Muchas gracias, everyone! If only we had a source for chocolate and churros here!

Ana: I do think it should be Don Don, not Mr. Don!

Here is just a tad more that I wrote before I got sick--let me post it here before it disappears; I will be back to finish up soon:



On the morning of Wednesday, our last full day in Madrid, we set out after breakfast along the Paseo del Prado, bound for the Caixa Forum, a social and cultural space designed by the Swiss team of Herzog and de Meuron, creators of the Tate Modern in London, who transformed a late-19th Century power station into a stunning contemporary structure that employs industrial materials including weathered and pierced metal in a dramatic addition to the Museum Mile. We had planned only on viewing t he exterior, with its 24-mter-high garden wall by Patrick Blanc, the genius behind the living wall of the Branly Museum in Paris. But we f ound the photographs of children around the world by Madrid resident Isabel Munoz, organized by UNICEF and displayed in the sheltered outdoor entrance area, to be so compelling that we entered to view the rest of this exhibit. (That exhibit has now ended). Entrance to the Forum is free and the forum is open daily from 10am to 8pm.


http://obrasocial.lacaixa.es/nuestro...fancia_es.html



From the Caixa Forum, we continued to another reconfigured space, the Centro de Reina Sofia, a former hospital with an extension designed by Jean Nouvel that has transformed this into one of the world’s most important repositories of contemporary art. The museum is located just across the street from Atocha Station, and across the plaza from El Brillante, a workingman’s bar celebrated for its rendition of that classic Madrileno snack, the bocadillo de calamari, or fried calamari sandwich, which awaited us after our visit to the museum.



http://www.museoreinasofia.es/index.html

If only we had a source for chocolate and churros here! >>

one of the things I always try to buy to squeeze into the luggage to bring home is a packet or two of chocolate drink mix from italy or spain. it is loads better than what we can here, even the most expensive stuff, and weighs very little. so even if you can't get the churros, you can have the chocolate.

now, if only I had a source of friend calamari sandwich here!

Ann: I am going to follow your advice next time!

Here is a bit more; I hope to pick up the pace as soon as I feel a little better:



We spent about two and a half hours inside the Reina Sofia and I thought that that amount of time gave us a decent glimpse into the riches contained within this treasure trove of contemporary art. Guernica draws the big crowds, but many rooms were all but empty during the time of our visit, although we did see a number of school groups at various spots. We watched a few short films, too, as there are several media rooms interspersed among the galleries. A temporary exhibit of the work of Hans Peter Feldman drew our attention, too. This included one large white room ringed with the actual front pages of newspapers from around the world dated September 12, 2001. Another room held multi-colored pairs of women’s stiletto heels radiating out to form a circle on the floor.


From the museum, we wandered diagonally across the plaza to El Brillante. This is a no frills bar with low prices and a clientele that ranged on that day from children on an organized trip to local businessmen. There are two entrances—one facing the museum and the other facing Atocha Station across the street. Although there is a long and varied menu, the reason to come here is, as I mentioned above, the bocadillo de calamares. Fried calamari sandwich, you think? This may not sound all too tempting but the combination of the crisp, relatively greaseless calamari rings and tentacles and the well-textured roll make this a sandwich that I still long for, weeks later.

The bar also serves chocolate con churros (!!) and would be a good spot for breakfast if you are coming or going from the station at that time. There is seating along the bar and at a narrow counter opposite. I ordered a mini-bocadillo, which made a perfect snack at 4 euro. A glass of mosto brought the total to 5.30 euro.

Here are a few photos:



http://11870.com/pro/el-brillante/media

A few doors north of El Brillante is a branch of the chain Cerveceria 100 Montaditos, which sells 100 varieties of tiny bocadillos for 1 euro apiece. This might be a good spot to keep in mind if you are on a limited budget but the glimpse we got did not draw me inside:

http://www.100montaditos.com/conocenos/productos.cfm






After the calamari stop, we walked back to the hotel for a short break and set out once again, bound for Salamanca where we ambled along the streets, admiring the architecture for another two hours or so. We passed two upscale hotels--the Wellington and the Adler--and my guess is that either of these would make an excellent base if one wanted to stay in this neighborhood.

