Author: ginnyinshanghai

Oviedo 2025 – post 1

by ginnyinshanghai

On our way out, I wanted one last photo from San Sebastian: Peine del Viento or ‘The Comb Of The Wind’. Located in the western area of San Sebastián and at the foot of Mount Igeldo, the Peine del Viento is one of the most celebrated sculptures by Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. Here are the first two sculptures.

Installed in 1977, the artwork is a series of terraces built of pink colour granite and three anchor-like iron shapes welded into rocks. This is one of the most visited places by tourists and locals, especially on stormy days, when waves pound against the cliff rocks. And this is the third sculpture.

All my photos had been from the Old Town, but here is one last shot of San Sebastian, taken near the sculptures, looking towards the beach and the Old Town.

We are headed West towards Oviedo and halfway there we started thinking about eating. Googled ‘places to eat near me’ and in 5-ish minutes, we would be near a highly-rated restaurant. Okay, let’s do it.

What’s in a name? We knew it didn’t open until 1pm and that was our arrival time. Once again, we were the first ones inside the restaurant.

Let’s just say they took pity on us and shared they could set up in a table in a side room for us. Okay. It was a set menu displayed in the entrance. Eric caught on before I did and possibly, he searched the internet while we waited.

We had walked into a Michelin Star restaurant – without a reservation and we were being seated. OMG. You might see the price above and go ‘yikes’. For foodies and for anyone wishing to eat at a Michelin star restaurant – this was a deal. We tend to look for ‘Michelin recommended restaurants’ which are less expensive but quite frankly just as good.

First to arrive was their bread, butter and marianito. We all really enjoyed the parsley butter. What was so special about it? It was just darn good and not seen before.

The foie gras curd topped with orange gelee’ arrived, complete with an ivory spoon and edible flowers on the rim. Both Adrienne and Eric reaped the benefits of my selective eating. I tried everything that was brought to the table. Some I liked (or not) and this was one that after the orange gelee was eaten, i could eat the foie gras curd underneath – not an entire cup mind you. And yes, I ate some of the flowers. 🙂

This dish we talked about several times after the visit. Several cockles were nestled amongst the green peas. The light green round items were potato-shaped garlic bombs (my word, not theirs).

Our next plate was probably the one I liked the least. The mushrooms had been formed into a ‘log’, with fried (?) garlic dough balls on the ends. I didn’t love the flavor profile but the other two enjoyed the remainder.

Okay, I knew the meat in the next dish I would eat, but somewhat hesitant about the smoked eel. Our server said it could be altered, but also shared it was a small part of the dish. I didn’t change a thing. I tried both, but let’s be real. By this time, I was getting full. Add in wine and rustic bread……………I was reaching my food intake limit.

The creativity was good, I liked the fresh farm egg yolk and the crunchy ‘chips’ which did add some flavor to the wheat rice. The other two were starting to be selective when finishing their dishes as we still had more to come.

I enjoy mullet but never been served with it roasted. The cauliflower and sauce was interesting. I had plenty to share.

The beef was very tasty and I enjoyed the ghnocchi. Again, I had plenty to share with the other two. We made it through all of the courses. I am truly stuffed.

Two different dessert options were available so naturally between the three of us, we got to try both. Their homemade ‘torrija’ was the clear winner. I enjoyed my coffee brownie with the two different types of ice creams, but the other was perfect.

To top off the meal (like we really needed more food – LOL) coffee and petit fours (Yuzu, passionfruit, jellied red fruits and white chocolate arrived for each of us.

After the meal was concluded, our server took us over the other side of the building. The main dining room looks out over the valley, but more importantly, there were two open kitchens where all the food was being prepared (same menu) and part of their experience. Really, it was the only difference between the two eating spots.

Speaking of views………………

Behind the restaurant was a vineyard.

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

Before writing this, i looked at the website for Eneko. Oh my goodness. They shared the timeline of their restaurants.

~2005, first restaurant opens here, Azurmendi

~2007, first Michelin Star

~2010, second Michelin Star

~2012, third Michelin Star

~2013 thru 2016, numerous awards and Azumendi opens in Thailand, chef selected to form group of European’s Young Leaders

~2017, opening of Eneko at this location, earned Michelin Star, also opened in Tokyo

~2018 thru 2020, earns number of sustainability awards

~2021 thru 2024, opens restaurants in Seville, Madrid (2) and Bilboa, Chef Eneka Axta wins Vanitatus Chef of the Year

I have to end this post here. The remainder of our drive to Oviedo, pales in comparison. The adventure will continue in the next post.

