Tag Archives: Madrid

December 1, 2017 · 5:35 am

Fun Food Friday — Fatigas del Querer


Fatigas del Querer

One can develop quite the appetite walking around Madrid all day. For one thing, your constantly bombarded along the streets with views of delectable sandwiches:

Madrid sandwich shop

And delightfully decadent jamón serrano: and jamón ibérico:

 

Jamón serrano

Our travel companions Earl and Dolores were in need of a rest, so Ursula and I headed out on our own for dinner. We asked some of the locals where to go for tapas, and many of them pointed us in the direction of Fatigas del Querer (see this article: Hidden gem in Madrid: reader’s travel tips and their Facebook page). We were not disappointed. When you first enter you pass by the bar:

Fatigas del Querer

This restaurant may look small on the outside, but it’s deep:

Fatigas del Querer

And there’s even more seating in the back:

Fatigas del Querer

Fatigas del Querer

Ask your waiter for assistance. The food portions are generous, which means your waiter can best advise you on how much to order and what plates are best for sampling among your party. Our order consisted of garlic shrimp, which was perfectly cooked and loaded with garlic flavor:

Shrimp in garlic butter

Ursula, being European, loves air-dried meats, hams, and sausages of every type, so of course you know what made up one platter. This platter was quite a load of food for the two of us, and the samplings were exquisite:

Assorted cured meats, blood sausage, and cheese

The sausages and bread sticks were also quite delectable:

Sausages and bread sticks

Fatigas del Querer is Spanish for “Toils of Love”, and love of tapas were evident in every tasty bite of every tasty morsel. The restaurant is well worth finding, but it’s not easy to locate. The address is Calle de La Cruz 17, and Calle de la Cruz is a very small street southwest of Plaza de la Canalejas. If you can locate the plaza, which is fairly easy, then you’re only about 500 feet/150 meters from the restaurant.

 

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November 29, 2017 · 5:35 am

Three Days in Madrid — Day One continues


Edificio Metrópolis

Continuing our Day One walk-around Madrid, we headed back to the west from Buen Retiro Park. Traveling alone Calle de Alcalá we found some architectural gems rivaling those along Gran Via. Just outside the park is the Puerta de Alcalá in the Plaza de la Independencia.

Puerta de Alcalá

Make sure you zoom in on that area atop the arch:

Puerta de Alcalá

Continuing west you reach the Plaza de Cibeles, which contains the magnificent Cybele Palace:

Cybele Palace, Plaza de Cibeles

Continuing along Calle de Alcalá you pass in quick succession the Church of San José:

Iglesia de San José

The Edificio Metrópolis (pictured at the top of this article; closeup here) built in 1911:

Edificio Metrópolis

Along the way I also found this beautiful red cat watching over everyone below, as cats are wont to do:

Red Cat

Next up was the Church of the Calatravas:

Iglesia de las Calatravas

And right next to the church is this bit of Art Deco architectural style:

Madrid building

This Friday will not be the usual Fun Photo Friday, but rather a Fun Food Friday as we go out to dine on that quintessential Spanish tradition—tapas. To get to our restaurant we have to go south through Plaza de Canalejas, passing right by the beautiful Edificio Menses with its intricate brickwork and colorful ornamentation:

Edificio Menses, Plaza de Canalejas

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November 27, 2017 · 5:35 am

Three Days in Madrid — Day One


Edificio Menses, Plaza de Canalejas

Some of you who follow this blog may wonder if Ursula and I ever make friends with our fellow cruise travelers. Yes. We do. And we frequently plan together to join up on future trips, as well. Our trip beginning toward the end of October, 2016, was one such planned joint excursion with people we have traveled with before, and are planning to travel together again later next year.

Edificio Metrópolis

The particular couple with whom we met up in Madrid are Dolores and Earl Daniels of New Bern, North Carolina. And this trip would be a rather lengthy one — three nights in Madrid, Spain, followed by a high speed train to Barcelona. From Barcelona we would board a cruise ship for a transatlantic voyage aboard the Norwegian Epic to Miami, with stops along the way on Tenerife, Canary Islands; and San Juan, Puerto Rico; before disembarking in Port Canaveral, Florida.

Vincci the Mint

From Port Canaveral, Ursula and I were scheduled to part ways with Dolores and Earl, rent a car, head south to Miami, and the next day board another cruise ship, the Carnival Victory, for a quick cruise to Key West, Florida, and Cozumel, Mexico. So, ever the next several weeks, you’re going to visually visit several destinations aboard two cruise ships from different cruise lines. In addition to the scenic sights, you’re also going to read my review of the two cruise lines we traveled on this back-to-back cruise experience. Who will win, Carnival or Norwegian? Hint: It wasn’t even close, and one of these cruise lines will most likely never see my business again.

Casino Gran Via

Most of the photos you see today were taken along the Gran Via in central Madrid. The Casino Gran Via you see pictured above was mere minutes from our lodgings on Calle de la Montera, in the Hotel Luis XV. If you’re looking for affordable accommodations in the heart of Madrid, mere moments from the most important and visually stunning architecture and sights, then Hotel Luis XV is definitely worth your consideration.

Gran Via

As you can tell from these morning photos, the nearby buildings are spectacular.

Along Calle del Clavel, one block south of Gran Via

Gran Via is a very upscale shopping street, and the buildings here are noted for their baroque features.

Vincci the Mint

But the side streets near Hotel Luis XV can also hold some charm:

Madrid graffiti

About a mile west on foot is the Buen Retiro Park, which also holds some really great photo opportunities. Here is the Monument to Alfonso XII:

Monument to Alfonso XII

Parks are also great places for people photography, as well:

Buen Retiro Park

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