The National Archeology Museum, hung with a banner proclaiming a current exhibit: Tesoro! (“treasure”), drew us with the offer of free admission. We entered, but only a few minutes later, turned to one another and with one look, decided that we were just too tired to proceed. This museum is undergoing renovation and should be a jewel when work is complete. Right now, however, it is not well lit and we just could not muster the enthusiasm for a tour.

http://man.mcu.es/exposiciones/expos...ermanente.html





It was about 6pm by the time we finally made it back to the hotel, so we had a rest of about two hours before our planned night of tapeando in La Latina.

I'm lucky. I can visit all those places again just tomorrow

Yes, you are very lucky! Very, very lucky to be living in such a beautiful, animated city! With such fabulous food!

we too ate at El Brillante after visiting the Reina Sofia. and I think their tortilla espanola was the best I had the entire trip. yum, yum, yum.....and, oh yay! we're planning on tapeando in La Latina as well looking forward to reading more. hope you're back to normal soon, it's no fun being sick.

Scrunchy you are pretty lucky to live in NYC ....that is no Hooterville. (As in Pettycoat Junction)
Don Don (DD) & I are going in Feb to see Flamenco HOY!

Just a tip for tortilla española after the Reina Sofía; head to a humble small bar called 'la Rosa' at Ronda de Atocha 30.

t

Before I conclude the Madrid chapter, I want to mention the fantastic resource that Maribel has provided with her Madrid Dining guide. After spending four days in the city I left with a feeling that I could not even scratch the thinnest surface layer of the riches that Madrid offers, and I have a new appreciation for the enormous effort that she must have poured into this comprehensive overview:

http://maribelsguides.com/mg_madriddining.pdf


After all the anticipation that led up to our evening of tapeando, I am embarrassed to reveal that our crawl turned out to be quite an abbreviated one!







Rather than make dinner reservations for our lat night in Madrid, I decided that we would devote that evening to a tapas crawl through the celebrated La Latina area, one of the city’s lushest eating neighborhoods.


We knew ahead of time that we would not be viewing the scene at its most frenetic; things do not really get going until at least 9:30 or 10pm at the very earliest, we were told. But that was okay with us—I was a bit intimidated by the thought of fighting the crowds to place my order. And then: how to maneuver the plates of food and utensils while standing in a dense crowd?

Well, I needn’t have worried even one iota. We set out from the hotel just before 8pm along the now familiar route to the Plaza Mayor, where we descended the staircase leading from the southwest corner of the Plaza to Calle Cuchilleros. Along Cuchilleros just south of the plaza, there are some tapas places but we had been advised to continue further south, past the super-touristy Restaurant Sobrino de Botin at #17, to where Cuchilleros turns into Cava Baja, the heart of tapas territory.


A side note: Botin, reputed to be the oldest restaurant in the world, dating from 1725, was the site of my very first restaurant meal in Europe. My girlfriend and I stopped one night in Madrid en route to our summer study program in Valencia. We had been told by someone, now long forgotten, that we should head for Botin. I don’t remember the meal, but I do remember, as the fading photos in my album—depicting two sheltered schoolgirls surrounded by handsome Spanish men-- attest, that we ate (and drank wine!) well into the night, and that no bill ever materialized.

A parade of restaurants and bars lines both sides of Cava Baja, and we quickly spotted all of the names that had become so familiar to me through my pre-trip research. I had my doubts as to how long this expedition would be allowed to continue, so we decided to begin with Casa Lucas, at #30, which was at the top of my list. This neat, tiny and tidy “gastro bar” was all but empty when we entered shortly after 8pm. There are a few tables at the rear, but we opted for two seats at the bar where we could have a good view of the blackboard menu.


http://www.casalucas.es/


The friendly barman presented us with a (free) a plate of sliced chorizo on toast while we contemplated the offerings. I ordered a Martin Codax Albarino and my partner, a mosto. Next, we sampled a half ration of Croquetas de Jamon Serrano (6 euro). These were very good, but did not reach the heights of those at Arzabal, which were made with jamon Iberico.