Ginny

San Sebastian 2025 – post 4

by ginnyinshanghai

Our last day in the city and we made the most of it. We found a little market and bought cheese (for Eric) and bread (for myself) which I used for toast the next several days – yummy.

The beach along the bay had different activity this morning – sports.

Our goal today was the San Sebastian Cathedral as it is commonly referred to or the full name is Cathedral of the Good Shepherd of San Sebastian.

Its construction took place in the last years of the 19th century in a Neo-Gothic style. One of the most astonishing features of this cathedral is the bell tower, standing at 75 meters and is one of the tallest points in San Sebastian.

Once inside, it is imposing.

One of the first chapels on the right held this clock. I haven’t seen one of those spaces dedicated in this way.

naturally there a multitude of stained glass windows.

I discovered another set of windows with this anchor, undoubtedly closely linked to the people of San Sebastian.

One of the highly ornamented chapels:

Lately I’ve started noticing the columns of these churches and all of the extra ornamentation. Always someone watchng the congregation – be it person or beast.

As we were leaving the building and area, the bells started ringing.

One thing I discovered on the internet about the Cathedral I found interesting. They have a subterranean pumping machine in their basement to prevent flooding in San Sebastian. The presence of this underground infrastructure demonstrates the historical significance of the cathedral in the city and its ability to adapt to the community’s needs. They are intertwined amongst crucial moments of Spanish history. During the Spanish Civil War, the cathedral as a field hospital.

A number of hours had passed since our food tour the previous night and it was time for mourishment. Eric wanted a repeat from an earlier foray – pig ear.

He was happy with his selection, and I ate another braised beef cheek – such a hardship, not!

We revisted the place with the ‘potato salad’ and saw another pintxos being prepared – we wanted one. Tomatoes with tuna – delicious!

Another stop at the Oyster place, which I discovered I never got a photo of the outside. We were there so much, the guy recognized us – by us, I mean Eric and Adrienne.

Believe it or not, we were trying to hold back. We had dinner reservations at a seafood restaurant tonight and wanted to go with a (semi) empty stomach.

It was a good restaurant. I wouldn’t call it fantastic, but with so much food and michelin stars around, what is ‘good’ is relative. There were a few reasons Eric wanted to eat here. First were the barnacles. It would be a first for Eric and truthfully, there’s not many new things he hasn’t tasted.

Okay, interesting. We asked the best way to get to the meat and a manager came over to show us. Don’t think I mentioned, we were the only ones in the restaurant. Our reservation was when it opened – which is way too early for locals to eat. Actually, they did seat us and let us order wine before they opened and we could order.

Back to the barnacles. Did I eat them? Yes, and here’s proof.

The had a special item on their menu that we got for sharing. Crab was the main component. It was okay. Truth be told, I would have rather eaten more of the barnacles.

Here is the second reason Eric wanted to eat here……………………Turbot. First, they brought out the uncooked fish, sharing its weight and cost. Yes, they wanted it. I say ‘they’ as this is a dish for two. Adrienne was all in and wanted to be part of the ‘two’.

It was served table-side.

What did I eat? Shrimp and frites. Both were good.

This was to be our last night in San Sebastian.

We packed and cleaned up the apartment, basically pulling together our recyclables and items to throw away. In the morning, drinking our coffee, we heard clapping. Looked outside our window and saw this.

A few minutes later, groups of runners arrived.

The photos were taken from our apartment – a great locaiton by the way for eating and walking. We hope to be back to San Sebastian for more food adventures.

Ginny

San Sebastian 2025 – post 3

by ginnyinshanghai

After visiting the church, we explored the city and nearby harbor. It was a gorgeous sunny day.

We could see a kayak slicing through the water, and waaaaaay in the distance was a swimmer. OMG – the water was cold.

There was a staircase, leading down into the water. Naturally it needed investigation. Hmmm, what was Adrienne taking a photo of? Oysters and barnacles on the framework, of course.

