We made it home by around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, after one of the most trouble-free trips ever. Our non-stop flights there and back were on time, we had no problems getting to and from the airport, our hotel was perfect, and the food was great. The weather was cold and drizzly for a few days, but that gave us an excuse to take a day off from touristing.
Here's my snapshots of our Madrid 2010 trip, or you can see the slideshow version.
Madrid seems much more accessible than other major cities like Rome, Paris, London, or New York. The slower pace is noticeable while walking in the city center, getting on and off subways and buses, and shopping. As Terri said, Madrid is 'normal' -- it's inviting and pleasant, and we always felt totally at ease. Here's a few random observations about our trip.
Eating in Madrid often means standing up. Small shops serving fried calamari sandwiches, tapas, gambas al ajillo, churros con chocolate, or any of the other local specialties may have tables in the back but the crowds are at the bar or stand-up tables. The prices are cheaper at the bar and standing up means you won't linger before you venture back out on the streets to find the next snack. Standing up or sitting down, the food was really good everywhere we went: lots of ham and seafood, and well-made wine to wash it down.
As I wrote before, the museums in Madrid are stunningly good. Besides the famous trio I wrote about here last week, we went to several lesser-known but equally enjoyable places. The Caixa Forum had a wonderful exhibit of the work of Miguel Barceló, including a crowd-pleasing sculpture of a full-size elephant standing upright on its extended trunk. We also lucked out and got tickets to a concert on our our last night in Madrid, with Trevor Pinnock performing works by Bach, Couperin, and Rameau.
We went to the Museo Sorolla because Terri remembered a Sorolla painting she had seen and liked years ago. The museum is in what was the artist's large, beautiful home, with much of the furniture and decoration just as it was in 1923 when he died. My favorite room was the large studio, which still had his easels and paintbrushes. Terri fell in love with the house, by the way, and considered making an offer to buy it.
Following Rick Steves' suggestion, we took the #27 bus out to Plaza de Castilla in the more modern part of Madrid. While walking around the plaza we happened upon Fundación Canal, a cultural center in what appears to have been some sort of water works. The modern, remodeled space featured an exhibition of the sculptural works of Jorge Oteiza.
We stayed at Hotel Europa and loved it: a simple, clean corner room in a perfect location with a great view of Puerta del Sol, a great shower, and a restaurant/bar for breakfast. Café con leche and a napolitana (cream-filled pastry) for €2 -- a perfect way to start our day.
The guidebooks on Spain all mention the constant threat of pickpockets, but we encountered nothing remotely threatening. Perhaps the pickpockets were all on holiday in a warmer place? (I'll write a post sometime about our 100% successful anti-pickpocket measures.)
There were two minor irritants. First, I got hit with dynamic currency conversion on our first night, at dinner, and didn't catch it in time to reverse it. DCC is a legalized scam: the credit card processor offers the 'convenience' of converting a charge to your own currency, for which they charge an extra 2.5% or more on top of any foreign transaction fees levied by your credit card. We ran into DCC several more times on our trip, but I was able to reverse it (by opting for the charge in euros only) or pay in cash. Because DCC benefits the merchant and the processor at the expense of the consumer, many places will automatically select dollars when they swipe your card and not even offer the option of euros only. I am a near obsessive about the best credit/debit card deals, so this DCC scam really ticks me off, and it seems much more prevalent in Madrid than in any other place we've visited.
Secondly, America will be sleeping safer tonight because Madrid airport security confiscated my sealed jar of Hero chestnut spread. I love chestnut spread on toast, but it's gotten harder to find at home. Our Fort Worth Central Market used to carry it, but no more. So I bought a jar at El Corte Ingles, the huge Spanish department store. As much as we travel, I am well aware of all the rules about liquids and such, but I had no idea that chestnut spread (with the consistency of peanut butter) would be considered a terroristic threat. Air travel security has so much silliness.
Minor annoyances aside, Terri and I felt very much at home in Madrid. We felt like we could easily fit in, and there was plenty to see and do (and eat and drink). Add to that the great flight schedules to and from DFW, and I think we'll be going back soon, for a longer stay. What better way to practice our Spanish?
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