The highlight of our visit to Casa Lucas, and of the entire evening, was the next dish: A half-ration of Foie de Pato (Mi Cuit) al Oporto, con Frutas Caramelizadas (10 euro) or duck foie with carmelized apples and raisins. I would not be suffering if I had to eat this dish every day of my life, as it is right up there in the ranks of the best foie dishes I’ve ever tasted. We debated whether or not to order more but, as my partner pointed out, we were supposed to be on a tapas crawl. When we left the restaurant just after 9pm, the crowds had already begun to descend.

We continued walking south, to Calle Humilladero, where the traditional Galician seafood bar, Xentes, awaited behind a hunter green façade at #13. Here, a tv was blaring and a group of local workingmen chatted over beers at the long bar. Like at other Galician bars of this type that can be found all over Spain, Xentes specializes in seafood. I continued with another type of Albarino, while my partner switched to a cana, or small draft beer. The free tapa here was a mound of ensalada Russa, cubes of potatoes and carrots bound with mayonnaise. Leaving this to my enthusiastic partner, I ordered a plate of razor clams, or navajas (10.50 euro). These were excellent, but they lacked the slight char from the grill that had elevated those at Taberna Laredo to transcendent heights. The total bill here was 14.90 euro.

Txirimiri, across the street and a bit to the north at Humidallero, #6, was destined to be the next stop. Maribel had warned in her marvelous guide that “you’ll usually find it packed to the rafters,” and packed to the rafters it was on that evening around 9pm. As much as I wanted to sample the vaunted Basque-style fare in this much-lauded bar, we just could not bring ourselves to fight the crowds inside, so Txirimiri remains at the top of the list for the next visit to Madrid.

What we wanted more than anything else at that shamefully early hour of the night were some sweets. And so, en route back to the hotel, through streets that were teeming with shoppers, bar hoppers, and theatre goers, we made a stop at the venerable Madrid institution, Lhardy, which has occupied elegantly burnished premises behind the wood-paneled facade at Carerra de San Jeronimo, #8 since 1839. The shop was just about to close, but we were able to scoop up an assortment of sugary confections, including yemas, or yolks, and mazapan, to take back to the hotel.

http://www.lhardy.com/


We finished the final packing that night, in anticipation of our morning train journey to Granada.

eks, have you found some resemblances between Madrid and New York?

Statue of Liberty
http://rarurl.com/Ate
http://rarurl.com/8AiuLI

Cybele
http://rarurl.com/IABOE
http://rarurl.com/CSvUA

Columbus
http://rarurl.com/HNN8
http://rarurl.com/DIg7ab

Egyptian temple
http://rarurl.com/T8hr
http://rarurl.com/9hOelw

Boating pond
http://rarurl.com/8lqnBG
http://rarurl.com/n5qoS

Hot dogs
http://rarurl.com/o23izy
http://rarurl.com/wpL8HZ

Lively avenue
http://rarurl.com/n8SQEy
http://rarurl.com/v97D1

Video
http://rarurl.com/VYf

Welcome back! Sounds like a fabulous trip - looking forward to more! And I'm going to sprinkle some pimenton in my olive oil tonight. Great idea.

Incredible! But you know very well that Madrid is much more beautiful than New York!!!



So here is a bit more, moving on (sadly) from Madrid to Granada:


The following morning, Thursday, we had just enough time for a last breakfast at the Ritz before setting off in a taxi (7.10 euro) for the 5 minute ride to Atocha Station. (The walk would have taken about 20 minutes or less, as we knew from walking it the previous day, but we opted for the taxi due to the luggage we were carrying).

I had been a bit leery about the train station, having heard all kinds of comments about pickpockets and shady characters. My advice is to forget all of that: The station is clean, well-laid out and well signed. We took the escalator from street level down to the departure floor, admiring the interior space, with abundant greenery, as we descended.

I had gone through the usual mayhem with the RENFE site when I attempted to purchase the train tickets. After repeated attempts, which included phoning the credit card company and reading every tutorial I could get my hands on, including the excellent one in Maribel’s Guide, I conceded defeat.

Fortunately, the Ritz Hotel proved its worth when they agreed to secure the discounted web fare for me in advance of our arrival in Spain.
We paid about 27 euro each, plus a service charge of several euro, for the second-class Web Fare for the 4.5 hour ride from Madrid to Granada.

