de cochina madre!!! (Madrid)

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Product:	Madrid
Date:	15/01/02 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: ham

Disadvantages: nothing

adore Madrid. I found the people to be most friendly. We are all suckers for friendly.
This is a city steeped in history. One afternoon, I went to the University of Madrid, and met a graduate student in architecture. I paid him to drive me around Madrid all afternoon. Cities, like trees grow in sloppy concentric circles from the middle out. In that manner, by driving around in circles, starting in the center city, you can learn about the history of a city by the style of its architecture. It was a non-traditional way for a tourist to walk through local time.
The city boasts the Parque El Retiro. You can rent a boat, and float down the waters enjoying a lunch of fresh cheese and rolls, a glass of vinto tinto (red wine), and let the afternoon melt away while the Madrid sun bathes you in its warmth.
The Prado is the national art museum of Spain. That I cannot draw a straight line does not mean I wasn't fascinated by the beauty of the paintings contained within this treasure. No trip to Madrid is complete without an afternoon in the Prado.
In the old center city of Madrid, the Plaza Mayor, there are many wonderful outdoor cafes. It is a custom to nibble on the Tapas, little appetizers, from one cafe to another. Each cafe prides itself on its own unique tapa. At night, there are many different live entertainers of whom to observe and listen. I prefer the patterns of chords of the guitars and the sounds of the Flamenco dancers as they twirl and stomp. Their costumes are combinations of traditional black and white for the men, and varied bright colors for the ladies. I sat at tables sipping either cafe con leche, or Gran Duque D'Alba chocolated brandy and shouting "Ole, Andele", and some times "Oy Veh". That confused some locals!
My favorite restaurant in Madrid is the Antigua Casa Sobreno de Botin. It is reputed to have been Ernest Hemmingway's favorite restaurant. The Botin is a five star fine dining establishment
. It is on the main street of the old city, the Calle de Cuchilleros.
I started with the traditional cold spicy vegetable soup, Gazpacho. Then I had Jamon de Serrano, a cured spiced ham dish with green and black olives that were marinated and in brine. Ensalda verde, a green salad with a piquant house dressing came next.
For the entree I suggest either the Paella a la Valenciana con Longostinos, or the Ternera a la Extermena. The Paella is a stew of various fresh meats, blood sausages, seafoods, vegetables, and spices in a fish stock. It is served over a bed of saffroned rice. It is the most fun an adult can have with their clothes still on. An alternative are the veal medallions in white wine sauce. For any red meat meal, a vino tinto from the province of Rioja, such as Banda Azul is a perfect compliment.
For dessert, the caramel custard Flan will settle your tummy. And to wash it down, perhaps a cafe panamania. Coffee with a liquor to add to the culinary experience.
There are many art galleries in the Plaza Mayor. I prefer the Sala de Arte Cuchilleros. My favorite artist is Roger Ochoa. I own three of his paintings. By the way, I commissioned him to paint my company's corporate logo. You can see it by visiting my web site at www.woroco.com.
Madrid, like all cities of hispanic culture, has its Plaza de Toros. As Tom Lehrer wrote in his song on bull fighting, "For there is surely nothing more beautiful in this world than the sight of a lone man facing singlehandedly a half a ton of angry pot roast". As odd as it seems, the mob psychology at the bull fights can seduce you into the excitement of the event's drama. Well, these things are culturally relative. Certainly, they are no better or worse than prize fighting. And the local custom is to donate the meat from the losing animals to the poor. Charity is a humanitarian act which cannot be denied.
There is plenty of shopping for the ladies. El Corte Ingles is the Bloomin
gdales of Madrid. The clothing is varied. Buying something with intricate Spanish lace, like a blouse is a must. They do very good work with leather crafts. And the Lladro vases are world famous.
At any time of the year, you will want to take home a memory or three of local Spanish culture. I arrived just before the Lent season ended. When it did, the old custom was to come to the Plaza Mayor, dig a hole, and bury a fish. This was to symbolize the conclusion of the time when one abstains from meat products. Then, people would go home to feast on roast Andalusian Spring Lamb or Pig. Today, no one buries fish any more. Instead, they bring in children, who cut out fish shaped outlines from cardboard, and color them with crayons.
It is a beautiful thing to watch the young children squatting or sitting, and drawing on their cardboard sea dwelling creatures.
An example of the warmth and sensitivity of Madrid residents was an action by the office staff with whom I worked on Calle Maria de Molina. It was also the conclusion of the Freedom Festival of Passover when I arrived in Madrid. My temporary secretary was the eleventh in a family containing twelve brothers. Almost all of her brothers are Jesuit Priests. To insure that I did not miss the ordered family meal called the Seder, she voluntarily arranged, to my delight and surprise, for her brothers to pick me up at the office, and drive me across town to a small Sephardic Congregation where I could attend services. I was then taken to private residences, and treated to holiday home hospitality.
It has been said that Spain is the Florida of Europe. This is true by climate, and false because there is no local history of throwing elections and voting recounts.
All I can say to sum up this monograph is that I found the people of Madrid to be as warm as it's sun. And that is good enough for me.

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