Starting with our sojourn into Qatar, although restricted to the airport, we were pampered at the Premium Lounge of Qatar Airways, an area restricted to business and First Class travelers. From the gourmet cuisine to the attention to detail, it was a pampering that did not stress but relax on what is usually a long and tiring trip. Since most of the shops and establishments are closed on this day, after settling into the Hotél Laura, we took this chance to casually explore the areas nearby. The location of the hotel was perfect! A quick stroll down one of the avenidas leads right into the heart of the city’s tourist spots – starting from the Teatro Réal through a beautifully landscaped park with the statue of the royal princess Rienado Isabel Segunda de Borbon, erected in 1844. A short walk away, you’ll find the more famous Spanish sites: El Palacio Réal, Catédral Almudena, and Calle Mayor. As in every trip we took, the walk showed us more of the city than any trip on the internet. Of course, no trip to Spain is ever complete without a taste of their delicious tapas, and We were pleasantly surprised to have discovered a quaint restaurant along the way to the Plaza Mayor. With its tall glass display filled with legs of ham in all shapes, colors, and sizes, we entered the El Muséo de Jamón. Inside, even more jamones and chorizos are hung for your gastronomic delight.
The sight of so many hams adorning the walls is a quite a unique site and inspite of the many jamones surprisingly, it does not smell like ham but more the scents and aromas of a busy restaurant envelope us. You may choose to enjoy your tapas standing at the bar, or eating leisurely in their sitting room, wherever you choose, you can tell that the wide variety of paletas and quesos fit for a connoisseur abound. For the more adventurous, there is the Spanish delicacy Morcillas – the infamous black blood sausage topped with slices of red bell pepper. A must-try for authentic Spanish cuisine! After that satisfying meal, a leisurely activity seemed fitting, and so we jumped into the All Day Hop-In Hop-Off Madrid Vision bus tour. Now, if you only had one day in Madrid and you’d like to see the city the best of the city in one go, this is certainly the best way to do it. The bus does a historical tour starting at the Plaza Mayor – the grand and central plaza of the city – through Puerta del Sol, one of the busiest Metro stations in Madrid, and on to the Plaza de Cibeles. The Plaza Cibeles is famous for its eponymous fountain, with its beautifully ornate depiction of a goddess on a chariot. One of the most famous buildings located along this loop is the Spanish Central Post Office. From its exterior carved in meticulous detail, you would think this office was a palace for the Crown Prince, rather than the postal service that delivers letters! In the evening, when the plaza is lit, the majesty of the structure is even more pronounced. Small wonder that the Spaniards refer to this exquisite building as more than just the Post office but el “Palacio de Communicaciones.” Our bus tour continued on to El Museo del Prado, which features the former Spanish Royal Collection, with European art from the 12th to the 19th centuries. We marveled at the impressive work while surreptitiously shooting pictures of the paintings on display. It was a treasure house of memorable art uniquely Spanish with its bold depictions and surreal displays.
We decided to cap off our day with dinner in a restaurant along Calle Arenal. On our walk back to the hotel, we stopped at another eatery to try their churros. The churros were delectable and the chocolate was indescribably creamy. This sumptuous dessert was a delightful way to end our day! with the dish. Rightly or wrongly it was unable to live up to our expectations of authentic Spanish paella. Was it that bad or was our idea of the paella not the real thing? After all, paella does trace its roots to the simple mixture or arroz or good quality rice and whatever available condiments and meats were there; Its evolution a result of the creativity of the Spanish gourmand, working with more traditional and certainly more expensive ingredients. Everywhere around the world, it would follow more of the evolved dish with its rich flavors rather than the rustic familiarity it may have displayed on this meal. After lunch, we took a taxi to ABC Serrano Shopping Center. Located between Calle Serrano and Avenia Castellana, with its diverse mix of 80 fashion, gift, and accessory. The stay so far had been met by wonder and satisfaction at the sights and sounds thus far but back at the hotel, we were met by an even bigger surprise.
A message from Ms. Josefina Abenoja of the Philippine Embassy in Spain – on behalf of our ambassador, Amb. Bernardo – welcomed us and assured us that she would be glad to assist us if there was anything that we needed. We were thrilled by this wonderful turn of events, and arranged to meet her the next day. The following morning, we decided to get off to an early start and returned to the Palacio Réal, Catédral Almudena, and Plaza Mayor this time, to view their interiors. The Cathedral drew a lot of media buzz in 2004 when Crown Prince Felipe de Asturias wed popular television broadcast journalist Letizia Ortiz. In fact, the lampposts surrounding these famous sites are now adorned with wreaths of colorful flowers, initially mounted as decorations for the Royal wedding, and has since remained, beautifying the streets. We headed off to the Plaza Mayor to have lunch at one of the paella restaurants there. Unfortunately, unlike the churros and tapas of the day before, we were disappointed with the dish. Rightly or wrongly it was unable to live up to our expectations of authentic Spanish paella. Was it that bad or was our idea of the paella not the real thing? After all, paella does trace its roots to the simple mixture or arroz or good quality rice and whatever available condiments and meats were there; Its evolution a result of the creativity of the Spanish gourmand, working with more traditional and certainly more expensive ingredients. Everywhere around the world, it would follow more of the evolved dish with its rich flavors rather than the rustic familiarity it may have displayed on this meal. After lunch, we took a taxi to ABC Serrano Shopping Center. Located between Calle Serrano and Avenia Castellana, with its diverse mix of 80 fashion, gift, and accessory shops from famous brands. Across the street was Zara Home – it was the first time I’d seen the popular brand catering to household accessories. As an inveterate, fanatic shopper in home and bath stores, I was nearly delirious browsing around the store. We spent a whole hour looking around, before we realized that it was time to go back to the hotel for our appointment with Ms. Pita Abenoja of the Philippine Embassy. Together, the three of us walked up to Carrera de San Jeronimo, to a one hundred and fifty year old restaurant called Lhardy.
