Once more we awoke promptly at 11 am. We decided to skip breakfast and headed straight to Erica’s apartment for an early lunch of leftovers from last night’s incredible dinner. After bidding goodbye to Erica as she returned to work, Patrice and I headed out to explore the city some more. We went to the Matadero which is now a cultural center but previously was a slaughterhouse. This is a beautiful complex with a lovely greenhouse botanical exhibit, a skate park and educational galleries along the Madrid River. The setting is lovely and I am sure that now it is much more enjoyable for animals than it was as a slaughterhouse.
We then headed to Puerta Del Sol where we visited an M.C. Escher exhibit. There were about 200 originals of his works. I have long been an Escher fan so this was a real treat for me. I especially enjoyed one of his self-portraits. See below.
After the Escher exhibit we had to go to San Ginés Chocolateria for churros with chocolate sauce and café con leche. I love this place and Patrice went along just to keep me company. She didn’t want any churros (see below).
At night we met up with Erica and my friends Myriam and Marcos for dinner at Restaurante Castelados. They are a fantastic couple with 3 sons. Marcos speaks extremely fast and my Spanish is very poor so after about an hour my brain swells and tissue can be seen seeping out of my ears. Thank goodness we had Erica there to help with my understanding. The meal was incredible and for those who follow this blog only to find restaurant recommendations you should definitely make note of this one. We were told that Michelle Obama dined here when she visited Madrid. For those who have been following our trips you might recall that we ate at Pamela’s in Pittsburgh and the Red Rooster in Harlem (both favorites of Barack Obama). This has given me an idea. We have been on a Hall of Fame Tour and a National Park Tour, now I see in our future a “Barack and Michelle Obama Trendy Restaurant Tour”.
I am not sure what tomorrow holds for us but I am sure it will include Erica and food.
Thank you so much for your comments on the blog. I love reading them.
Robert
Robert Reiss Travel Blog and Other Ramblings 