Then these two gentleman walked past us – definitely looking like they were heading into the water. Yep, that was where they were going. Unfortunately, the gentleman with the black swim shorts changed while standing and it took me a second to see that he was naked and putting on his swimming attire. That second – I saw way too much. Really? Really! Eric said the look on my face was priceless.

City Hall was along the waterfront………….

……….along with a small park for kids to play in and others to set on benches to people-watch. I wandered over to these trees and noticed some were using screws to keep them from splitting apart. Interesting. Looks like they need some maintenance as one of the screws wasn’t doing much good.

Continuing our walk along the promenade, we came across these sand designs when looking over the railing.

But then we saw a sand artist at work.

The finished design:

And just in case one wanted to contribute to his cause……….Adrienne dropped a coin, but missed the sheet. Wop wop. You could also see the tools he utilized for his masterpiece – three rakes.

All this walking called for a bit of lunch. Instead of ordering some tapas and standing around table tops, we were looking more for a restaurant – and found Bardulia.

Iberian ham, roasted peppers, frites and veal cheeks. Enough to make us through until tonight’s adventure – a highly-rated food tour.

Walking through the town, they had some spring flowers in full bloom. We never see tulips in Florida and several beds were planted with them. Pansies were mixed in the same bed.

Also found this candy-stripe tulip.

Always drawn to purple flowers.

But let’s talk about one of the absolute highlights of our time in San Sebastian – a food tour. Not just any food tour, but one that has a 5-star rating after 574 reviews – that is nothing short of amazing……..and so was our tour.

We met our tour guide, Eski, a few blocks from our apartment and after some introductions, food likes/dislikes we were on our way. One thing extra special………we were the only ones on her tour that evening. That’s what happens when you visit a place in the off-season – which was perfect for us. 🙂

Our first stop was:

We learned the proper way to pour cider, which gives it some body and carbonation. This cider is not sweet at all. Eski provided the demonstration.

Then we all got to try it.

Since we are good with tasting and sharing food, every place we stopped, we got to try different things based upon our likes. We got scallops, braised beef and didn’t get a photo of the third item. 😦

Next stop:

I had a potato dish, similar to potato salad that was f.a.n.t.a.s.t.i.c. Throughout the remainder of our trip in Spain, when possible, we ordered it again. We’ve looked up the recipe so we’re expecting Eric to recreate it once we get home. The other two items were fried shrimp and a fried sardine.

We could also choose our drink at each of the stops. This time we all had local white wine.

Eski was quick to pivot on our tour to either expand our culinary options or find better choices. This next stop was a favorite of Eric’s.

It was all about the foie gras for those two while I had the grilled oyster mushrooms.

We were not done yet, we still had two more stops.

As we walked into this establishment, we were greeted like family and brought back to a table in the back. We either got a hug, or a kiss on our hand by the owner? Father of the owner? Didn’t matter, he was a real charmer. Our guide is well-known and has a fabulous reputation. She holds every place we stopped to a high standard. Here we had croquettes, octopus and Iberian ham.

By this time, I was done eating. It was way too much food for me. Add to the fact the tour was an evening tour and all that food would be sitting on my stomach. I had already switched to drinking water at this point.

Eric and Adrienne had been at our last stop the previous day and was underwhelmed by their pintxos.

She ordered two of the same ones and because the owners know her, they make her pintxos fresh. Oh, what a difference in taste – according to Eric and Adrienne. What were they? Truth be told, I don’t know. I was ready for bed and fading. Stuffed pepper? Salmon?

Looking back on our experience………..it was a great tour. Here is the review that Eric left and I couldn’t agree more.

She had a chance to respond:

We do hope to be back. We enjoyed San Sebastian and all the food it offered.

Ginny

Oops, had to add one more photo – our group from the tour.

San Sebastian 2025 – post 2

by ginnyinshanghai

Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus

Walking into this basilica was bearing witness to 800 years of history. It is one of the most ancient sites in the city. Various temples have been erected here since the 12th century. The current building was finished in 1774 during a period of prosperity.

The high altar grabs your attention upon entry.

The painting at the top of the above photo is saint Sebastian. This one was installed in 1819 after the previous painting vanished in 1813.

The selection of saints on the alter were all martyrs, aimed at exalting the sacrifice of one’s own life in the name of religious beliefs. Yikes!

