Hello friends! Sorry for the delay in the Madrid recap. We've been experiencing some technical difficulties with the home computer. It's from 2008, and it just can't hang any more. We're saving up for a fancy new one as a Christmas gift to each other.
Anyway, Viva España! We were only there for 2 days, but I successfully convinced Brandon that both Spain and Airbnb are awesome. Actually the cured ham, wine and rooftop apartment convinced him, but I'll take the win!
We went on a walking tour of the city to learn more about Madrid's history. Compared to my last tours in England, Germany and The Netherlands, seeing a European city unaffected by World War II bombing was quite different. No ugly post-war buildings hurriedly constructed amid centuries-old ones, many narrow, cobblestoned streets, and so many palm trees. That last part had nothing to do with WWII, but it was so fun! It felt tropical too, as it was sunny and 80 degrees. :)
We lunched at Fatigas del Querer ("Labors of Love") and had amazing cured jamon, chorizo, Spanish omelette and sangria. Then, because I made a poor attempt at speaking Spanish to our waiter, he kept bringing me free wine! And gave Brandon brandy! The wine cost the equivalent of $2, so it wasn't that big of a deal, but it was the friendliest city we've visited since Mexico and Belize.
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| Took this for my niece, Isabel! |
One of our favorite parts of the weekend was seeing a flamenco show. It was intense, passionate, and wonderful. I couldn't stop tapping my feet, the music and rhythms were so contagious. I can't wait to go again when we visit Seville in February, the birthplace of flamenco!
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| View from our flat |
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| Parque del Retiro |
| Fontana de Neptune |
We ended the trip by visiting the world's oldest restaurant, Botín. It's the longest-running restaurant without interruption of service or name change - since 1725. There's a Guinness world-record plaque on the facade of the building. Famous artist Francisco Goya worked here as a dishwasher before he started painting! Not to mention it had the best gazpacho I've ever had!
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| They had their name on everything - even the curtains! |
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| Really cool old Dutch tilework around the place. We walked through the kitchen to get to our table! Right where Goya worked! |
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| You can sort of see the plaque above the entrance stating the credentials. |
Adiós España, hasta February! Te amo!
Very cool Lindsey Loo! You and Brandon make such a lovely couple. Miss you both very much. Can't wait to see you again!
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