MADRID AND GRANADA--A Magical Winter Week in Spain
Feb 4th, 2011, 02:40 PM
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I was surprised that we were allowed to enter a full 15 minutes before t he appointed 2pm time. I was also surprised, and gratified, to see how few tourists were on the grounds at that afternoon. I will not go into the details of our visit to the Alhambra except to remark that we were swept away by the beauty and the craftsmanship displayed within. And I was very glad that I had chosen 3pm as t he time of entry to the Nasrid Palaces. Before our entry into the Palaces, we had time to visit the Alcazaba, where I found the famous plaque in the Jardin de los Adarves, near the Torre de la Vela, inscribed with the words of Poet Francisco de Icaza:
“Dale limosna, mujer, que no hay en la vida nada, como la pena de ser ciego en Granada.” (“Give him alms, woman, for there is nothing worse in life than the pain of being blind in Granada”)
http://www.alhambradegranada.org/es/...losadarves.asp
We also took in the Matisse and the Alhambra exhibit inside the Palacio de Carlos V; this runs until the end of this month.
http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/ind...ash=b60f7496b8
Once inside the Nasrid Palaces, we were again gratified that we had chosen the afternoon session, because there were moments that we were all but alone in the various courtyards and the light was excellent for photo taking. We were quite pleased with the audio guides, especially since I had had less than satisfactory experiences with these gadgets at other locations.
After the Nasrid Palaces, we continued our tour at the Generalife, where we would return on our tour the following day.
It was about 5:30pm when we finally exited the grounds after spending 3.5 hours within. We caught the #32 bus just in front of the main admission gate, where we had had to return in order to hand in the audio guides and about 15 minutes later, we were back at the hotel where we had a quick rest before setting out again for dinner at Restaurant Oliver, a seafood restaurant on the Plaza de Pescaderia, just off the larger Plaza Bib Rambla and about a 10-minute walk from the AC Palacio de Santa Paula.
http://www.restauranteoliver.com/OLI/HOME.html
Oliver sits next door to the most famous fish restaurant in Granada, Cunini, which we would sample the following night. We had noticed that both places draw a lively crowd for tapas in their respective front rooms, and Oliver also has a couple of tables outside, warmed by heat lamps.
If I were to give out an award for the best waiter of the week, the winner would be the courtly gentleman who attended us on that evening. Our booking was for 8:30, so we walked past the throng of happy tapas devourers at the bar (which opens at 8pm) into an empty dining room. But we hardly cared, so attentive and so kind was the waiter we had that night. He took care to explain the difference between the various shrimp dishes on the menu, and seemed genuinely despairing when the wine we ordered was out of stock. The man who I presumed to be the owner of the restaurant was also exceptionally welcoming.
I began my dinner with the Almejas Salteadas, tiny clams which were fresh and tender but which I felt needed lots of salt. Happily, there was a saltshaker on the table and I made good use of it that night. (12 euro)
My partner began with the sopa de albondigas, meatball soup (5 euro).
He continued with a racion of fried calamari; comprised of rings, not tentacles, these were not as crispy as we would have liked. I have to remark that the calamari at El Brillante in Madrid were actually a lot better.
The highlight of the evening, though, were my Gambas Rojas, from nearby Motril. These were large red shrimp which were grilled and salted to perfection. I ordered 200 grams and received about 7 shrimp (24 euro; quite a bit less than the price had been in Madrid, which is a lot further from the source!)
We drank a bottle of Barbadillo white wine; with water, and the bread charge, the bill totalled 65 euro. Recommended. I wish I had gotten the name of the waiter!
“Dale limosna, mujer, que no hay en la vida nada, como la pena de ser ciego en Granada.” (“Give him alms, woman, for there is nothing worse in life than the pain of being blind in Granada”)
http://www.alhambradegranada.org/es/...losadarves.asp
We also took in the Matisse and the Alhambra exhibit inside the Palacio de Carlos V; this runs until the end of this month.
http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/ind...ash=b60f7496b8
Once inside the Nasrid Palaces, we were again gratified that we had chosen the afternoon session, because there were moments that we were all but alone in the various courtyards and the light was excellent for photo taking. We were quite pleased with the audio guides, especially since I had had less than satisfactory experiences with these gadgets at other locations.
After the Nasrid Palaces, we continued our tour at the Generalife, where we would return on our tour the following day.
