I liked the tree-lined boulevards of Madrid . I realised what could be achieved if Melbourne City Council had imagination, and what City Road Southbank could look like if trees were planted close together rather than 100m apart, and the through toad was in a tunnel.
Our hotel, the NH Collection Palacio de Tepa was very well located for our neefs with nearly all the Museums within walking distance.. Quite a smart hotel, hosting star players from the Madrid Open Tennis, I ran into Jannik Sinner in the foyer. No one in my group had the urge to photograph us in conversation, but I can report he is looking forward to the AO in January,
Three of our evening meals were pre-planned, all an easy walk from our hotel.. La Cabaña Argentina was our venue for the first evening where steak as clearly the order of the day, finished with Sorbete de limón,
ensalada mixta
Our second dinner was at Casa Mortero, we were the first in at 8pm when it opened,I must have been engrossed in conversation and/or ravenously hungry and forgot to take photos. But I can report that we had another mixed appetiser-
Entrantes a compartir: croquetas de jamón, torrezno con patatas meneás y majado de pimentón (ham croquettes, crispy pork with potatoes and paprika sauce)
followed by Arroz de pato con espárragos trigueros y queso cremoso (duck stew with rice, wild asparagus and cream cheese) Bonito a la brasa con tomate y tirabeques (grilled bonito fish with tomato and sugar snap peas) •
and finishing with Moras y frambuesas con helado de yogurt y sopa fría de menta y tomillo limonero (blackberries and raspberries with yoghurt ice cream, and mint and lemon.
On the third evening we went out and found our own meal. I chose to eat at an outdoor restaurant in the square in front of our hotel- -a grill, whilst serenaded by a busker on a saxophone.
On our final evening we went to La Huerta de Tudela on Calle Prado.
cava y menestra de verduras de temporada
(leek and shrimp ravioli in cava sauce
and seasonal vegetable stew)
de ternera estofada en salsa de vino tinto
y parmentier (braised veal cheek in red
wine sauce and parmentier potatoes)
vainilla de Madagascar (French toast with
Madagascan vanilla ice-cream)
Delicious.
Of course no trip that make get away Scott-free, and we discovered when we went to leave our hotel that there was a demonstration coming up our street which would significantly delay our bus to the airport- So we hadto walk down the street dragging our bags, with assistance from the hotel porters and our bus had to do a precarious u-turn in the narrow street. Fortunately the local police were there to assist and give us a police escort.
Father M 