Day 6. Thursday 13 March.

Probably still a bit jet lagged as we were both wide awake at 0500.There was a fracas somewhere close by during the night & a barking dog! So an early start -T googled possible destinations for the day: how about a really good coffee & then a market visit (desperate for some fresh chili, garlic & coriander in very small quantities). Perhaps the San Miguel Mercado would have some? Then maybe a little vintage moment at Magpie Vintage (seemed to be close by). Finding a hole in the wall called Santa Kafeina proved a major walk, backwards & forwards & actually going into a coffee shop where a long queue had formed (pastries & bread looked fabulous) & tapping the shoulder of the guy ahead & asking for confirmation of Kafeina. Yes, he knew it & said it had good coffee & pulled up a map that showed its location only 300 metres further along. Well, we walked another 500 metres, still not finding it, till D pulled out his phone map. Sure enough we’d missed it , first time. Just one guy & an espresso machine & a few stools. The coffee was pretty good too – certainly the best we’d had in Madrid so far. 

Revived enough to tackle a museum, so  onto  the metro to the Museo National Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. The guy staffing an information booth directed us to the tickets….queues of school-age teens deterred our plans, despite the guy saying it didn’t look too busy! Shows how small town we are! A post-coffee issue is locating a toilet. There are none at metro stations…finding a Starbucks or McDonalds seems to be the go. The central station was nearby, which had been commented on favorably on yesterday’ tour, so why not have a look at the inside? Renos are happening to the grand entrance so we ventured down a side lane to arrive in a station where thousands were on the move. The ‘open space’ was probably worth the crush but we decided against joining any queue to investigate a train ride to Toledo. 

T had seen adverts for day excursions by bus, so perhaps this would be a better alternative than the train – to be followed up later. D did a fine job with phone map taking us to the Mercado San Miguel (just past Sol) but what a scene! No way was it be the fresh produce we were expecting…it turned out to be a sort of multi-provider eatery, with customers standing or sitting on stools shoulder to shoulder snacking on (expensive) small plates & wine/beer. A hasty exit into the adjacent plaza & our first ‘tapas’ venture delivered a vino each with a small bowl of packet chips: we were gobsmacked by the chips, assuming they were the ‘potato’s plazas’ we’d ordered but later a bowl of hot potato wedges covered in a slightly spicy mayo arrived – D at least was satisfied. A ‘not gourmet’ moment, but thankfully we’d managed to get a translation ahead of ordering some huevos that saved us from actually ordering eggs, with potatoes or chorizo on the side!

Somewhat revived, D steered us to the Cathedral de Almudena: no queues here but we’d struck siesta at the crypt. 

Around the corner to the Palacio Real…again, queues, so we peeked at the entrance, bypassed the Royal Art Collection (still siesta) & took in the view over the cypresses (D remembered how the Aussie bloke on yesterday’s Big Bus tour had complained about the cypress gardens blocking the view of the Palace). 

Enough for today, so head back to the metro station Opera. Getting there wasn’t too difficult, but we found ourselves on the wrong train (it was just a shuttle back and forth between two stations, so we hadn’t travelled far) but must have looked like lost sheep for a kind shepherd just stepped in unasked & guided us to a couple of helpful station attendants who explained our mistake.

We needed some essential ingredients for tonight’s self catering, so headed to Carrefour Supermarket, to be again disappointed by not being able to purchase small amounts of garlic or chilies at local supermarkets – if they were even available. Perhaps we’re spoiled by the range and options the big supermarkets give us? Having come across a couple of small vegetable shops on our first night stroll we decided to check them out. The first we came to had exactly what we needed, served by a very accommodating woman, through sign language and guesswork. We were somewhat startled when she produced a significant box of chilies, with much shaking of our heads as we indicated that we wanted just one. With a slight shrug she took one out of the box, and indicated that of course that was understood: no one would buy a whole box. Duh! In addition to getting our produce, we were taken by the range of tomatoes offered – and even more taken by a closed shop we passed on our way home that only sold tomatoes.

Magic moments:

#1 – The chili selection interaction.

#2 – Not so much a single moment, but the kind responses we’ve had so far on this trip from strangers, like the coffee queue and the train interaction today.

Although we have missed out on a number of attractions/points of interest due to renovations or crowds, this hasn’t really spoiled the overall experience. Madrid has been wonderful, an elegant mix of palaces, apartments, monuments, public buildings, fountains, and when we’ve interacted with locals it has invariably been friendly and helpful. Easy to get around, and feeling safe at all times.

Dinner: Chicken Desparado with chilies, asparagus, garlic and coriander, with Los Molinos Tempranillo 2023.