Bonjour, friends! I tried to post this yesterday but was thwarted by problems with the “wee-fee”, so just pretend like you are reading this yesterday. Merci!
Bonjour from Madrid! Today I am:
I couldn’t be happier to be celebrating that number with Enfant #2 and Husband #1 in Madrid. The sun came to the party, too, and shined on us all day long. Madrid is a beautiful city and I can certainly understand why my daughter has fallen in love with it. The buildings are glistening white, the metro is sparkling clean, and the sangria is amazingly delicious.
The Mercado de San Miguel is a covered market that was completed in 1910. It has been transformed into a thriving destination for all types of Spanish gastronomy. We ate several different kinds of tapas, drank sangria and beer, and finished with ice cream.
sorry this came out so dark- the building was very pretty
ham, of course!
empinadas
After lunch we went to a beautiful old square called Plaza Mayor.
Claire was excited to show us a large park, Parque Del Buen Retiro, in the middle of the city. Formerly a royal park, it was opened to the public in 1868 and covers 360 acres.
This Crystal Palace is in the park and was built in 1887. It used to house exotic plants but is now used for temporary exhibitions.
It was a great way to celebrate turning 53! I hope you found something to celebrate today, too.
Mais Oui Paris 
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday and thanks for all your wonderful posts. I still hunger for Spanish ham… Have tried to find it here, with no luck. And, by the way, that ‘ girl on the street’ whose jacket and tote you were coveting was me in a former life….I’m sure of it.
Happy Birthday Kate!! ❤️ Loved reading your Madrid musings-I’m planning on meeting some friends there in April, after Paris! Give our love to Claire & Mark💝
Wow What a birthday!
Happy Birthday!!!!!
Happy belated birthday, Kate! You certainly celebrated it in style in my former hometown of Madrid! Isn’t it a fantastic city??? I miss that place soooo much so really enjoyed seeing the pics! Madrid was casa mia for a crazy, wonderful seven years and still have loads of friends there with whom I keep in touch. Keep traveling to lovely places and keep up the great blog which I read when I can! Hasta luego!