what I wanted so we were going to just take the bus back but towards the end of the pedestrian street we found a place that advertised a meat, fries, eggs, drink, desert and bread for 10 Euros. I did not have high hopes and the meal was just OK and that was all.

At 3:30 we took the bus back to Madrid, arriving at 4:45 and by 5 PM we were back at the hotel via taxi again (great invention!!) and went for a nap before the evening plans.

In the evening we went out and walked back towards the Calle Jeronimo where we saw the theater playing Spanish pop musical. We thought to order tickets for Monday night but they do not have anything. It seems that EVERYTHING is closed on Monday and so I really do not know WHAT we shall do on that day. We will have to figure something out.

Anyway, we walked around some more in the center and it seemed like all Madrilenos and their Moms were out, it was SOOO crowded. Well Saturday night and all I guess. We tried looking for another one of Maribel's budget recommended restaurants but did not find it. What we DID find was a Chinese restaurant and we are always in the mood for Chinese. But it turned out to be really really bad, and so bad that I am glad we are not sick from it. My husband says that I exaggerated but it was just BAAAAAD. Anyway on our way home we saw some really strange and colorful people, women of the night, tattooed half naked men, really a funny night.

Hi Flame,
Glad you had a nice time in Segovia even though you didn't get the fast train. At least you did make it. and in less time than you thought.

Do you remember which one of my budget restaurant recos you couldn't find? (I'll add a "how to get there" for it to my guide).

Maybe you had "fritos", which would be big, round croquettes filled with maybe mashed potato and a bit of ham or red pepper?

Maribel - the budget restaurant I was looking for was only "hard to find" because I did not have the paper with me and was going by memory, which usually is not bad, but this time failed me. It had NOTHING to do with your directions, they were perfect. It was just me that was not, this time.

As for what we had for breakfast, they were smallish squares which obviously had been fried in maybe bread crumbs and the inside seemed like a hard custard type consistency. They were not great, but they were definitely an experience. I am pretty sure the word was fritas but again, memory....... LOL.

Day 5 - TOLEDO

We set the alarm for early again today because we were out to Toledo. By 8 AM we were downstairs and got a taxi to the train station Atocha. From there, we took the 9:20 fast train to Toledo, it actually gets there in LESS than half an hour (about 100 kilometers distance). We did not want to take a chance for finding tickets on the way back since this is a very popular route and many people buy tickets in advance (thanks Maribel!!) so we bought round trip tickets on the way back for 18:30. We figured it should be enough time, also after what we read, etc.

So at 10 AM we were already on the city bus from the train station, taking us up up up to the old city, through some gorgeous portas and monuments. We got to the main square Plaza Zocodover, where there is a tourist office and we went in for maps and information. Since Spaniards seem to wake up late, we are always at our destinations when hardly anyone is around and so we manage to see most of the sights without crowds and pushing, etc. It is wonderful. I guess it also helped to be there just BEFORE the beginning of the high season, Semana Santa, etc.

Unfortunately, for Toledo at least, attractions are open at all different times and days. I knew that the synagogue was only open today from 10:00 – 14:00 so I wanted to make sure to get there first. So we walked all the way across the entire old city to get to the Sinagoga de El Transito which is now called the Sephardic Museum. It holds what was once a synagogue and a beautiful museum with many beautiful religious artifacts.

From there we went to the second synagogue – Sinagoga de Santa Maria La Blanca. There is a plaque outside saying it was once a synagogue, and inside it is really beautiful with Moorish interior and is congregated by nuns.

From there we needed to get to the Santa Cruz Museum before it closed at 14:00 and on the way we stopped at THE famous mazapan (marzipan) store called Santo Tome (my waistline does NOT thank all you wonderful Fodorites for this suggestion - it is truly something special!!!). Toledo is famous for its marzipan and this store is the MOST famous. We bought a slice of cream cake rolled in marzipan and it was pure heaven. I am a great cook and fabulous baker and I don't think I EVER enjoyed such a treat!! We shared it and enjoyed it and it was already about noon and neither of us had had anything to eat till then. We kinda missed breakfast and I just had a coffee back in Madrid waiting for our train to Toledo. So it was a great treat and truly hit the spot (or several spots? which may never come off? LOL).

The Santa Cruz Museum is where they have put most of the El Greco paintings now since the El Greco Museum is closed for renovations. Some of the works were really very good, others were not that great. But they allowed photos without flash so I was also able to capture some of the ones I liked best.

