A Very Happy Birthday

Turning 30

Ed took me to Madrid to celebrate my 30th birthday! It was, by far, the best birthday I've ever had. Jim and Joanne watched the girls and we were able to spend 5 days in Spain.

We arrived in Madrid early on Sunday morning. We checked into our beautiful hotel, The Hotel Ritz Madrid, and discovered that no one else in Madrid seemed to be awake yet, so we took a nap until it was time for brunch! The Ritz Madrid was celebrating their centenial celebration this year featuring some special events and a centenial dining menu highlighting particularly successful dishes served for special occasions since opening in 1910. We had a beautiful room decorated in olive, ruby and sapphire, with high celings, mirrors and a huge window. There was a cornice above the bed that resembled a crown and held decorative drapes that surrounded the plush headboard. Fleur de lis were stenciled in pannels on the walls and the room was lit by a chandelier and sconces. It was exceedingly comfortable and we loved the old world elegance, as well as the extraordinarily attentive service. After brunch we took part in a centuries old Spanish tradition--the siesta--and ended up sleeping through the afternoon. We woke up just in time to walk through El Bario de las Letras and try out a handful of tapas bars around the Plaza Santa Ana before heading back to the hotel for a little more sleep.

Touristing

The next morning, I woke up feeling 50 IQ points smarter and well rested for the first time in 3 years. It was exhiliarating, and we were ready to really see what Madrid had to offer. And thus, began our daily routine in Madrid--enjoy the luxury of sleeping in, folowed by consulting the guide books before heading out to walk, shop, eat tapas, drink beers and people watch as we wandered all over the city.

Of course we didn't sleep and drink our entire trip away (although, that doesn't sound like a terrible plan!) We spent hours at El Museo del Prado viewing sculptures, paintings and sketches in the world's largest collection of Valazquez, Goya and El Greco works, as well as a stunning hall full of Rubins. We also took time to visit El Museo del Jamon where we enjoyed cervezas, jamon iberico and lomo and debated whether or not we should attempt to smuggle a whole Iberican ham back in our luggage. We decided not to. But I still sort of wish we had...

Jamon in it's stand, waiting to be sliced thin and devoured.

On the morning of my birthday, we got going earlier than usual. We walked to the Plaza Mayor and arrived while it was still mostly empty. We looked around before the shops opened, checked out the scupture and architecture, shivered a little in the cool morning (temperatures peaked between 45 and 55 every day, and it was pleasant in the sun, but cooler of course in the morning and evening) and moved on to visit the Palacio Real de Madrid. We didn't plan for it, but we arrived just in time for a very special changing of the guard ceremony. This solemn changing of the guard only happens 10 times a year (first Wednesday of the month except August and September.) The ceremony lasts 40 minutes, involves 450 people, 105 horses and a 5 song mini concert presented by the Royal Guard's Music Unit. We arrived just in time to watch the ceremony through the gates, get a fantastic view of the recessional parade, recieved the official program for the concert and enjoyed the music while having drinks and sharing a tasty grilled calamari lunch across the Plaza Oriente, soaking in the early afternoon sun, before touring the palace.

El Oso y El Madrono (The Bear and The Strawberry Tree, the symbol of Madrid)

After the palace tour, we ambled back towards the Plaza Mayor. We made a stop at the Mercado de San Miguel to look around. The market is beautiful. The high celings and glass walls give it a feel of an outdoor market although it is inside, and each small booth offers something unique and delicious--from fruits and fresh fish to cheeses and pastries. There is also a bar inside and most stalls have a tapas offering made from things they sell. Madrilenos stroll around the market sampling dishes and drinking beers or wines in the eveining, while earlier in the morning you'll find people doing proper shopping. We looked, but didn't stop to eat, there was only an hour or two of sun left in the day and we wanted to sit outside in it. So, we returned to the Plaza Mayor, which was now full of tourists and locals packing the sidewalk tables the bars and cafes had set up, enjoying lunch, tapas, wines and beers while watching street performers. We saw everything from Mickey Mouse and fat Spiderman to people dressed as statues and a beautiful flamenco dancer before we finished our drinks and continued our walk back to the hotel.

Marcado de San Miguel

On the way to the hotel we shopped or stopped whenever something caught our fancy. We took some pictures in Puerto del Sol including the statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, which is the city's symbol, and the Tio Pepe bilboard--that cheery little bottle of sherry is everywhere, and is actually sold wearing a little red plastic matador jacket and a tiny hat. Ed tried a glass and didn't find the drink nearly and pleasant as the packaging, but it was everywhere!

Ed at Plaza Mayor

It was getting dark as we returned to the hotel. We had time to rest our feet a little and get cleaned up before our 9:30 dinner reservation at the Ritz. Ed was dashing in his suit and I enjoyed having a reason to wear my new evening gown. We began our dinner in the opulently appointed, candlelit dining room by opening a bottle of cava. For a starter, we shared a plate of semi wild jamon iberico. For dinner, I enjoyed one of the hotel's centenial specialties--a steak tartare that was delicately seasoned, perfectly balanced and delicious, and made to order--they even brought me a taste to check the seasoning before serving it! Ed ordered from the special seasonal wild game menu and enjoyed hare in an apple braise with a piece of seared foie gras on top. The braise was amazing. It was so rich and velvety, the hare was exceptionally tender, and you could still taste the apple in the braise--it was hearty and warm, but not at all muddled or dull. For dessert, Ed had an apple dish with thyme ice cream and a glass of jerez muy viejo while I indluged in a dark chocolate mousse--presented with a candle for my birthday! The whole meal was perfection, start to finish. Afterwards, we strolled across the hotel lobby to the fancy Ritz bar where we had a couple drinks before calling it a night. It was a perfect birthday. I can't imagine a better way to turn 30.

Another gastronomical highlight of our trip was visiting Botin, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world. The building has served as an inn since 1590 and been serving public customers since 1725 and is still using the same wood fired oven! We were seated in the cellar--the part of the building that has been serving food to paying customers the longest. The walls and arched ceilings were built of hand made bricks. It was warm, cozy and comfortable, and the white linens and waiters in white jackets lent the night a special aire. We were seated just above their ancient wine cellar. It was hard to refrain from asking to go down the tiny stair case, pull back the old iron gate and brush some dust off the aged bottles to see what treasures might be down there, but we contented ourselves with just a couple peeks. As soon as our food came, the wine cellar was all but forgotten. We ordered the house specialties--suckling pig for Ed and lamb for me. Each dish was rustic, filling and delicious! We rounded out our meal with a bottle of cava and a cream cake on the waiter's recomendation. A band arrived towards the end of the meal playing traditional Spanish tunes. We couldn't help but smile when they told the crowd they were playing to save up for law school before coming around with a hat for tips.

Botin

As the days went by, I became more confident in my meager Spanish I had managed to learn from studing the library's online program for a couple weeks and we didn't have any trouble getting around. We spent long afternoons walking through the city and enjoying plazas and the Buen Retiro Park; went out for tapas and drinks nearly every night (and savored the illicit pleasure of a Cuba Libre made with Havana Club 7 year rum, which is absolutely delicious, even if they use lemons instead of limes); and even went to Hemingway's favorite bar! It was a magical trip, a perfect birthday and a spectacular second honeymoon all in 5 days.

We had such a great time, we're already thinking about where to go next!