The gold centerpiece is the ‘Lady of the Chorus Virgin’ that attracts the biggest devotion. This icon has not ways been located in the high alter, but in the chorus of the church. It has been here the last 250 years, but the iconography seems to track it back to the 16th century Italy. There is a festival in September devoted to her.

Twin altars flank the high alter. The one pictured below is Saint Barbara which is the patron saint of the artillery.

Three additional alters were in this basicilica, with identical architectural design but accomodate different saints and what they are associated with. Some are associated with the sea, , merchants & tailors and fishermen.

All the detailing just astounds me. Especially when you hear when these things were made and the hardship those not of nobility existed within. Even looking up high, figures are carved into the pillars. Someone was always looking at you when you attended church.

Speaking of looking up, captured a photo of the ceiling. The design is stunning but thinking back to other ‘fine’ ceilings we have seen on this trip, they are somewhat plain.

We could only see a portion of the organ as they are in the midst of collecting funds for restoration. An organ existed prior to 1860, but no information had been found. The City Countil found renewed energy in the mid-1800s to fund this one.

They created a museum next to the sanctuary and it was open. They have collected items in the surrounding communities that were utilized in the past. Some were in better shape than others as they had been put to daily use in their houses and barns. It was an interesting collection.

I would have enjoyed listening to their organ, but the next time would be on their Sunday service at 11:30am – the day of our departure. Concerts are held regularly, and the music creates a ‘magical’ atmosphere inside the temple.

I really enjoyed walking and looking through this building and reading about all of the symbolism. My last photo is another of the facade. It has prolific decoration and marked theatrics as opposed to the simplicity and minimal ornamentation spread throughout the rest of the outside facade.

The center glorifies the Lady of the Chorus, flanked by her parents as she in turn looks up to the Heaven.

And above it all, is a statue of Saint Sebastian.

If you ever make it to this city…………..take a moment, step inside and soak in the ambience, history and symbolism.

Ginny

San Sebastian 2025 – Post 1

by ginnyinshanghai

I mentioned in the previous post, we were going to hit a few other cities. Our next stop is going to be San Sebastian. But first, we rented a car so it was back to the airport. There was a little mix-up with our rental car reservation, but after some time on the phone with the original agent…….we were able to get a car.

It’s approximately four hours to drive to San Sebastian, not including a stop for lunch. We got a bit hungry and pulled off for a restaurant that the internet showed was open for lunch. No such luck. Actually, we walked most of the town and all of the (few) places to eat were shuttered closed, not opening until 4pm. We poked our heads into an open butcher/charcutier place and the owner said he could make us some ham sandwiches, in ten minutes. Sold! We picked up a bag of ruffles chips, some sodas and our hunger was satisfied. Actually, they were pretty darn good sandwiches.

And before you know it……………….

But why San Sebastian? It is in Basque country, and lies on the coast of Bay of Biscay, twelve miles from the Spain/France border.

The first evidence of stationary human presence dates to 22,000 BC. There were Roman settlements around 200 AD. No written records are known until 1014, a monastery. The area has been conquered, destroyed, rebuilt, burnt to the ground with periods of instability and war.

San Sebastian was one of the earliest towns hit by the 1918 Influenza epidemic. Poverty, famine, repression and smuggling all had a part here. This town didn’t seem to have a chance, but yet it is thriving now.

So again, why visit? San Sebastian is renowned for its Basque cuisine. The city and the surrounding area is home to a high concentration of restaurants with Michelin stars.

The city is also known for its pintxos (small plate dishes similar to tapas) which are found along the streets of the Old Town. That is why we are here!

We are staying in the ‘old town’ of San Sebastian. We are one block down from #8, Basilica de Santa Maria del Coro. Definitely in the center of the old town.

It is a pedestrian zone so after parking underground, we walked to #13. Adrienne was pointing to her bedroom.

A short tour of our apartment for the next several days:

Did a quick unpacking them headed out for some pintoxs. Eric had done his homework and had downloaded a map. First stop – patatas bravas, basically cubed potatoes. What makes this establishment’s dish special is the three sauces on top. I love me some sauces. Add in some sangria and we were good to go.

Next up, Atari for braised beef cheeks and seared foie gras. Loved the mashed potatoes under the beef cheek. They said the foie gras was the best they had eaten (and they have tasted a lot).

Two more stops before I called it a night. Right after we got in, they got inundated with locals, so we only tried the risotto.