I had read that Victoria Macho housed another of El Greco's very famous works but it was all the way back on the other side of town so before going there, we asked again at the tourist office and they said it was indeed NO longer there. They did say that at Saint Tome church there was a very famous painting from El Greco, as well as in the cathedral. So we shlepped ALLLL the way back to where the first synagogue was and by this time it was getting quite warm, for the first time since we are here.

We did get to it and sat in the church for a while to rest and afterwards admired the picture. It was rather worthwhile to have trudged back for this. At this point it was about 14:00 and we started to get hungry so we started looking for a place to eat. We found several that had their menu del dia but believe it or not most were so full that there were people waiting for tables!! Finally we found one that looked OK and we only waited a few minutes for a table.

Unfortunately the food was again not really that great. I was adventurous and ordered the mixed paella for starter and when it came with all sorts of shrimps and clams my husband made SUCH a startled face and asked me "did you KNOW it would come with all that?" and I said yes I did, but wanted to be adventurous (I might have tried the seafood if it were shelled and without heads - I don't usually eat seafood and I was not THAT adventurous!! LOL) Well I was NOT adventurous in the end, and left all the seafood but ate the decent rice and small amount of meat in it. We both had a small thin steak with fries for main. My husband had a pretty bad chocolate cake with cream for desert and I was so happy they had rice pudding for dessert, but it was such a disaster I could not even TRY and eat it. Oh well.

We then made our way to the cathedral which only OPENED at 14:00 today (yes, crazy but good they give you this info at the tourist office). It was the most expensive entrance of all today (7 Euros a piece) and actually the synagogue and the Santa Cruz museum were free because it was Sunday, nice. Anyway, it was THE MOST magnificent cathedral we have ever seen, I mean even more than in the Vatican !! It is HUGE HUGE and so ornate and beautiful and so well put together. Inside the cathedral is a small museum with many wonderful paintings, again many by El Greco but some also by Tiziano, Goya, Rubens, and others. We could not leave, it was so breathtaking. But after some time, we DID leave and we went back to the main Plaza where we started our day.

We walked into the main Santo Tome mazapan store (different from where we were in the morning) and bought LOTS of yummy stuff, some for us now and others as gifts to bring home. It was 17:10 by then and my husband said, "let's take the bus back down to the train station and maybe we will make the 17:30 train, even though we had tickets for the 18:30 train. So we did, and we DID make the train but they were not sure they could put us on because they said it was quite full. A seemingly in-charge conductor came by, looked at our tickets, took the stubs and told us to go one to track one and get onto the train. So we even managed not to have to wait a full hour at the station. Nice (and there were MANY empty seats on the train, so……).

Anyway, back to the hotel after a short taxi ride from the station around 6:20, showered, rested a bit.

We have NO strength to go much further this evening than what was available on our street. I remembered a salad bar type place close by just across the street but it was Sunday night and lots of place are closed and we did not see it. So we went just to the corner to a place called Topolino which offered an all-you-can eat buffet and for 13.90 Euros each we took it. It was not great at all, as seems to be the pattern (unless we use Maribel's suggestions!!) but it was OK, there was good fresh salad and veggies, there was chicken drumsticks, other things like pastas, pizza, etc. They had some strange deserts, one was a pudding type mousse type thingy which was light green and my husband swore it tasted JUST like dishwashing liquid (Palmolive is green…..) and then there was another one that looked like flan and tasted like…… candles. Other deserts were more edible but nothing worthwhile. It was an experience.

Bookmarking for a leisurely read later. We hope to go one day-this looks great!

Hi Flame - enjoyed your report. Another famous painting at the Thyssen is Hans Holbein's portrait of Henry VIII.
http://www.museothyssen.org/thyssen_...n/ficha713.htm

Thanks yk. Yes indeed we saw that famous painting. It was actually quite funny because I saw that painting and asked my husband if it was THE famous painting or one of many that others had probaby done. He asked who the painter was and when I looked and told him, he was very excited that it WAS THE painting. It is smaller than we thought it would be but very moving.

Yes, it was tiny. I thought the same when I saw it last year in Madrid. It seemed like no one paid much attention to it when I was at Thyssen. I bet the English would LOVE to have that painting at the National Portrait Gallery and I bet it would be very popular in the UK.

