Meg is calling it "la maldición de las Canadienses." Every time someone from Canada visits Madrid lately, it rains. It started with me about a month ago when a bike ride in some inclement spring weather yielded a total bastard of a cold (my fault, I know!). Then, Lucy and Paul arrived to experience spring in Madrid in all its glory, only to find themselves battling some serious chilly rain fall during their stay! The weather turned beautiful, of course, after they left and right up until the day that Andrea and I arrived to visit with Meg. Once again, the forecast was for rain and it did not fail to deliver! We managed to have a lovely time with Megcita, even though it rained pretty much the whole time. There were brilliant breaks of sun, which we took full advantage of, but really it was a huge summer storm rolling through that was unavoidable! At times the sky was turned "ocean blue" by huge low hanging clouds. The metro was even closed at times due to flooding! I think I have seen more rain in the past two trips to Madrid than I did the whole damned winter!
Friday, we just bummed around in central Madrid. Andrea and I were both really tired from the work week and early flight to Madrid, so we took the time to sit and eat at Vinoteca for lunch and Lateral for dinner. We even made time for a nap! The only real highlights of the day were me dumping someone's beer in their lap by accident at Vinoteca, and Andrea getting a rude introduction to "las fumadores de Madrid!" at Lateral. We left when she started to look a little green.
Saturday, Meg went to the trouble of organizing a little day trip to Segovia and the neighbouring town of La Granja. In La Granja we visited the Palacio Real and the associated gardens. It was really beautiful and gave you a great insight into the "life of the royalty" in Baroque times. But, as beautiful as it was to waltz around in the former home of the King of Spain, it pailed in comparison to the lunch we had at a little restaurant called "La Zaca." This is a very popular little place for which Meg had to make a reservation one week in advance! We delighted in their specialty called a "favada." It is like a stew with "fava" beans, potato and chorizo sausage in a rich broth and is very typical of the Castilla y Leon area. I also had some fantastic "chuletas de cerdo."
Sunday, we went to the Prado in the morning as it is free all day. For the first time I had a real opportunity to look long and hard at "las pienturas negras." Goya's Black Paintings. Painted towards the end of his life, having severed ties from the court and secluded himself in his country home, they are his most intense and masterful rumination on the disaster of war and the summering of human kind at the hands of evil. They are timeless in their severity, and disturbingly beautiful. We had hoped to see some of his famous drawings and etchings, but none were on display. We then took in a bit of the Retiro, and met Meg's friend Elen at a cafe for our afternoon "charla." Dinner was at the excellent "La Vaca Veronica" and I couldn't resist ordering in the "filete" which is always so good. The restaurant is a great little spot located on "la calle Moratin" near Plaza Santa Anna, conveniently right around the corner from Andrea's Hostal!
Monday was spent doing a little shopping and more looking around in central Madrid. This time we managed to see the majority of Chueca, some of Malasana, the Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor, etc. I managed to find some new sandals for the summer weather! made by the Spanish company Camper. Also, a few bottles of wine to tide me over until the next time I am in Madrid (not to mention some excellent queso manchego and chorizo, porque no!?). We managed to arrange to see Pedro for a couple of drinks and some tapas prior to dashing off to cash the plane.
All in all a very enjoyable, if packed, trip to see my Megcita who I miss more and more and more... nobody ever said separation like this would be easy, and I am seeing there is plenty of reason for that. Enough said.
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