It was about 5:30pm when we finally exited the grounds after spending 3.5 hours within. We caught the #32 bus just in front of the main admission gate, where we had had to return in order to hand in the audio guides and about 15 minutes later, we were back at the hotel where we had a quick rest before setting out again for dinner at Restaurant Oliver, a seafood restaurant on the Plaza de Pescaderia, just off the larger Plaza Bib Rambla and about a 10-minute walk from the AC Palacio de Santa Paula.
http://www.restauranteoliver.com/OLI/HOME.html
Oliver sits next door to the most famous fish restaurant in Granada, Cunini, which we would sample the following night. We had noticed that both places draw a lively crowd for tapas in their respective front rooms, and Oliver also has a couple of tables outside, warmed by heat lamps.
If I were to give out an award for the best waiter of the week, the winner would be the courtly gentleman who attended us on that evening. Our booking was for 8:30, so we walked past the throng of happy tapas devourers at the bar (which opens at 8pm) into an empty dining room. But we hardly cared, so attentive and so kind was the waiter we had that night. He took care to explain the difference between the various shrimp dishes on the menu, and seemed genuinely despairing when the wine we ordered was out of stock. The man who I presumed to be the owner of the restaurant was also exceptionally welcoming.
I began my dinner with the Almejas Salteadas, tiny clams which were fresh and tender but which I felt needed lots of salt. Happily, there was a saltshaker on the table and I made good use of it that night. (12 euro)
My partner began with the sopa de albondigas, meatball soup (5 euro).
He continued with a racion of fried calamari; comprised of rings, not tentacles, these were not as crispy as we would have liked. I have to remark that the calamari at El Brillante in Madrid were actually a lot better.
The highlight of the evening, though, were my Gambas Rojas, from nearby Motril. These were large red shrimp which were grilled and salted to perfection. I ordered 200 grams and received about 7 shrimp (24 euro; quite a bit less than the price had been in Madrid, which is a lot further from the source!)
We drank a bottle of Barbadillo white wine; with water, and the bread charge, the bill totalled 65 euro. Recommended. I wish I had gotten the name of the waiter!
Feb 4th, 2011, 07:21 PM
#82
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YUMMM. Isn;t it amazing how you get get somuch good shrimo in Spain even inland??? It is indeed the best tasting I have ever had.
Sounds like you had a great time and ample opportunities to compare shrip alone!
Sounds like you had a great time and ample opportunities to compare shrip alone!
Feb 5th, 2011, 03:48 AM
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Oh, so you noticed how many times I ordered shrimp!! It was just spectacular in Spain--you know, I never make it here because almost all we get are those bags of frozen shrimp from south America or Asia.
Although no more than 5 minutes ago, I was thinking about trying the tiny Maine shrimp that show up in the markets here for a few weeks in winter. But how can I disguise them in a dish so the hater of "things with shells" does not notice them(??!!)
Don Don is a lucky man to be cooking that paella outdoors on the Weber! And you--even luckier, to be enjoying! It sounds like so much fun! I did bring home some Bomba rice for a friend who has been trying to perfect his paella for years...we will see if it makes a difference. But he always cooks it inside the house...I will have to change that this summer..see if we can get our hands on a Weber...
Although no more than 5 minutes ago, I was thinking about trying the tiny Maine shrimp that show up in the markets here for a few weeks in winter. But how can I disguise them in a dish so the hater of "things with shells" does not notice them(??!!)
Don Don is a lucky man to be cooking that paella outdoors on the Weber! And you--even luckier, to be enjoying! It sounds like so much fun! I did bring home some Bomba rice for a friend who has been trying to perfect his paella for years...we will see if it makes a difference. But he always cooks it inside the house...I will have to change that this summer..see if we can get our hands on a Weber...
Feb 5th, 2011, 04:49 AM
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I make my paella in a wrought iron skillet 
and it works great for me. I had purchased a paellera in Spain over 30 years ago and, well, it's not in great shape any more. I'll need to invest in another, nicer one methinks.
I didn't know there was a plaque at the Alhambra with that quote. I heard that quote many many years ago, probably when I was in college getting my degree in Spanish. very fun that there's a plaque! wish I knew about it but I guess I'll have to go back and find it huh?
and it works great for me. I had purchased a paellera in Spain over 30 years ago and, well, it's not in great shape any more. I'll need to invest in another, nicer one methinks.I didn't know there was a plaque at the Alhambra with that quote. I heard that quote many many years ago, probably when I was in college getting my degree in Spanish. very fun that there's a plaque! wish I knew about it but I guess I'll have to go back and find it huh?