Day 6

Last night while trying to figure out what to do today since it is Monday and ALLLLL the museums, and most everything else too, is closed, I read in Maribel's guide that the one museum we had left to see, the Renia Sofia, is closed on TUESDAYS, the day we were going to go, and OPEN on MONDAYS. When I told this to my husband this morning, BOY was he happy we did not miss it, we would have been utterly devastated. Then we saw afterwards on the ticket we had, that indeed this was the case. Wow, whew.

So we picked ourselves up this morning and left around 9 AM and went to VALOR, a chocolateria, near the hotel, a chocolateria that the hotel clerk recommended on our first morning but we were just not into in then. I ordered a hot chocolate, which again is really like pure liquid chocolate bar in a cup, and my husband ordered the special white chocolate which was really presented in an outrageously ornate cup, with more chocolate candies on the surrounding plate, as if we were NOT sure what we had in the cup, etc. It was again, an experience and we loved it. We forewent (is that word?) the churros because REALLY it was too much sugar rush already. My chocolata, by the way was without sugar, they had that on the menu. WAY Cool.

We then inaugurated the Metro here in Madrid. We walked to Puerto del Sol and took the Number 1 train to Atocha station, three stops. The ticket machines inside the metro are very user-friendly and they are in several languages, you just press the language you want, press the number of tickets, it tells you how much money to put it, and presto you get the tickets and your change if appropriate. The metro is clean, efficient, comfortable, not hot and sweaty and we really enjoyed it.

We got off and found the museum right next to the station around the block. It was 7 minutes to 10:00 and so we waited a bit till they opened.

This is a beautiful museum, not the building itself but the paintings. It is full of Picasso and of course Guernica is located here. It is proudly showcased in a large room all by itself, really secured by at least two guards, one on each side and if you come even a bit too close to where they have denoted is not allowed, there are big beeps that go off. We knew to go directly to room 7 for this painting before the crowd got there (thanks Maribel!!) and we spent a good few minutes there. There are no benches anywhere in any of the rooms here, only outside in the corridors so from time to time we sat there and rested. My husband thought they did that on purpose so as not to crowd the rooms too much, since if you can sit in the room you are apt to stay longer and linger. Could be.....

Many more Picassos, some good and others less, as well as Dali, Miro, Gris and others were on display. Most of the masterpieces are on the 2nd floor so that is where we spent about 2 hours. We then went down to the "sculpture garden" and I use the term loosely as they called it, since there were exactly TWO there but nonetheless it was a beautifully landscaped little garden in the middle of the building and we sat there in the beautiful weather and just enjoyed.

We took a look afterwards at the new building which is HUGE and houses the really really contemporary modern art which just is NOT our cup of tea, went into the bookstore for a look and then left the museum around 13:30.

Maribel had a suggestion for a good lunch nearby and we decided to try it. Called La Sede coffee house. They had a menu del dia for 12.50 Euros each and it was really quite good. Again great job Maribel!! My husband started with a greek salad and I had duck meat rolled into a thin pastry and fried along with a helping of tzaziki which was just delicious. My husband's main was duck with lentils and I had mullet fish on a bed of crispy caramelized onions. My husband ended with a nice homemade orange cake and I had a small glass of chopped pears with chocolate on top in a very elegant little glass. White wine for me, beer for my husband and two rolls rounded off the meal. Yum. Yum. Yum. And great service and nice staff as well.

We took the metro back and again it was easy as pie and great, albeit it was more crowded now around 2:45 than it was in the morning. But is is only 3 stops. We parted yet again at the beginning of calle des Preciados where my husband turned left to walk to the end of the block to the hotel and I stopped for more shopping at El Corte Ingles. I mostly bought foodstuffs for another light evening meal and maybe breakfast tomorrow but also some wine and sherry and chocolates, gifts for some, etc. It is getting a bit too warm now weather-wsie for our taste now and we are happy that we don't have lots more time here because we are not dressed for heat!!!

