Madrid days started with traditional churros with hot chocolate and strong coffee (cortado) at Chocolaterías San Ginés, like a Madrileño, had sunshine & tapas for lunch, and ended with ‘tinto de verano’ drink, reminding me of the summer I thought was over, with flamenco guitar in the background.

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From exploring El Retiro Park, I continued to très chic Salamanca district, with the mission to try the famous ‘tortilla with potatoes and onion’ from restaurant Casa Dani, at traditional market number 4 Mercado de la Paz, with a stop before at patisserie Mallorca.

Spanish meals – Since lunch is usually at 2 pm and dinner very late, even after 9 pm, the bocadillo de calamares (simple baguette and fried squid) near Plaza Mayor, from Bar La Campana, mentioned in Madrid mix, or tortillas and tapas saved the day.

Ah, tapas is a typical snack everywhere in Spain, and I started my tour with croquettes and sardines at ‘Casa de Bacalao’ and ‘La hora del Vermut’ and more sea food in Mercado de Saint Miguel, in a historical building, now a gourmet tapas market.

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Talking about lunch, paella is a dish originally from Valencia, but can still be enjoyed everywhere in Spain during menú del día at La Finca de Susana, close to Plaza Santa Ana.

By the way, the concept of the menú del día, or menu of the day is a great way to try different Spanish dishes and is affordable. For around 11 or 12 euros you can order the first and second course, plus a drink, dessert and bread.

And other day I ordered huevos rotos or broken eggs, server on French fries and Jamon Iberico, a dry cured ham. Apparently even the King has this for lunch at Casa Lucio. Next time there!

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Flamenco from the soul

Last night in Madrid – I wanted to attend a flamenco performance. Even though flamenco originally comes from South of Spain Andalusia, the musicians and dancers are actually traveling from all over Spain to Madrid.

After checking many options, including Cardamomo Tablao or Teatro Flamenco, in the end I bought tickets to “Burdina/Hierro” at Teatro Español, in Plaza Santa Ana. The dancer Adriana Bilbao, changing four dresses, the two singers and the musicians were incredible, and it turned out be more than a flamenco performance, but a “poetic and emotional work between the present and the past, the now and the memory, where the flamenco and the Basque tradition are combined”. (Credit madridactual.es)

Perfect mix!