Next door was a place specializing in seafood, but what caught Eric’s eye was the oysters.

A few skewers of food were ordered with the octopus on the right my choice. The other two skewers were ‘The Original Basque Pintxo – Spanish Gildas’.

What makes the skewers (anchovy, peppers and olive) on the left special? It can be categorized as the first ever Basque pintxo. Its strong, salty and pickled flavor bursts in your mouth like no other. The trick is to eat it all at once. They accepted and mastered the challenge.

Next up? Bedtime for me. After escorting me back to our place, they went back out for me food and drink. I’m not really sure who was watching out for each other. Ha!

Ginny

Madrid 2025 – post 5

by ginnyinshanghai

Mercado = Markets

When we were at Barcelona several years ago, we stopped at markets that not only had produce for purchase but also places to eat inside the market. We loved that! If possible, we definitely stop at those places for eating. One of the best reasons the three of us enjoy these………we can each order the type of food we desire and are not limited to one restaurant’s menu.

We’ve already hit one such market in Madrid, but we have found several more. Let’s start with Mercado San Ildefonso.

They are billed as the first street food market in Spain inspired by the street food markets of London, Singapore and New York. Opening in 2014 it’s near where the traditional food market was located until 1970 when that was demolished

It offers 18 stalls and three drink bars on three floors devoted to different gourmet products. There are no boxes of vegetables, no fresh fish or meat to take home but an establishment to take a break during a shopping day or meet friends after work.

Enough talk, let’s see the food. I ordered the chicken skewers and fries.

Eric ordered a few things to share:

We enjoyed our meal, but so far, the first market we visited on Day 1 beats this.

We were splitting our vacation between three cities in Spain and before taking off to northern Spain, we wanted to stop at Mercado de san Miguel. We had been told that this was mainly a tourist market that locals no longer visit. Well, we’re tourists. Let’s go!

This market is a monument to Spanish cuisine located in the heart of Madrid. They welcome more than 7 million visitors each year. 100+ years have passed since this was inaugurated as a food market. This historic building allows visitors to take a tour of the flavors from each of the corners of Spain.

You know what? It was full of tourists – but we enjoyed it. 🙂 It had a ‘vibe’ going and after finding seats……it was a fun experience. People were continually moving around so after finding a table spot for the three of us – we were set.

Mostly I sat at our spot, trying to keep our stools, but upon occasion, I left them and did some exploring on my own inside the market.

Let me show you some of the vendors I came across. Perfect little sausages to pop in your mouth with their own holder.

Always enjoy a good fish display.

Several different types of paella.

First time seeing octopus on skewers.

There were a few stalls that had oysters, all from France.

Having the little figures in front of their cheese displays made it much easier to decipher the beginning ingredient of their displayed cheese.

There was at least one vendor that had sweets after you finished your savory choices. A great way to top off your meal – just saying.

But what did we eat? Let’s see………………

Oysters from two different vendors.

Octopus, very tasty and not chewy at all.

One of the last dishes was the paella with the squid ink. It turned your tongue black.

But we ultimately finished with Ibersian ham (of course) with nuts and crackers.

Yes, we can say the place was full of tourists but I would still recommend anyone visiting Madrid to stop by and pick up some goodies. We would definitely stop by again.

Ginny

Madrid 2025 – post 4

by ginnyinshanghai

We did some historic sites while in Madrid. One such site was the Royal Palace of Madrid.

It is the official royal residence of the Spanish royal family, although now only used for state ceremonies. The palace has 1,450,000 sq foot of floor space and contains 3418 rooms, making it the largest royal palace in Europe. Versailles is bigger, if you count the gardens.

If the Spanish king is in the building, a second flag would be flown.

The palace is on the site of a by-gone Muslin era fortress constructed in the 9th century. While there had been a number of expansions and alterations through the years, the palace burned down in 1734. A new palace was built from scratch on the same site beginning in 1738.

The grand staircase is composed of a single piece of San Augustin marble and upon reaching tyhe top stair, turning around you are greeted with this imposing site.

A close-up of their coat of arms…..

Carved lions guard the statue on both sides.

The frescos on the wall above the grand staircase depicts Religion protected by Spain. Everyone room had fantastic murals on the ceilings. It really was almost too much to take in. One could not absorb the beauty of the palace.