This restaurant is a Five Spoon Awardee, which signifies its reputation and excellence among the most prominent citizens, the political and social elite of Madrid. The restaurant includes a fine dining area, as well as an oriental room at the second floor. When you enter, you are treated to a fabulous exhibit of fine pastries, hot soups, and beverages. Diners select their meals and either eat standing up or will pay at the counter and eat on the go. We were thrilled with the samovars holding the hot caldo or soup, which was there for the diners waiting their turn in the restaurant, but, as the lines were long, we opted out and had to leave early. I suppose you could say it is the epitome of high-class fast food with those queus! We later walked down to the Avenida de Filipina. Here, you will find the Rizal Monument, with the inscription of Jose Rizal’s “Mi Ultimo Adios.” As a Filipino, we couldn’t help but feel pride seeing this recognition of our country and people in the land of our former colonizers. For instance, sitting on the Metro, you may glance up to see a stop on the Number 7 line called Islas Filipinas. And now here, at the Avenida de Filipina, you can cross the street to find the Bar La Taperia, which is owned by a fellow Filipina, Ms. Estelita Seguin. She offered us tapas and fish herring, which were absolutely delicious and as always its nice to see a “kababayan” in a strange land. The discussion naturally delved in the wonder and splendor of the ingredients and the food, and we almost took home an entire ham were it not for the prospect of lugging that salted leg all the way throughout our trip which would take us out to Barcelona, Milan and a host of other places so we had to just say next time. Continuing on our quest for good Spanish food, We headed down to Botin, which is famed for being the oldest restaurant in the world, with a certificate from the Guiness Book of World Records to certify its authenticity. It is a 4-storey building which has the appearance of an old-fashioned inn rather than a 20th century eatery. Its specialty, the Cochinillo, is cooked in a traditional stone oven with wood of evergreen oak. We were excited to meet a Filipino chef who had been working for the restaurant for 25 years! He shared that the restaurant is so popular that just that night, he had roasted over 50 suckling pigs. A single bite, and you too will understand why the restaurant has gained such renown – the Cochinillo was exquisite! Crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside, we ate to our hearts’ (and stomachs! delight. Having no more room for dessert, we called it a night, brought home our friend from the Philippine Embassy Pita, and slept heartily in wild abandon of the libations we took in. We left our hotel at 8:45 the next day to meet with Pita at the Museo de Antropología. The musem, featuring Spanish history, has an exhibit devoted exclusively to the Philippines. The exhibit showcases objects from the islands and displays artifacts and relics from our various regions and cultures some of which would not be visible even in the museums in the Philippines. We walked from the Museum to Parque Retiro – a long walk, but well worth the journey.
A vast expanse of green, the park is known for the towering statue of King Alfonso XII that stands by its man-made lake. The park is bustling full of life, with students, couples, and familieswho are playing games, having picnics, and rowing in the lake. Streetside performers also line the paths, playing saxophones or violins, or juggling for spare change, dressed in all manner of costume, one in silver, others in yet regal gowns and mimes mechanical in their movements. Further down, past several other fountains and statues, you will find the Palacio de Cristal. Ricardo Velásquez Bosco built this beautiful glass house in 1887, for the primary intention of caring for exotic plants that the Spaniards had brought from the Philippines. Today, it is a venue for housing exhibitions and shows – and certainly a favorite subject for photographers inside the park. Including us, of course, who stood around to take photos of the famous façade. Later on, we headed off to the Museo Thyssen Bornemiza, a museum with a private collection owned by the German-Hungarian family of the same name. It contains a wide variety of art pieces, ranging from medieval art, to 13th century pieces, up to present day work. A mezcla, or mix, or everything, it also holds temporary exhibits, such as the “Dures and Cranach” exhibit which we caught, featuring art and humanism in Renaissance Germany. After a long day, it was time to see some Spanish stores. For avid shoppers, Gran Vía would be your ideal destination. Spain’s version of France’s Champs Elysees or New York’s 5th Avenue, Gran Vía is where you will find three-storey high shops such as Zara and Mango. It also contains the European store H&M, and Spanish favorites like Lefties and Stradivarius. Along this road, you will also find Spain’s leading department store with its well-known green triangular sign: El Corte Ingles. This profusion of culture and modern art, coupled with the thrill of dining in true Spanish style was an experience we would never soon forget and as we parted that night, we understood why we truly can say that our quick love of things Spanish is a sure sign that deep inside, we do have a Spanish Heart.