Feb 6th, 2011, 11:47 AM
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Yes, you have to return and find the plaque! I had almost given up when I came across it, tucked away at the edge of the garden. And to buy another paellera!
On the morning of Saturday, our last full day in Granada, we had to be at the Alhambra at 9:30am, in time for our conquest of Water Tour. Since our favorite bakery, Lopez Mesquita, did not open until 9am, we decided to have breakfast at the hotel, planning to choose from the a la carte menu, rather than the 20-euro plus-per person buffet. We had a surprise when we entered the empty dining room, only to be told that unless we wanted the full buffet breakfast, we had to sit outside on a sofa in the drafty library area. When I questioned this, I was told that it would cost the hotel too much for the linens and service if we wanted only a small breakfast. I must say that this struck me as fairly inhospitable, especially since there was not one other diner in the room at the time. But due to the advancing hour, we complied and took our seats on a sofa in the cold and drafty library area. We were told that there was no option of ordering from a menu, but that we could select items from the buffet and we would be charged accordingly. I think the charge worked out to about 10 euro per person for coffee, toast with butter and jam, and one (not good at all) croissant.
Whatever annoyance we felt at breakfast was soon forgotten, however.
We took the now-familiar mini-bus to the Alhambra main entrance, and wandered around the gift shop while waiting for 9:30, when we were to meet our group at the Alhambra models for the start of the tour. As it turns out, we were incredibly lucky, for no one else had signed up that morning and, therefore, we had not only a guide but an official Alhambra escort, for the duration of the five-and-a-half hour tour. These tours are a fairly new innovation, I believe, and five different itineraries are followed on different days of the week. The Conquest of Water tour is offered on Thursdays and on Saturdays, beginning at 9:30am. The price for all of the tours is 31 euro per person; booking can be made online and the tickets can be retrieved at the ServiCaixa machines. The booking includes entrance into the Alhambra and the Generalife.
http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/ind...5d637b1e38d/0/
The Conquest of Water, explains the methods used to harness water that allowed the development of both the city of Granada and the Alhambra. I strongly recommend taking one of these tours if time allows.
Route: The conquest of water. The landscape of water in Moorish and Christian Spain.
0. ROUTE
0.
. Entrance to the Acequia Real de la Alhambra (Royal Canal of the Alhambra), the Patio de la Sultana (the Soultana´s Court)
. El Mirador Romántico (Romantic Observation Point), Entrance to the ditch Acequia del Tercio
. The hydraulic system of the Pools
. The Orchards of the Generalife, the aqueduct and the Torre del Agua (Water Tower)
. The Calle Real (Royal Street) and Baño de Muhammad III (Muhammad III´s Baths)
. The Carrera del Darro
. The gate Puerta de los Tableros and the Coracha (wall descending to the river for water supply)
. El Bañuelo (Baths)
The guide for our tour, Jaen Native Juan Cobo, was superlative. He also works as a private guide and I would highly recommend him to anyone wishing a private tour in the Granada area. His English is perfect. Not only did he give us an excellent tour, but he was more than willing to discuss local food and offered us quite a few tips for tapas, along with recipes, and lengthy discourses about Andalucian food in general. Juan can be reached at:
[email protected]
http://www.guiasgranada.com/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio
The tour took us through various points within the Alhambra and Generalife, including several areas not open to the general public. We ended at the 11th-Century Moorish baths on the Carrera del Darro, facing the Darro River, just off the Plaza Nueva. (closed Sunday and Monday).
After the tour, we wandered in the area of the Plaza Nueva for a few minutes, before making our way to a bar that Juan had recommended for ham: Bodegas Castaneda, Calle Almericeros, 1-3. (Do not confuse this with another nearby bar of the same name, on Calle Elvira). The place was jam-packed at 2:30pm on a Saturday, but with persistence we snagged a spot at the bar and placed our order for one cana, with tilde over the “n,” or small beer, and one glass of the enchantingly named “moscatel de naranja,” a sweet white Muscat-based wine. With our drinks, we were given two generously sized servings of a meat-spiked paella that my partner thought was just terrific.
http://www.granadainfo.com/elvirag/castanedas/
En route back to the hotel, we stopped at Pasteleria Lopez Mesquita for a large slice of their famous Pastel Moruna, a flaky sugar-dusted pastry stuffed with shredded chicken and studded with cinammon that is a close relative of the famous bisteeya of Morocco. Superlative! With one bite, I quickly settled on my meal for the flight the next day.
http://www.directoalpaladar.com/rece...pastela-moruna
http://anitacocinitas.blogspot.com/2...la-moruna.html
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/3471...lmond+filo+pie
I also took home a hefty slice of their Torta de Santiago, an almond cake layered with berry jam which is among my favorites, for dessert after dinner.
