A Stroll Through Madrid

We've been a tad delinquent here at The Gastronomic Traveler with our blog postings, but with things somewhat calmer now after a fast-paced summer we're going to try and get everyone caught up -- and see if we can't get your travel bug going!

Churros con Chocolate!

After a disappointing first-game showing from the Spanish, we decided to take a walk around the capital to see a few sights. Madrid boasts a wonderfully walkable old city center, with the Palacio Real on its western edge and the Parque del Buen Retiro to its east. In between lies historic plazas, local markets, and an opportunity to have a few tapas at nearly every turn! For breakfast we indulged a bit on one of our favorite Spanish treats -- churros con chocolate! Now readily available in the US at virtually every trendy Spanish restaurant (or ballpark in California) the authentically sweet, crispy-on-the-outside curly version is best enjoyed in its homeland, and makes for a sugary-rushed breakfast worth every last carb. The perfect boost for a walk through the city!

Mercado de San Miguel

Just south of the Plaza Mayor lies the Mercado de San Miguel, a modernist glass and steel enclosure surrounded by Spanish Colonial tradition and housing a broad array of locally-produced treats. As is typical of most European markets, everything was on offer here: fish, meats (you can never have enough jamon!), cheeses, pickled veggies, wine, sweets, breads... basically everything needed for a day at the park... and then some! 

Pimientos y Acietes

The market boasts a handful of tapas counters and two wine bars, conveniently placed astride both lean-up counters and a handful of small tables. The colors, smells, and sounds of the market were as varied and wondrous as the rest of the city, and we were a touch sad to move onward -- but not before picking up a few treats for the road!

A hidden garden
reveals another beauty!

It's difficult to define the city of Madrid as a whole, given that so many different elements interplay across its urban fabric. There are, of course, the grandiose structures housing Spain's national government and more historic buildings and sites than can be reasonably accommodated in only a handful of days; interspersed amongst these treasures, however, are the more familiar places that draw Madrilenos on a regular basis -- coffee shops, tascas, music stores, and local grocers. 


Walking through a city like Madrid, it's easy to be looking up at the monuments and attractions so often as to miss the daily routine going on about you... which is precisely why we opted out of the traditional tours of the Palacio and the Prado and wandered instead through the smaller plazas and districts of the city. And in doing so, we came across a number of hidden gems and beautiful, out of the way places where we could literally spend days (if our travel schedule allowed.)

Side Gate to the Parque

Case in point -- the Parque del Buen Retiro. This magnificent and physically overwhelming space at the old city center's eastern edge is truly the "lungs of Madrid", providing vast amounts of green space in such quantity that, even on a busy day, the park feels empty and peaceful. 

Just you and the ducks...

Monuments, formal gardens, and historic structures abound within the park grounds but visitors can still find comfortable benches away from the tour groups and out-of-school children to relax in the sun, read a book, and walk away feeling refreshed and re-energized. 


Only two blocks from the hordes at the Prado, it feels as though you could be the only one in Madrid at that moment. Nice.



Come see what a few days in Madrid can do for you -- contact us today to plan your holiday in Spain! 

Still worth a stop!

Hup Holland Hup!

Today Holland begins its campaign to bring home the world’s most prized trophy, and they’ll do so against pseudo-rival Denmark (Holland, which is only a portion within the Netherlands but generally comes to be the name by which the entire country is represented during activities outside their own borders, also considers Germany a rival.) Someone has apparently alerted the Dutch that their game is the early game today (with a 130p local start time) because absolutely nothing is open for business except bars and restaurants showing the game. This may be because everyone in Amsterdam is at one of three squares in the town center wearing an orange traditional reserved in the US for hunting.

We came across a fortuitous find this morning – Pancakes! Amsterdam – and it was open (well, we had to wait until 10am, but then it opened. The Dutch don’t care for an early start.) 

I selected the lemon and sugar pancake, which was like a crispy-on-the-bottom crepe with just the right amount of sweet and tart. My breakfast companions chose the banana, bacon, and chili pepper pancake; a chicory, camembert, and ham offering with a drizzle of raspberry sauce; and a chocolate, caramel, and walnut option that I’m sure was created by a dentist with ulterior motives. Needless to say, the options at Pancakes! Amsterdam were inventive, delicious, and an altogether pleasant way to start the day.

Amsterdam has a café culture: any street with dining options will be cluttered with tables and chairs outside when the weather permits. Today it’s approximately 75 degrees Fahrenheit with bright sunshine – just in time for the game! With no one at work, every café stretching as far into the public space as they can, and a jovial happier-than-usual Dutch populace singing and cheering on the Oranje, today is going to be a good day.

We made a few friends while we watched the game at the Rembrandtplein, and the Dutch welcomed us Oranje-cheering Americans with open arms. The game was a success – despite missing striker Arjen Robben, the Oranje dispatched the Danes 2-0 with little effort.  

We celebrated the victory, watched the following game, then took a break for some thai at Rankana in the Western Canal Belt. The Dutch particularly enjoy Indonesian food, but thai has been enjoying a resurgence as of late, and Rankana didn’t disappoint. Crispy spicy duck, a peppery chicken curry, and two bowls of sticky, slightly sweet jasmine rice later and we were quickly sated. Better than the thai on offer in the US but not nearly as good as what you find in Bangkok, I’d say Rankana is a perfectly serviceable option for a relaxed, mid-range meal in a scenic part of the city.

Tomorrow we’re off to Madrid for a few days of La Furia Roja, tapeos (a tapas bar crawl), and big Spanish wines. Viva Espana!