Madrid is a city that provides the traveler every opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture. From paella to tapas and Flamenco to street markets, the opportunity to fall in love with this beautiful city and its people is abundant. Oh the things you will discover when you allow yourself to get lost on the side streets and off beaten paths of Madrid. The city will open up and share with the traveler her secrets and beauty.
It has been two days since arriving in Madrid. The jet lag is subsiding, and our bodies are becoming accustomed to a much different eating schedule. It is 10:30 pm and we are scheduled to meet a couple who has agreed to show us around the city, and give us the tapas experience that only locals can provide.
Tapas are quintessential Madrid and the tapas bars in this city are too numerous to count. We begin in an area within walking distance of the famous public square, Puerta del Sol. Like many cities, there are those places that cater to the visitor, and then there are those that are favored by the local. It is in these local bars that we were fortunate to find ourselves sharing plates of olives, jamon serrano, anchovies, gulas, shrimp, morcilla, and tortilla de patatas. Of course, we washed all of this wonderful food down with glasses of local beers.
How do small, shareable plates of food that are consumed late into the evening translate into an experience worth writing about? It is in the word shareable. During our time in Spain, we shared tapas with strangers who have now become friends. In so doing, we have made our world a smaller and friendlier place. You see, during those nights we didn’t just share food and drink. We shared with each other our cultures, languages, and even a few jokes. I truly believe that if you want to get to know a place and remove cultural barriers, simply begin by sharing a meal with someone. Now when we return to Spain, we will return knowing that we can reach out and connect with our new found friends for another round of tapas.
So you are ready to travel to Madrid and eat your way across the city. Los Gatos, Cervezas La Fabrica, and La Dolores are all great places to get started. All of these are located minutes from each other and make for a great evening of tapas and beer. Lastly, throw out your hesitations, and simply order what looks good, chances are it will be delicious. Salud to you all, and if you make it there, drop me a comment or a picture of you on your tapas crawl.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
Mark Twain
Pura Vida Journeys 