After a short rest, we continued our exploration of Granada with a walk through the atmospheric Realejo, the former Jewish quarter, where we stopped to admire the early 16thCentury Casa de los Tiros, with five armored soldiers figures embellishing a Mudejar façade.
http://www.granada.org/inet/wfotos.n...ocument&tipo=1
We managed to get a bit lost in the labyrinthine, hilly streets of this largely unvarnished neighborhood, but finally made our way back to the Plaza Nueva, and from there back to the hotel where we had time for some last-minute packing before setting out for another evening round of tapas.
On the morning of Saturday, our last full day in Granada, we had to be at the Alhambra at 9:30am, in time for our conquest of Water Tour. Since our favorite bakery, Lopez Mesquita, did not open until 9am, we decided to have breakfast at the hotel, planning to choose from the a la carte menu, rather than the 20-euro plus-per person buffet. We had a surprise when we entered the empty dining room, only to be told that unless we wanted the full buffet breakfast, we had to sit outside on a sofa in the drafty library area. When I questioned this, I was told that it would cost the hotel too much for the linens and service if we wanted only a small breakfast. I must say that this struck me as fairly inhospitable, especially since there was not one other diner in the room at the time. But due to the advancing hour, we complied and took our seats on a sofa in the cold and drafty library area. We were told that there was no option of ordering from a menu, but that we could select items from the buffet and we would be charged accordingly. I think the charge worked out to about 10 euro per person for coffee, toast with butter and jam, and one (not good at all) croissant.
Whatever annoyance we felt at breakfast was soon forgotten, however.
We took the now-familiar mini-bus to the Alhambra main entrance, and wandered around the gift shop while waiting for 9:30, when we were to meet our group at the Alhambra models for the start of the tour. As it turns out, we were incredibly lucky, for no one else had signed up that morning and, therefore, we had not only a guide but an official Alhambra escort, for the duration of the five-and-a-half hour tour. These tours are a fairly new innovation, I believe, and five different itineraries are followed on different days of the week. The Conquest of Water tour is offered on Thursdays and on Saturdays, beginning at 9:30am. The price for all of the tours is 31 euro per person; booking can be made online and the tickets can be retrieved at the ServiCaixa machines. The booking includes entrance into the Alhambra and the Generalife.
http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/ind...5d637b1e38d/0/
The Conquest of Water, explains the methods used to harness water that allowed the development of both the city of Granada and the Alhambra. I strongly recommend taking one of these tours if time allows.
Route: The conquest of water. The landscape of water in Moorish and Christian Spain.
0. ROUTE
0.
. Entrance to the Acequia Real de la Alhambra (Royal Canal of the Alhambra), the Patio de la Sultana (the Soultana´s Court)
. El Mirador Romántico (Romantic Observation Point), Entrance to the ditch Acequia del Tercio
. The hydraulic system of the Pools
. The Orchards of the Generalife, the aqueduct and the Torre del Agua (Water Tower)
. The Calle Real (Royal Street) and Baño de Muhammad III (Muhammad III´s Baths)
. The Carrera del Darro
. The gate Puerta de los Tableros and the Coracha (wall descending to the river for water supply)
. El Bañuelo (Baths)
The guide for our tour, Jaen Native Juan Cobo, was superlative. He also works as a private guide and I would highly recommend him to anyone wishing a private tour in the Granada area. His English is perfect. Not only did he give us an excellent tour, but he was more than willing to discuss local food and offered us quite a few tips for tapas, along with recipes, and lengthy discourses about Andalucian food in general. Juan can be reached at:
[email protected]
http://www.guiasgranada.com/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio
The tour took us through various points within the Alhambra and Generalife, including several areas not open to the general public. We ended at the 11th-Century Moorish baths on the Carrera del Darro, facing the Darro River, just off the Plaza Nueva. (closed Sunday and Monday).