I got back around 3:30 and we went for a short nap. We returned to Café Central in the evening after another great manchega cheese sandwich with rucola and beer from the room. There was a singer this time Tony Zenet (yes, not Bennet!!) and a 5 piece band. It was much louder and smokier than before, actually we were soaked in cigarette smoke smell, so bad we could not stand our clothes. We also got soaked with a glass of white wine (at least it was white??) when a really annoying young woman spilled it on us. Not on purpose of course but it kinda ruined some of the evening for us. My husband's sweater got very wet and I was also quite soaked. Thank goodness my camera, which could also have been hit, was not. I would have literally quartered her. The waitress wanted to give us both a complimentary glass of something but I thanked her and said no thanks it was not her fault, etc.

Somehow we ended up somewhat enjoying the show and it was over after midnight so by the time we got back to the hotel, washed up, got rid of the cigarette stink at least from our bodies if not our clothes, and fell asleep it was way after 1 or 1:30 AM. So we had a late morning the next day!!

Day 7 - Our last full day
As I said we got a late start and only left the hotel around 9:45. We went straight for our breakfast place we had the first day PAN where we had a decent coffee and the tostados with olive oil and tomato puree. We then went to the Les Descalzes Convent which opens at 10:30. We got there just as it was opening but there was already quite a long line. You can only get a tour to see this convent, and they are only open in the morning for about 2.5 hours. We waited at least half an hour till we got just to the ticket office and then saw that we two were the absolute last that closed out the last tour in English today. Whew. Anyway, we bought tickets but then were told to come back at noon. It was only 11:10 and we really had nothing to do since this is an area close to our hotel and we have been there and done so much.

So we decided to go into the department store and aside from using the restroom and walking around a bit looking at stuff, there was nothing. But it was a cold morning and we were glad to be indoors. By that time it was close to noon so we walked the short distance back. The tour was given by a woman who obviously knew her stuff but had memorized it down pat. She gave lots of information about this saint and that martyr and also much of the royal family, past and present. The clostered nuns who live there and the convent itself was quite unusual and unique.

We finished there close to 1 PM and walked down to the metro station, stopping at the ticket office of the dept. store to see whether we could get tickets for tonight for the Spanish POP musical but they had nothing for tonight.

By then it was getting to be lunchtime and my husband had read about a macrobiotic vegetarian place in the same Latina area as we have been frequenting almost every day for one reason or another. So back on the metro to Anton Martin station and the street we needed was right there upon coming up from the metro.

We found the restaurant Bioteka even though it looked like a closed tiny little grocery store. It IS actually a small organic natural store but has a small restaurant in the back. It was 2:30 and very crowded and we waited about 10 minutes only for a table. What we got was more than worth it. A soup, a salad, and then a combination plate of three separate items (my husband chose a stuffed pepper with cheese, some braised veggies and a mound of some grain-like pilaf dish. I had tofu, a whole rice dish and some braised red cabbage). Along with the meal came water and bread. AND we got a lovely desert – carob cake but we could also have chosen others – and a chicory coffee for my husband and peppermint tea for me. All this for 9.90 Euros per person. The best deal yet I think. (Footnote - only after returning to the room did I notice that Maribel also recommends this place. Great one Maribel!!!)

Got back to the hotel after 4:00, and we asked the desk clerk whether there were any operas, ballets, etc. that we might see that night. He diligently checked and saw that all of these events really don't start their season for another few weeks so we were out of luck for that.

After a shower and a rest, we were out again around 8 PM to a Cuban restaurant/jazz club that we had read about. We got there, it was not that far, right off a street from Puerto del Sol and we sat down and it was very cute. We tried to order only a drink but then we would have to sit at the bar and we did not want that. So we ordered a chicken salad and a black bean stew (both very mediocre) and asked when the music began and she said only at 11:30 PM so we just had our meal, talked a bit and walked back to the hotel.

The following morning we had a wake-up call for 6:30 and a taxi arranged for 7:30 AM to take us to the airport.

This marks the end of the official trip report. I hope people are still reading and enjoying it. I shall post more later.

If there are any questions, comments, etc. I will be really happy to read them!!

Licor de Hierbas (Herbs Liquor, literally), a kind of distilled combination of alcohol and a mixture of herbs, supposedly good for your stomach, very popular for an after meal drink. If you drink one too many, your headache next day will be huge...

Flame123,
We are still reading and enjoying your trip report. I leave this Friday for Madrid and have enjoyed what you have shared.

HarryS - I am so pleased that you enjoyed the report. Have a GREAT time in Madrid and please share your trip upon your return. Happy travels!!

Flame thanks for the great report.
What was the name & location of the Cuban place you said it was cute? Food bad?