The Bull

You may enjoy the bull fight, or for most people, not. I was in Madrid a while back and we decided to go watch one just to experience what it was all about. Interesting to say the least, gruesome to say the worst.
It's not like a man and a bull enter the arena to fight to the death. Not like that at all. First Mr bull gets beat up,  Mafiosi style. After hazers wear him out horse backed riders gouge him with jousting sticks. Now if this isn't enough the picadors come out and stick 2 foot long spears in his back.

OK so I'm not sharing this trying to make you anti -bull fight just telling you about my experience. It was to say interesting....

It's not like they choose a big riding bull. Just a little fighting bull. Still bull I will add.

So on another Madrid layover. We met for dinner to go to the oldest restaurant in Europe. Sure to be good. Well it has been here a while.

We took the bus to Plaza Del Sol and then walked to Plaza Mayor.

We saw sponge Bob and a dozen Mickey Mice along the way and then entered the Plaza Mayor.  I suppose when your unemployment rate is about half for young people you get a few Mickey Mouse activities.

Once the kings of Spain watched parades, executions, and the bull fight here. Ole

Now it is a memory of those grande events and today boasts restaurants, bars, and shops with street performers highlighting the day. One such bar which lines the courte is the Bull Bar. It reminds us of days past. Now the young cabeleros fight soccer balls.

This place sympathizes with the bull. Boasting pictures of Jimmy Carter, Bob and Teddy Kennedy, amidst post heroes slain by the bulls.

These young bulls hitting the mark before being slain without thoughts.

Eat drink but be ware. The bull is out there...

Today it is bueno comedo, bueno vino e mucho fun. Come and enjoy.

The Bull!!!!!

A Spanish Picture Of A Truth

I know you're probably going to laugh at my stupidity, ignorance, or more accurately my naivety. Once again enjoying an evening of tapas in Madrid we stopped into a trendy outdoor place with misters cooling the hot dry air. The menu was colorful with many bright photos of food. I enjoy the picture menus in foreign countries because often you have no idea what an item is, and a picture can speak a thousand words or even more when your language skills are lacking.

OK, so we see some fresh guacamole and chips, everyone around us are speaking Spanish (in Texas 80% or more Spanish speakers are of Mexican descent) so it is only natural to not question the picture or the product.

But...but...almost butt...

You've got to be kidding!!!

Really??? The picture???? Where was that??? Kind of like when people look at my 16 year old picture of when I was hired at Delta that appears on  my ID. Then they start giggling before erupting in belly laughs. OK so some things have changed in 16 years. Back then I had a state of the art pager. A mobile phone was nearly the size of a shoe box. Computers, well computers were as big and slow as dinosaurs. Big slow ones...

Back to the guacamole...so the thought of that icky stuff which comes in cans and jars not resembling anything on the label comes to mind....the chips were good.

Yes, I should have known better being a seasoned road foodie, but it wasn't just me we were all fooled by the allure of the pretty little picture! It just wasn't right.

So next up was an order of the grilled veggies. Cute little shish-kabobs all lined up on a plate.....again this looked great in it's picture.  Well the picture was made somewhere in fantasy land. (kind of like a model or movie star, more paint than perfection. Hello Hollywood!!!

(Read in a sultry Catherine Hepborn voice please...) "Hummm, lovely. I'll take a dozen darling...Thank you..."

But the picture again was a bit deceptive....

OK, I'll give them the point that there was a semblance of a row. Not quite as neat but kind of lined up. Not marine precision. More like kindergarten water fountain lines, fluid in motion trying not to get out of synch but not really knowing how to synch.

Bottom line they tasted great! Marinated in some sort of teriyaki kind of Asian fusion Spanish Mexican.... No, they were yummy.

The final tasting was a shrimp dish. It was a little fishy but my cat Lizzy would have loved them. I ate them with mucho gusto. Meow!!!!

One more picture to add to this saga...this one was taken in a grocery store in Stkholm.

If you ask the store clerk where to find The liquid green slimy stuff resembling guacamole, and the yellow chemicals bearing the name of Cheese stuff he'll probably send you to the "Taco" isle.....Now I'm sure I would know better than to buy "taco" food in Sweden. Duh, the vikings got around but never to Texas,....I dont think. (reference the rune stones in Oklahoma) Stick to prickled/semi-rotten fish!!! They know how to do that!!!!

Bottom line a picture can often lie!!! Be smart!!!

Madrid's Famous Mushroom Bar

There is a famous little quaint bar in Madrid which I've been in a couple of times.  Actually it is a tourist trap which everyone should experience at least once. A pitcher of  sangria and an order of their signature tapas made from mushrooms is required. If you aren't familiar with Spain the word tapas might have thrown you.  Here is an amusing story within the story.  On one of my first Spanish adventures I was telling my wife about going to the tapas bar for dinner.  Probably only half listening up to that point she did a double take and asked, You went to a topless bar for dinner??? Of course I immediately corrected her and told her not for dinner...Duh.

They make these little delights in the open kitchen on a big flat grill. With the stem removed a piece of chorizo is placed in the middle with a little dab of garlic butter and pesto. They are pretty good.

The atmosphere is cheesy at best. With fake mushrooms hanging from the vaulted ceiling.

It is brightly lit with a little old man playing an organ and singing. A crowd of tourists from around the world all saying, "well I've seen it, check it off the list."  What can I say it is kind of fun and the mushrooms are great.