Random Madrid Scenes

Walking around over the course of 2-3 days...we enjoyed Madrid more than previous visits and are wondering now when and how we'll return.

Modernistas here and there

With sculpture depicting a bad end to man's first attempt at
heavier-than-air flight

 

Rescue of a Segway

Somehow we got lost onto the awful Fodor's self-guided tour
we did last time

We have come to appreciate that if a town doesn't have an Irish
bar, it probably doesn't have a bar

Solidarity

The ants go marching...what do ants sing as
they march?

One sees the "Welcome Refugees" signs all
over

Landmark buildings

In Plaza de Sol; I finally tried a Tio Pepe one day; ick

 

And the band continues playing on; I think I actually recognized
some of these guys from 2013

Making bath time lots of fun...

Spanish pastry shops are quite inviting and quite reasonably-
priced

Part Modernista, part wedding cake

Trompe l'oeil building

Our first impression of Camping Osuna--in the wet and cold
and dark of January, 2010--was not so good; we have come to
appreciate it now, after our third stay, particularly the ease of
transportation into the city it provides

Madrid's Mercado San Miguel

After the incident with the suckling pig we walked around and to the nearby Mercado San Miguel. It is Madrid's oldest market but was recently renovated and converted into a tapas shopping mall extravaganza. It is large and interesting because, instead of 20-30 different tapas joints, all serving pretty much the same things, you have 20-30 specialized tapas joints. Seafood here, jamon there, olives there, caviar here. (Caviar?!) See below. In any case, we resolved to come back for another dinner-on-a-stick after our visit to the Thyssen. And we did.

Us, there

Has the whole world gone mojito?!

Welcome to the seafood department!

Olives tapas, with jamon, salmon, squid, cheese...

We think this might have been Japanese tapas

Potato chip tapas

Turkish tapas, the pistachio particularly tempting

So from this bin, I predict that tapas/pinxtos soon will be known simply as "shots"--
food shots--more alluring to the younger American tourist

Caviar shots

Mozzarella shots

From the Mozzarella bar

What youngsters do while parents take shots

Sangria on tap

Wine guy

After the olives shot, I had this seafood shot

There is exactly one market type store in the market; here, a beautiful pyramide
under construction; cherry shots?

Black rice paella; I do not understand why (some) people think paella is such a
big deal

Yogurt shots; read the label

Pizza tapas; I mean, shot

Avid customer

Coffee shots

We thought we might end it all with a shot each of Ginja, the incredibly wonderful
Portuguese cherry liqueur; but this was a watered-down abomination, not even
served in a chocolate cup

So we repaired to the Amorino's across the street; a great ending to a great day