The train was spick and span and very comfortable, and the ride was incredibly smooth. In fact we enjoyed the train so much that I was sorry that the ride was so short, as I loved just gazing out the window as the plains of La Mancha flew past and the snow-capped peaks of the Andalucian sierra rose into view. The scenic highlight came toward the end of the journey, but the entire ride was just a delight and it whetted my appetite for future Spanish train journeys. If only I could manage to master the RENFE website!


From the Granada train station, we took another quick taxi ride costing a few euro to our hotel, the AC Palacio Santa Paula, on the Gran Via in downtown Granada.


http://www.ac-hotels.com/125-AC_PALA...NTA_PAULA.html



Here again, I had vacillated back and forth between a hotel in the downtown area, convenient to the better restaurants and tapas bars, or one in the more atmospheric, and hilly, Albaicin neighborhood. (I did not consider staying at the top of the Alhambra hill because I considered that too cut off from the nighttime life of the city). Now that I’ve returned from the city, my opinion is that there is no single “right” place to stay, but our decision worked out very well, although the hotel did not score a spot at the top of my all-time favorite list.

The AC Palacio Santa Paula is a sensitively wrought renovation of a former convent and an adjacent Moorish residence into a 5-star business hotel. I had requested Room #121 in the original section of the hotel, where the rooms encircle the original 16th-Century courtyard cloister of the Santa Paula convent. This room is one of several in the hotel to retain the original elaborate coffered wood ceiling which looked to me to be at least 15-feet high. The king-sized bed in this room is set into a niche sheathed in mottled blue Venetian plaster bounded with arched brick. The room itself was not large, but it did have a small seating area and a contemporary tiled bathroom. The furnishings do not live up to the architecture and are what one might expect from a chain hotel with boutique pretentions. There is a free computer in the lobby and the youthful front desk staff are unfailingly helpful and polite. We found the location to be excellent; there is a bus stop right in front of the hotel and the buses run very frequently. However, Granada is small enough that we were able to walk almost everywhere and we took only a couple of bus rides during the three days of our stay. It IS true, though, that staying in the downtown area of Granada is much like staying in the downtown area of any small city..you will not be immersed in the magic of the city while you are in the hotel or its immediate surroundings.

The first of our bus rides came just after we checked in when, so excited to see the Albaicin-bound bus #31 at the stop outside the hotel, we dashed inside without much thought, and were off on our first sightseeing tour of Granada. The buses are so comfortable, and they run so often, that you could just ride around and around looking out the window! On that afternoon, we headed for the Mirador San Nicolas in the picturesque, whitewashed Albaicin neighborhood. A short climb from the bus stop took us to the San Nicolas plaza, and it was from there that we got our first glimpse of the wonder that is the Alhambra.

After an hour or so of gazing in wonder, we set off for a wander through he cobbled Albaicin lanes, past the north African tea houses and shops, and back to the downtown area. While waiting for the Capilla Real, or Royal Chapel, to open again at 4pm, we had our first encounter with one of the gypsy women who attempt to foist sprigs of rosemary (good luck!!) on unsuspecting visitors. But one shake of the head and a “no!” was all it took for them to turn away and we were not bothered again for the duration of our stay by either these ladies or their compatriots who seem to cluster around the Cathedral and Capilla Real.

The Capilla Real, the burial place of Ferdinand and Isabella, is an essential stop on a Granada tour. I will not go into the details of any of the sights we saw in Granada since they are so well documented in countless guidebooks and by Maribel herself in her Granada guide.

http://www.capillarealgranada.com/index.en.html


There are many shops clustered in the narrow lanes around the Cathedral, but we saw nothing to lure us inside any of them, so we made our way back to the hotel for a short rest before our first Granada tapas excursion.

We set off shortly before 8am, knowing full well that this was very early for tapas, especially in southern Spain, but wanting to get an idea of the location of various bars we had read about. From the hotel, a walk of about 10 minutes took us to the lovely Plaza de Carmen, which lies near the center of the downtown tapas territory. Here we found the Town Hall, or Ayuntamiento, where the Tourist Office offers free computers as well as a plentiful assortment of leaflets and maps.

