Madrid thoughts while waiting for Susan

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Madrid meals lean towards meat and potatoes. You want veggies? Order them separately, at the same price as a main course. We were both craving greens so we headed out to one of Madrid's few self-styled vegetarian restaurants. Only about half the entrees were marked as vegetarian. Hm?

Excellent gazpacho, good salad. Susan had the stuffed pepper, her new favourite. Excellent. El Estragon is the name of the place and it is on this great little plaza where dogs play among kids. We'll be back.

The Spanish way of making rice seems to include allowing it to stick to the bottom of the pan until it almost burns. This gives one layer a crunch and an intriguing touch of bitterness.

They also make a brilliant steak. Blows every so called steak restaurant in Edmonton off the map.

The walls of our apartment are concrete, yet it is remarkably easy to hear the neighbors. Mostly we hear from the woman next door, Our Lady of the Remote Control. When she is home, the tv is on immediately. She does turn it off by 11:30 and we can close the doors to the bedroom. It is nicer when it is not on, but we are getting used to it.

At about three in the morning, a couple of nights ago, we heard another of our neighbors. Susan thinks she was saying "Ave Maria" over and over again in quite a loud voice. This went on for several minutes. I knew that people here were devout but you would think they could learn to pray quietly. We haven't heard her since. Perhaps she lost her faith.

There are almost no bugs in Madrid. With walls this thin, you don't really need them. (James Bond joke. See the new Bond action thriller, Spectre, now playing in a theatre near you.Adv. Or, better yet, watch one of the originals with Sean C. - the real Bond.)

Madrid weather forecasting is dreadfully inaccurate. If they say there is zero percent chance of rain, take your umbrella.

Today's program: coffee at el Mollete, then to the Thyssen. Then off to Casa Alberto, a cafe restaurant -still operating - where Cervantes wrote part of Don Quixote and I will write part of this blog.

And tonight, Flamenco!!!

Have some pictures, just for fun.

All Museo Sorolla.

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Photos

Sorolla's living room.
Above Susan is a genuine Tiffany chandelier worth millions. It refused to be photographed worth a dam, and it is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen anyway.

Still life with original subject - Sorolla museum
Flowers are fake, but the case is the same one he painted.