There is so much opulence that after a while the only difference is the overriding color in each room. We saw the King’s chambers, then the queen’s chambers. Clocks were a thing to be collected so I included a gallery of (some) of the numerous clocks we encountered.

The chandeliers were amazing, some rooms having more than one. Here’s a small gallery.

The banquet room was also imposing.

Which led us to their ‘pantry’ highlighting some of their porcelain and silver serving pieces.

The throne room and jewel room were equally imposing.

We enjoyed the tour, especially the part where we got to ‘skip’ the line with our tour guide.

Next door is the Almudena Cathedral, I mean, literally right next door from the Royal Palace. It is the Catholic cathedral in Madrid and the seat of the archdiocese of Madrid. It seems to have been built on the site of a medieval mosque that was destroyed in 1083. The statue is a moument to Pope John Paul II.

These doors were extremely tall. Hard to see that in my photo, but maybe you can guess the scale from the photo above.

It was started in 1883 but not completed until 1993 so it is a ‘newer’ church, with some modern touches. This was evident in the stained glass windows.

While no service was occurring, there was someone playing their organ. The organ was installed in 1999 after being made in Barcelona.

Since that doesn’t happen very often, I included a short video – which also gives a wider perspective of this modern church.

I totally loved the ceilings, they were so colorful and unexpected but inspired by Moorish designs. Here is the nave and the area above the pulpit.

Such amazing colors.

The Cathedral Crypt can be accessed via the Cathedral or a door along the side of the building, which is how we entered.

It is the largest crypt in Spain and completed in 1911. The chapels inside contain the tombs of important 19th century families.

This was the first time we have seen flowers on the crypts. Once you look at the dates, then you truly realize this was much younger than most other crypts we have visited in Europe. For those, no family members are around to place flowers.

Some visitors feel the crypt is more beautiful than the cathedral and in some respects more well decorated. There are five naves and 20 chapels. The number of columns with trees, plants and flowers was amazing.

Typically, I enjoy the really old churches, cathedrals and basilicas more than the modern ones, but exploring both of these buildings was a nice juxtaposition of architedture.

We need more food!

Ginny

Madrid 2025 – Post 3

by ginnyinshanghai

Food, glorious food – that’s what we visited for. And maybe, just maybe some wine.

Eric had read that Bodego de la Ardosa was a ‘do not miss’ spot in the old part of Madrid. We stepped away from our apartment, traversed a number of narrow streets while dodging some rain drops and FOUND IT!

It was established in 1892 and has a unique look and feel and it is always busy. It is a place that locals visit which was evident on our visit.

A lady sitting at a barrel table took pity on us and invited us to that table as she was leaving soon. She also recommended a few things to try – which we did. The tortilla patata was amazing. The kitchen brings it to the bar steaming hot, waiters cut slices and serve it. It was a perfect size for sharing as we had more things coming.

And oh boy! One of the tastiest things arrived next: braised beef cheeks. We had just enough of the above dish left to dip into the gravy below. Yum! We wished we had more bread for dipping.

Fried calamari and Iberian ham rounded out our selections.

We were all very happy. I didn’t get photos of our libations, but we had sangria, vermuth and several glass of local red wine.

I mentioned we were ‘lucky’. This was true in more ways than one. They had a maximum capacity of 40, which was plastered outside their door. During that evening the bar seemed to empty out, but new diners coming in had to wait outside until others left. Annnnnddddd it was now raining. What a yucky night to be stuck outside.

But back to the story………where were they? Some patrons were directed to their ‘back room’, only accessible by dunking under the bar. Really not the best photo but hopefully you can get the idea.

The doorway in the background below was right before you had to duck down to crawl through.

What? Yep, on a repeat visit we got placed in the ‘inner sanctum’. The front room had walls covered with bottles and memorabilia, as did the backroom.

It was finally time for us to leave and get out in the rain. Adrienne was the only one prepared with an umbrella.

We booked a food tour on our first full day in Madrid. Yep, everything thus far occured on the day of our arrival – after a nap. 🙂

They specialize in small group tours and as you can see above they have an umbrella company with tours in 80+ locaitons. In fact a family on our tour had done their ‘Paris Secret Food Tour’ and liked it so well, they booked with the same company for Madrid.