Just across the plaza, we noticed that one of the names on my tapas list was open and welcoming diners at this early hour, so we made a beeline for the glossy wine-bar/restaurant Puerta del Carmen, which remains open daily without interruption from 1pm to 1am. The space is absolutely gorgeous, and there is ample seating at both the bar and at cozy tables along the large windows. We took two seats at the bar and were immediately offered a plate of jamon iberico to snack on with our wines.


Ham is one of the specialties here and they offer not only various jamones iberico, but also Serrano hams including the revered hams from the nearby village of Trevelez in Granada province, which are reputed to be the sweetest of Spanish mountain hams due to the low amount of salt used in the curing process which is aided by the north wind coming from the Sierra Nevada.

To accompany our wine, I ordered a racion of Alcachofas con Jamon, which was a braise of artichoke hearts tossed with strips of jamon Iberico (12.50 euro). Excellent! Certainly a good place to keep in mind, both for tapas and for a meal, especially if you want to eat before the local dinner hour.


http://www.puertadelcarmenrestaurante.com/



From the Plaza de Carmen it is only a few steps to the beginning of Calle Navas, one of the principal bar streets in Granada. Here, at #28 we found a very different type of tapas scene. If Puerta del Carmen is a beautiful and elegant wine bar with refined takes on local classics, Los Diamantes, which has two outposts on Calle Navas, is a no frills free-for-all fry bar, or what some less kind soul might describe as a zoo!

We elbowed our way from the street, through the tiny sardine-packed room to the bar area and placed our order for one beer and one wine. The free tapa, was a plate with a few slices of fried potato. My partner was devastated to learn that they were out of their famous fried calamari, so he settled for a plate of fried chipirones (1.2 ration, 9 euro) Fried seafood is the specialty here, but I opted for a plate of chopitos a la plancha, grilled baby squid in a delightfully oily and garlicky parsley-flecked sauce ( the origin of all those indifferent “green sauces” turned out by mediocre Spanish restaurants in the US). This dish was a knockout! (1/2 ration, 9 euro)

Here is a photo (not mine):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/encanta...7623037670252/



While we ate, we were enthralled by how just two barmen were able to serve the heaving crowd pressing against the bar and filling the entire room—without seeming the least bit frazzled or appearing to break a sweat. The total here came to 23 euro with one beer, one wine, and the chopitos. Although the din eventually drove us out into the street, I would certainly keep Los Diamantes on the list for a Granada tapas crawl!

Once again, our tolerance was pathetically small and by this time we were ready to head back to the hotel, but before we did, we stopped into Pasteleria Lopez Mesquita at Reyes Catolicios, #39, near the intersection of Reyes Catolicos and Gran Via, reputed to be one of the better bakeries in town. I would have to agree with that statement, based on the tiny and unscientific sampling of several cookies and a good-sized slice of their almond-rich Pastel Gallego that we toted back to our hotel room on that night. This turned out to be but the first of several visits to this address.

I loved the Spanish trains too, ekscrunchy. Clean, fast, on time. I had Santa Paula on my short list for hotels, but ended up staying at an absolutely delightful B & B just off the footslopes of the Alhambra. http://www.alcubilladelcaracol.com/index_en.htm

From there, it was about 10 mins walk down to the centre. And about the same to the Alhambra entrance.

I'm really enjoying your trip report - thanks very much.

There's nothing like an early morning tapas crawl! Enjoying your report.

Glad you are enjoying! I agree that one does not fully get an idea of the grandeur that is Granada from a base in the Centro. I had originally booked the Casa Morisca, but changed hotels when I decided to opt for one closer to the tapas bars.