After the tour, we wandered in the area of the Plaza Nueva for a few minutes, before making our way to a bar that Juan had recommended for ham: Bodegas Castaneda, Calle Almericeros, 1-3. (Do not confuse this with another nearby bar of the same name, on Calle Elvira). The place was jam-packed at 2:30pm on a Saturday, but with persistence we snagged a spot at the bar and placed our order for one cana, with tilde over the “n,” or small beer, and one glass of the enchantingly named “moscatel de naranja,” a sweet white Muscat-based wine. With our drinks, we were given two generously sized servings of a meat-spiked paella that my partner thought was just terrific.
http://www.granadainfo.com/elvirag/castanedas/
En route back to the hotel, we stopped at Pasteleria Lopez Mesquita for a large slice of their famous Pastel Moruna, a flaky sugar-dusted pastry stuffed with shredded chicken and studded with cinammon that is a close relative of the famous bisteeya of Morocco. Superlative! With one bite, I quickly settled on my meal for the flight the next day.
http://www.directoalpaladar.com/rece...pastela-moruna
http://anitacocinitas.blogspot.com/2...la-moruna.html
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/3471...lmond+filo+pie
I also took home a hefty slice of their Torta de Santiago, an almond cake layered with berry jam which is among my favorites, for dessert after dinner.
After a short rest, we continued our exploration of Granada with a walk through the atmospheric Realejo, the former Jewish quarter, where we stopped to admire the early 16thCentury Casa de los Tiros, with five armored soldiers figures embellishing a Mudejar façade.
http://www.granada.org/inet/wfotos.n...ocument&tipo=1
We managed to get a bit lost in the labyrinthine, hilly streets of this largely unvarnished neighborhood, but finally made our way back to the Plaza Nueva, and from there back to the hotel where we had time for some last-minute packing before setting out for another evening round of tapas.
Feb 6th, 2011, 03:45 PM
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OMG you CAN"T leave us hanging on the edge of the tapas???
Scrunchy all I have her now is a day cake I bought at Pavillions today..How I yearn for that Pastel you describe similar to the Morrocan cake...do you have some sort of recipe?????
Anyway yes the shrimp in Spain is great most anywhere compared to the SSS (sad state of shrimp in the US) where we have to soak them in Kosher salt to aquire a briny taste that is long gone....boohoo...
Hope you are felling better btw...
Scrunchy all I have her now is a day cake I bought at Pavillions today..How I yearn for that Pastel you describe similar to the Morrocan cake...do you have some sort of recipe?????
Anyway yes the shrimp in Spain is great most anywhere compared to the SSS (sad state of shrimp in the US) where we have to soak them in Kosher salt to aquire a briny taste that is long gone....boohoo...
Hope you are felling better btw...
Feb 6th, 2011, 05:53 PM
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I clearly did not spend enough time in Granada! oh my, love the sound of the Conquest of Water tour. I am going to need to go back to Granada definitely. thanks again for taking the time to write this all out. it's giving me ideas and making me more and more anxious for my own upcoming trip to Spain.
there is a place here in uptown Minneapolis that has a gzillion sizes of paelleras. I plan to look for one in Spain (maybe have it shipped) and if I don't buy one there, it's definitely back to that nice kitchen shop in Minneapolis.
there is a place here in uptown Minneapolis that has a gzillion sizes of paelleras. I plan to look for one in Spain (maybe have it shipped) and if I don't buy one there, it's definitely back to that nice kitchen shop in Minneapolis.
Feb 7th, 2011, 03:07 AM
#90
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We really lucked out with that Conquest of Water Tour since we had Juan as a private guide. I don't think that many foreigners, and maybe few Spaniards, know about these tours; I found out about them on this forum. I had debated back and forth about getting a private guide for the Alhambra, but we decided against paying the high price. I thought that the audio guides were excellent and I was glad that we took the tour to give us more insight. If I were to return (maybe a trip concentrating on that part of Andalucia, visiting Ubeda, Jaen, etc??) I would try to take at least one of the other tours in that series.
I have two older friends who just returned from a trip of about 10 days that included Cordoba, GRanada, and then the Cabo de Gata area along the coast near Almeria. I had never heard of that area, but they loved the walking, the scenery, etc. They are giving us a slide show next week...
