More Madrid

🚧UNDER CONSTRUCTION 👷‍♂️🏗️
We had passed on Linda's urging us a few days earlier to visit Botín, the oldest restaurant in the world (having opened in 1725), and were glad that this day gave us a chance to try her other suggestion: Museo del Jamón (Museum of Ham)! We were intrigued, having spotted a sign for it on the Gran Vía during our Big Bus tour a few days earlier.

A Google search revealed multiple locations around town - we decided to visit the one on Paseo del Prado and headed to the Metro to take us to the Estación del Arte stop near the Atocha train station. The nearby Reina Sofía Museum of 20th Century Art had also been pointed out on the Big Bus tour - so much to see, so little time.

Entering the restaurant, we passed a huge deli counter on our way to an open table in the rear dining room to have a late lunch/early dinner (by Spanish standards). From their "menú especial" we shared a melon cup with iberian ham and assorted iberian hors d'oeuvres as our primer plato (first course) and veal escalope with potatoes and iberian pork shoulder with pepper as our segundo plato (second course), which included a glass of vino tinto & dessert (flan, if memory serves correctly) for €19.95 each.

It was a nice evening to stroll along the Paseo del Prado back to our hotel. We stopped into "Ale Hop"- a ubiquitous variety store, sort of like Five Below, but with kitchier merchandise and a wider range of prices. Laurie picked up a metal bottle (to transport leftover wine), and Pat got a lanyard for her phone. Both great (and reasonably priced) purchases.

Continuing on, we passed the Royal Botanical Garden & Prado, and then our favorite Restaurante Prado (we waved to our server, Raúl) and Torrones Vicens (our chocolate shop: Not bad--- Not bad at all) where they gave us more samples.

Arriving back at Apartamentos Recoletos, we packed up for our next day's travel to Santiago de Compostela.Read more