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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Bievenidos a Madrid!

After an easy train ride back to Schiopol Airport and an approximately two-hour flight from Amsterdam, we’ve arrived in Spain’s capital city. Madrid’s public transport system – just like pretty much all of the public transport systems across Spain – is well-marked, clearly organized, and user-friendly even to the casual user and sometimes-Spanish speaker. Following a quick metro ride into the Sol station and a four-block walk to our hotel (the Room Mate Alicia), we’re out in the Plaza de Santa Ana enjoying the sunshine and that palpable Spanish conviviality as we meander toward our afternoon destination to watch the Ivory Coast take on Portugal.

After a lazy walk around the old city center, we settled in at a local tasca (that’s a tapas bar) to catch the second half of what may be the tournament’s most boring game thus far. The 0-0 draw suits us fine, however, and frees us up to enjoy some sherry and tapas at La Venencia – named after the wine-sampling tool otherwise called the “wine thief”. Despite their strict no-pictures policy, we managed to catch some snaps anyway. 

La Venencia is about as purely-Spanish as any place can be: simple, unadorned, and delicious. You can choose glasses of five or so different types of sherry, select a plate of chorizo, olives, or other delectable treats, and settle in for light conversation amidst the locals. Wonderful.
 
Another leisurely walk around, and soon we found ourselves ready for Round Two. Thankfully the Toscana Taberna was right there, and we were treated to crispy boquerones, plates of jamon iberico de bellota, and a truly amazing morcilla (cumin-scented, slightly spicy blood sausage.) 

Matched with the house rioja, the morcilla was absolutely what it should be: rich, meaty, and just a hint of those elusive spice notes. Mmm! (Too bad I didn't manage to get a photo before we devoured it.) Now hopefully tomorrow La Furia Roja can match the brilliance of our meal tonight...

Want to experience it for yourself? Contact us now and we’ll get you there!

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