The next morning we opted to skip the expensive (about 20 euro per person) buffet breakfast at the hotel which is served, by the way, in their handsome main restaurant, El Claustro. Pasteleria Lopez Mesquita, where we had purchased our dessert on the previous evening begins serving breakfast at 9am on weekdays, so we headed south on Gran Via and right on Reyes Catolicos at #39, a walk of about 10 minutes. The bakery section is in the front of the store, facing Calle Reyes Catolicos; towards the rear, a long counter and a couple of tables accommodate diners. (You can also enter at the rear, from the parallel pedestrian street, calle Zacatin). This proved to be the perfect breakfast spot: You can order one of the elaborate pastries in the front showcases to be served to you at the counter, or table, or choose from the simpler offerings lining the counter—bocadillos, croissants, toast, etc. For 5.10 euro, we enjoyed toast made from excellent bread and served with butter and jam, a croissant, and two coffees with milk at the counter.

Our next stop was at the La Caixa Bank, on the Gran Via a few blocks south of the hotel, where we used the automatic ticket machine inside the bank itself to retrieve both our tickets for the Alhambra afternoon session and out tickets for the Conquest of Water Tour, to be held the following day. Be sure to bring the credit card that you used to book the tickets; you will need to use this card in the ticket machine. While I failed to gain results from the machines located outside the bank, the one inside worked like a charm.


Our visit to the Alhambra was not scheduled until that afternoon, so on that morning we had a few hours to wander and wander we did. First we headed for El Corte Ingles on Acera del Darro, one of the main arteries cutting through the Centro. Here we made our way to the basement supermarket, a replica of the one we had visited in Madrid. I bought a package of chorizo made from jamon Iberico (15.90 euro per kilo) not wanting to invest in the actual jamon for fear that it would not make the trip home, along with a bottle of a favorite Andalucian olive oil, Venta de Baron (6.71 euro) http://www.mueloliva.es/en/venta-del-baron.php, and a bottle of Pedro Jimenez vinegar from Paez Morilla (4 euro; 250 ml) http://www.paezmorilla.com/quienesingles.htm, which was a new product for me. And of course, we replenished our stock of Tortas de Aceite, which was dwindling rapidly.

After this quick shopping trip, we wandered through the adjacent Realejo neighborhood, making a note to return here when we had more time, before heading back to the hotel to drop off our purchases. By this time, it was mid-day, so we decided to set out again in the direction of the Alhambra. We were booked for a 3pm entry at the Nasrid Palaces, and we wanted to be at the entrance gate by 2pm, the earliest entry time allowed by our tickets. So we set off from the hotel about 12:30, intending to walk to the Plaza Nueva and then take the red Alhambra-minibus up the Alhambra Hill.

When we reached the Plaza Nueva, however, which is about a 15 minute walk from the hotel, we learned that the minibus’ circular route would take us to the Albaicin first, followed by the Centro and only then would reach the Alhambra. So while we could have reached the Alhambra in about 15 minutes from the hotel, from the Plaza Nueva the ride would take about 30 minutes. Learning this, we decided to set off on foot along the well-marked route which passes guitar workshops and other small shops as it begins the ascent up the hill. After a few blocks, we left the street behind, passed through the Gate of the Pomegranates, and entered the Alameda de la Alhambra, the grove of towering English elms donated by the Duke of Wellington in 1812. It was here that all those references to the “steep path” began to make sense, for the walk is, indeed, quite steep and we passed several entrance gates to the complex itself before reaching the main Entrance Pavillion. Here we rented two audio guides (6 euro each, plus a total deposit of 10 euro), and spent some time in the lovely gift shop while waiting for the afternoon session to begin at 2pm.
I was gratified to see that there were very few tourists waiting along with us at that time of day.



This is a map of the routes to the Alhambra; we followed the one marked in red:

http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/fil..._accesosA4.pdf




http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/ind...5d637b1e38d/0/

Ekscrunchy:Many thanks for your wonderful report.
We have enjoyed inmensely the one about Pedraza,Segovia etc(and in june 2010 we had lunch at José María,invited by friends,going later to Pedraza; a day not to forget).
You liked argentinean "alfajores"?.. wait to taste the uruguayans-Punta Ballena brand is the best).
An finally: Are you sure with your translation for Joy Eslava?for us,spanish speakers a eslavo is someone from estern europe,not a esclavo(a esclavo is a slave).Once again tahanks you for a most excellent report.

Joy Eslava is the former Teatro Eslava, a name dedicated to Hilarión Eslava, one Spanish musician.

Gracias Revulgo,ya sabemos algo más!!!