I never attempted paella at home. But I have a friend who has been experimenting for years and every summer, he invites us once or twice. Each time he uses a different rice and a slightly different recipe and the results are good, but we agree that he needs improvement before we can pronounce the dish perfect.
This time I bought him a bag of Bomba rice from MAdrid. But curiously, ann article last fall in the Wall Street Journal seems to debunk the idea of using imported rice. I know it is only one person's opinion, but it makes interesting reading; let me know if you have a problem with the link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...341300166.html
I have two older friends who just returned from a trip of about 10 days that included Cordoba, GRanada, and then the Cabo de Gata area along the coast near Almeria. I had never heard of that area, but they loved the walking, the scenery, etc. They are giving us a slide show next week...
I never attempted paella at home. But I have a friend who has been experimenting for years and every summer, he invites us once or twice. Each time he uses a different rice and a slightly different recipe and the results are good, but we agree that he needs improvement before we can pronounce the dish perfect.
This time I bought him a bag of Bomba rice from MAdrid. But curiously, ann article last fall in the Wall Street Journal seems to debunk the idea of using imported rice. I know it is only one person's opinion, but it makes interesting reading; let me know if you have a problem with the link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...341300166.html
Feb 7th, 2011, 07:43 AM
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Before the Paella is served, it must "sweat". The proper way to allow the Paella to rest, sweat or perspire is to lay two branches across the Paella dish and then cover the dish with a clean towel. After a few minutes, the Paella is uncovered and can than be decorated with lemon wedges.
If you are an expert Paella cook, your Paella will have a bottom layer of rice yields a golden caramelized crust, called "socarrat" in Valencian.
If you are an expert Paella cook, your Paella will have a bottom layer of rice yields a golden caramelized crust, called "socarrat" in Valencian.
Feb 7th, 2011, 11:14 AM
#92
If you are an expert Paella cook, your Paella will have a bottom layer of rice yields a golden caramelized crust, called "socarrat" in Valencian.>>
no burnt bits then? my local deli sells both paella rice and a spanish paella spice mix, so I occasionally have a go, with varying degrees of success. I didn't know about the sweating of the paella - that's usually me.
no burnt bits then? my local deli sells both paella rice and a spanish paella spice mix, so I occasionally have a go, with varying degrees of success. I didn't know about the sweating of the paella - that's usually me.
Feb 7th, 2011, 02:06 PM
#93
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Did you know that we have a restaurant in New York specializing in paella, that is named Socorrat, after that burned crust?
http://socarratpaellabar.com/
http://socarratpaellabar.com/
Feb 8th, 2011, 01:13 AM
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Well ... if you find a good socarrat, you don´t need to come from Valencia to appreciate it ... It is quite a treat.
We go every Wednesday to a very simple place where they prepare a good rice, and when we "behave", we get the socarrat ...
Bye, Cova
We go every Wednesday to a very simple place where they prepare a good rice, and when we "behave", we get the socarrat ...
Bye, Cova
Feb 8th, 2011, 11:52 AM
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No questions---I'm just glad to know the Conquest of Water is a good tour!
I've been waiting for May tickets to open up, so after reading this I checked---and now they are available. So I've booked (1) a night visit to the palace the day we arrive in Granada; (20 the Conquest of Water tour on Thursday, and (3) a general day visit for Friday, our last day in Granada. Whew! It's a good think I did it today as some of the morning time slots for May 6 were already sold out.
And I've got the Oliver on our "must do" list for dinner.
I've been waiting for May tickets to open up, so after reading this I checked---and now they are available. So I've booked (1) a night visit to the palace the day we arrive in Granada; (20 the Conquest of Water tour on Thursday, and (3) a general day visit for Friday, our last day in Granada. Whew! It's a good think I did it today as some of the morning time slots for May 6 were already sold out.
And I've got the Oliver on our "must do" list for dinner.
Feb 10th, 2011, 08:07 AM
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eksscrunchy, it is so good to read this. last we talked, we were planning our trip to paris and you helped me with my dining selections (que sorpresa!). my mom just agreed to watch our kids for a week in may next year and we are trying to narrow down our listof destinations. the safe bet is paris but we have gone there 4 times in the last 8 years. we love paris so much that i am afraid we may be disappointed with another major european city) but you have convinced me on madrid. i studied in madrid for my junior year in college (quite a while ago!)and remember it being a lovely city. your report was entertaining, food focused and full of useful information. how do i obtain the maribel information? thanks
