Madrid: Exploring

On previous stopovers in Madrid, we’ve visited the Prado and Parque del Retiro, so this time we just wandered the streets trying to get a feel for some of the neighborhoods. Lavapies has small shops catering to many different cultures. Across the street from our apartment is a Vietnamese restaurant, and on the corner is a barbershop with signage in Arabic.

As we drew closer to the Plaza Mayor, we heard more English than we have heard in the rest of the trip put together - far more! (In fact, other than a few words heard in the crowd on Easter Sunday in Lorca, I don’t remember hearing anyone speaking English up til today. )

The Mercado de San Miguel was a feast for the eyes with stall after stall presenting artfully arranged tapas. Throngs of people were assembling a tapas lunch by combining their favorites. Most were priced at €1.50 to €10.00. Choices ranged from olive shish-kabobs to caviar.Read more