The group met our tour guide In Puerto de Sol, a major metro hub. It was also the location of Madrid’s bear statue, representing Madrid’s coat of arms. Tourists have noticed a discoloration on the bear’s hind leg and tail and subsequently believe that touching the statue will bring good luck – a myth totally made up by tourists.

In this plaza was also this huge sign – Tio Pepe. It’s a 100+ years old advertisement for sherry that has now turned into a cultural icon. At one time this square was filled with advertising signs and commercial billboards and this is the only remaining sign. The people of Madrid are passionate about the sign and its location. It’s staying for now.

This food tour was more than just food. Our guide, Jo, also included a good bit of history. Plaza Mayor – a major public square in the heart of Madrid, which dates back to the 15th century. It is a vibrant hub for cultural activities, festivals and public events. This is where the people go for New Year’s Eve, watching the clock tower with projections among other events happening that night. Our tour guide said ‘Think of NYC Times Square’.

We started with a hot beverage and pastry. Eric got the molten chocolate drink. Me, a cappuccino.

This is where we first learned about the bronze placques occasionally seen on the sidewalks.

Bronze pavement plaques are given by the city of Madid to denote a business or restaurant has continually worked for 100+ years. Once our guide pointed them out, we started to notice them. Even the restaurant at the top of this post had one – which we didn’t notice until our second visit.

Our first stop had some awesome sweets in their display cases. We might have to come back here on our own later in the week.

It was time to introduce meat to our food tour. We walked to Bartolome‘.

Loved the different types of ham – don’t ask me to identify them, way too many. The bread dipped in the (delicious!!!) olive oil helped break up the fat left on your tongue.

In the hallway to their storage, our guide pointed out these hanging hams. She also explained the cone at the bottom was to catch fat as it continued to dry.

And, there was another bronze pavement plaque.

Our next step was something that eric had been dreaming about……….

Calamares sandwich.

We walked into a long skinny establishment and took up places along the bar.

With a little big of magic (and hot oil), these calimare turned into delicious bites of goodness. We each got half a sandwich and that was enough. A plate of fried potatoes, a beverage of your choice and we all dug in. Yes, I enjoyed the sandwich also.

Two more places to go, can we make it? We will give it our best.

This next stop was very much a local stop. And it was about the vermuth.

First up was the glass of local vermuth. It wasn’t bad. It starts as a white wine and gains a darker color through infusion of caramel and various other spices and botanicals, often with a slice of orange and/or olive in your glass. It can be enjoyed straight up or on the rocks. At 15% alcohol, they consider it a perfect aperitif before a meal.

A plate of fried pork bits and other assorted veggies rounded out the food offerings.

Those little sausages below were very tasty.

Finally made it to our last stop:

Once again, it was a variety of tasting plates, but this round included a few bites of seafood.

One of the pair of young ladies on our tour was celebrating her birthday and we all shared some of her birthday cake and another sweet goodie. Personally, I liked the cake on the left best.

It was raining fairly steady, so when the rest of the group departed, we stayed for more wine and talk.

Which also gave a chance to grab a photo with the tour guide, Jo.

It was a really good tour, even with dodging the rain. We were all prepared with umbrellas – after Eric and I bought one each at a convenience store………..

It was waaaaaaaay too much food for me, but it well received by the other two. 🙂 More walking and adventures are coming.

Ginny

Madrid 2025 – post 2

by ginnyinshanghai

Parque del Buen Retiro was our intended destination. Yes, it was a park. Our path took us past these pink blooming trees in the old city of Madrid. They lined several streets.

Most were younger trees, but occasionally we would pass one of these beauties. The gnarled truck and bark had its own attraction.

The park originally belonged to the Spanish monarchy until 1868 at which time it became a public park. It is considered one of the main attractions of the city, having architectural and landscape figures from the 7th to the 21st century.

Walking to the park, we came upon a traffic circle, surrounding the Puerta de Alcala. This gate was one of the five old royal gates that gave access to the city of Madrid.

The Retiro Park has seventeen entrances and we came through the ‘Door of Independence’. The park is 125 hectares and contains more than 15,000 trees. Loved seeing these ivy ‘balls’ on our walk towards the Galapagos Fountain. Most were fully grown, but I found this framework along the path that was waiting to be replanted.

Constructed in 1831, the locally named Galapagos fountain was not only commemorative and ornamental but also used for the water supply at that time.

At the top is a snail-shaped pump, with water cascading down to four children mounted on their own dolphins.

