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Sunday, October 18, 2009

Toledo: 2nd Stop




After Madrid; the late late night tapas, amazing museos and LOTS of churros, we thought it would be a nice change to go to the small nearby town of Toledo. Both Ben and my Dad highly recommended it as a sleepy romantic diversion. So a short 30 minute train ride from Atocha station and we were in the outskirts of Toledo. The train station had some amazing Moorish tiles and woodwork as well. We ended up at a great, central, cheap hotel; Carlos the V. After some exploring and watching the sunset from the Puente Alcantara, we had a nice dinner at Kumera. It got mixed reviews from us but was situated in the wonderful little Plaza Marron and it was a warm clear night. I had an interesting (what seemed like) pot roast ravioli with a Dijon mustard sauce. Jodie had the prix fixe menu with calamari and egg plant (interesting). The rest of the evening we wandered around the town which had basically shut down around 10 pm. A big change from Madrid. The next day we visited the amazing Cathedral, the Puente de San Martin and plazas. Lunch in Plaza Zocodover and then off to Sevilla. Short and sweet.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Madrid: 1st Stop


Two weeks in Spain! First stop, Madrid. Jodie and I landed and met up with a couple of old friends from San Francisco that just happen to be there as well. We took their lead and booked a room in the same hotel, Hotel Analina, for a couple of nights. The place was cheap, central, clean and we got a free churro y chocolate breakfast every morning at the Maestro Churrero. There was a very noticeable hangover over the entire town as the previous night was Noche en Blanca, where the whole place goes nuts with music, art, dance.... Turns out Michael and Angie missed the whole thing as she took a header down some steps and they spent the whole time sorting that out. She was fine, disappointed, but fine.


We spent a day each at the Reina Sofia and then the Thyssen and the nights dining on amazing tapas like those at Taberna Tempernillo, Lolina Cafe and the Taberna at the Plaza de Guardia de Corps. Awesome! Great food, wine, museums and friends. Seriously, the best museums I've ever seen. Too much in fact. We both got art burnout so badly that we passed on free tickets to the Prado (from a previous visit, one of the most complete museums I've ever seen).