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Published: August 5th 2010
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Yesterday, we wrapped up our morning in Leon. What a great city. I could have definitely spent another day there. The Medieval feel is right up my alley and the walled city is simply impressive. We also had a chance to experience another Durum at the Turkish restaurant up the street from Doner Kabob. While it wasn't nearly as good, we did get to try some amazing Arabic tea. All in all, Leon was a wonderful city and a must see if you are coming to Spain.
Onward back to Madrid!
It was so sad to have to turn the keys back over to Avis for our little Ibiza. I was worried her next driver wouldn’t take nearly as good care of her and I will continue to worry about her well being. Mike assured me she’d be fine and we caught a taxi back to Madrid. I did see a guy with a shirt on that said, “I (heart symbol) Ibiza” so that made me feel better knowing there are others out there that too have an affinity for the lil cars. Farewell, Issy.. thank you for keeping us safe.
Madrid allowed us to nap and regroup.
As night approached, we were curious to check out a place called Lavapies which is supposed to be laid back with a Bohemian feel to it. A few short Metro stops away and we’d be there.
We could smell the roasted meat the second we got off the Metro and heard the loud music from the streets above before even emerging. As luck would have it, we stepped right in the middle of their festival! Music, vendors and games were everywhere in the streets. It would have been awesome had it not personally felt like a mini Wildwood. The dart/ballon game and large bingo wheel complete with prizes such as flags and small TVs kinda ruined it for me. I will not admit that I did look to see if they had any of those cool rock group mirrors I used to win as a kid..wait.. I think I just admitted that.. but I digress..
We ended up being ushered into a rather hot and smoky restaurant but were too hungry to care. Mike ordered the blood sausage which I’ve feared since arriving in Spain. I don’t deal well with blood, in any form. The idea of eating
it, is TOTALLY beyond my scope of what I can handle in terms of food however I was committed to trying it provided I thought it would not literally “come back up” right away.
When it arrived, it didn’t look like I thought and was much less threatening. Just some fried up rice really but oooohh no… that’s not what it is at all. Blood sausage is made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal (yes, I said it.. until it CONGEALS) when cooled. Pig or cattle blood is most often used. This is then mixed with rice and fried up.
I did try ONE bite and I have to say, it wasn’t that bad. If I didn’t know what it was, I would have probably had a few more bites but that didn’t happen. I couldn’t get past what exactly I was eating. Mike enjoyed the entire plate himself - good for Mike - yuck!
I downed a plate of shrimp and we headed back out to the Metro for our trip back to the hotel.
I have to say, the Metro here is amazing. I absolutely
love it. It’s super easy to understand, is clean, safe and a very economical and quick way to get around. Big fan - two thumbs up!
This morning we woke later than expected and headed out to the center of Madrid for some touring and shopping. The older parts of the city have a wonderful appeal much like Leon with their cobblestone streets and narrow walk ways. We found a great little organic restaurant called Pan Cotidiana in the Plaza Mayor and settled in for a bite. The outdoor seating there came equipped with an umbrella much like all the other outdoor tables we’ve seen so far however these housed something special - misters! Ahhh.. so nice to get a quick breeze of cool mist while eating. The food was great and the ambiance relaxing. We spent the day simply wandering around with no agenda and it was perfect!
After a nice long siesta, we woke at 8pm ready for our last night in Madrid. Kicking off the evening, we made our way to the Chocolateria down the street called Valor. WOW - what an experience. This is the same place we visited the first day we were
here and got the churros and chocolate but this time we truly splurged. Out came the most magnificent White Chocolate and Fruit Fondu. Apples, strawberries, bananas, kiwi and pineapple graced the plate while the white chocolate simmered in the fondu pot. This was without a doubt the most decadent dish I’ve ever had. HIGHLY recommended and not easily forgotten.
We decided to wander again after our indulgence and a guy on the main street happened to hand me a flyer which is a pretty normal occurrence here. Normally I either decline them outright or simply toss them in the nearest recycling bin without giving them a second glance however this one caught my eye “- Musica en vivo - Disfrute de la comida y musica CUBANA!” I stopped in my tracks…
Cuban food and live Cuban music was right up the road. With the little map provided on the flyer, we made our way through a few side streets until we came upon Cuando Sali de Cuba! This place was simply awesome. We sampled some Chicharrones (fried pork strips) and Ropa Vieja (shredded beef and rice in a light red sauce) along with some mint packed Mojitos! The
food was wonderful and the guitarist totally entertaining. We ended up sitting next to his family and Mike struck up conversation with his brother in law. They were all from Cuba and it was interesting to get their perspective on a few things. The guitarist took a few of our requests as well (Chan Chan and El Carretero - our favorites!) and we settled into a fabulous evening.
What a perfect way to wrap up our trip to Spain. I don’t think we could have had a better time.
Pura Vida
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Susan Walsh
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HELLO STRANGER!!!
Hi Vanessa, How wonderful to hear from you. I can't tell you how much in enjoyed reading about your trip and of course what you have been doing since you came back from Costa Rica. The pictures are awesome as well. Also you home is Cape May is just beautiful; you both did such a wonderful job with all the renovations you did. Joanne Bondi told me she visited you not long ago and that you were doing well so I was so happy when you decided to start up your travel blog again. I am sorry I haven't sent anything sooner but I have been so busy at work, I am finally getting a break on a quiet Friday afternoon. Please keep in touch and take care, Susan