There are four more fountains below the dolphins representing two frogs and two Galapagos turtles, which have given it its popular name. Okay, got it now.

One last photo before moving on. 🙂 Yes, it was that bright and we needed sunglasses.

Next up was ‘The Pond’ with the Monument to King Alfonso XII in the background.

Rowboats could be rented for a small fee. But that’s not an activity for us. Sorry dear, I could see someone leaning to the side and ‘plop’, we’re in the water.

Along with recreational use, the pond also holds rowing and canoeing competitions. We found these cats sitting on the roof where the rowboats were stored. Guess they found a warm place for a nap.

The monument in the background of the pond was from a 1902 competition with the equestrian statue of the king at the top.

A pair of carved lions flank both stairways to the monument.

There was one more intriguing fountain that had to be seen before leaving……..the Fountain of the Fallen Angel. It has the reputation of being the only prominent sculpture dedicated to the devil in the world.

It stands at 666 meter above sea level. Really? Really. The first statement was questionable, but the 666 seems to be solid data.

Personally, I liked the creatures at the base of the Fallen Angel.

What would a garden post be without any photos of flowers. We found more of the pink blooming trees inside the park.

These white flowering trees drew me away from the main thoroughfare.

And behind them was a quiet spot for reflection and solitude.

Those two let me wander off and take my photos of flowers, unconcerned by my whereabouts.

My Icelandic wool friend has enjoyed being in Spain. He will pop in occasionally.

We’re ready for some food. Let’s see what Eric can find.

Ginny

Madrid 2025 – Post 1

by ginnyinshanghai

The journey began with an Uber to the airport. Thank goodness for these ride-share options. Otherwise, parking at the airport would be a huge financial shock upon return. Been there, done that.

Next stop……..The Club, MCO, for breakfast and drinks – coffee for me, not for the other two.

This adventure we used American Airlines – a first for us. Usually, Delta is the airline of choice, but a recent number of delays on other trips, led us to look for other options. We had a layover at Charlotte before going overseas.

We left the states and headed towards Spain.

Airline food is not usually photo worthy………but having real plates and silverware bumped it up a notch or two – just saying.

A glass of wine to help doze off.

But let’s get back to the main story……………….Espana!

Once we chose the country, then selected Madrid as our starting point the next decision was (1) north or (2) south. Eric ran into a couple from Spain several months ago and once he said we were ‘foodies’, they said no choice – go North. But let’s get back to Madrid………

As with most of our flights, landing in Europe occurs very, very, very early on their time. Arrival was scheduled for 5:30am. Let’s just say going through the Madrid Airport was a breeze. We kept walking, walking and more walking before we got to Customs – which was empty. Fastest we have ever gotten through!

We had reserved an AirBNB apartment in the old town of Madrid. We reserved it the night prior to our arrival in order to go straight there and nap. One of the wisest practices we started doing a number of years ago. It is so worth the extra dollars.

Instructions were fairly simple, but since we arrived in the dark, outside photos will come later. Here was the final barrier to bedtime.

A few quick photos before napping. We reserved a 2 bedroom, 2-bath apartment.

Small kitchen with everything necessary. All appliances were behind the white panel doors: fridge, disherwasher and the combo washer/dryer.

But the thing we were looking for…………….

What did the outside look like? Here’s a shot once the sun came up and we went walking. We are on floor 2 (not counting the bottom), corner apartment. Loved having the elevator. I will walk down the stairs, but walking upstairs with luggage is no fun.

The key code to open the building was the same key code to get into our place – sweet!

All were awake and ready to find lunch by 11:30am.

We have always enjoyed the European markets so Mercado de San Anton was locked and loaded in Eric’s phone – 1.1 km away, we can easily do that.

Walked in and this greeted you. Love it! Upstairs were the food stails.

I felt like a sandwich from this establishment. No, that is not a hotdog.

Spanish shaved ham, sundried tomatoes, parmasean crema with arugula was very delicious.

Adrioenne had no problem making her choice – octopus.

Eric ordered a few different things to share: scallops, cheese croquettes and oysters.

Add in local Sangria along with cider and your meal is complete.

Way more adventures to come. This day we took advantage of the ‘dry’ weather to walk more of the city. My next post will take you along our walk. The next day promised rain so that somewhat dictated our plans.

Ginny