More Madrid

Life Chez Mai continues to be a whirlwind. We said goodbye to Claire and to Madrid on Sunday afternoon, flew to Paris, and then got on a plane to Houston Monday morning! I think I have adjusted to the time zone but am still catching up on household chores and doctors appointments. We are here for three weeks, when we jet back to Paris with mother and niece in tow. I am looking forward to showing Paris to my fifteen year old niece on her first trip requiring a passport! But I get ahead of myself. Let’s finish Madrid, shall we?

We did lots of walking around and I loved how different it felt from Paris. The colors, the architecture, the plazas- it all seemed much more casual than the elegance of Paris.

Apparently “yarn bombing” is a thing. This light pole was whimsical, but check out these images from all over the world. So happy!

We went to another covered market full of tapas and drink vendors. I loved the lights made to look like chef’s hats!

Our hotel lobby was so pretty. I couldn’t get enough of the flower arrangements.

Mark and Claire were very enthusiastic about the Prado Museum, which is indeed a treasure.

We had such amazing food in Madrid! The first night’s paella was perhaps the best I have ever had. The next night we found a simple but delicious Indian restaurant. Our final night was a lively restaurant/bar that served us divine tapas. I loved that there was such a variety of food offerings- meat, seafood, veggies, soups- all so tasty.

Madrid also had lots of pastry shops and, unlike Paris, they all offered coffee and seating space so that you could pop in for a sweet snack at any time of the day. We did not sample any pastries, but there were plenty from which to choose.

Sunday morning Claire and I went to a flea market and then walked back to the hotel. Unlike the Paris flea market, there were no old treasures to paw through. It was kind of like Wal-Mart in different stalls. But nicer, of course.

Maybe I will be lucky enough to go back in the spring, when the plazas and sidewalks and parks are full of people and leafy trees. I bet the sangria tastes even better when it’s warm outside!

I hope you all are staying warm, wherever you are.

Thanks for stopping by, and y’all come back, ya hear?