Trip journal UK and Spain (September 21 – October 12, 2011)


Part 5: Madrid October 5

October 4 (Tue): From our hotel it took us less than half an hour to get to the Royal Palace. We spent approximately two and half hours there. Since no camera is allowed inside the premises I only took some photos at the main façade. While searching for a good place for lunch we came across a Jamón Ibérico specialty shop, Gondiaz, S.L. The manager with a relatively good command of English was very helpful. After buying four packs of ham we patronized the restaurant (La Mi Venta) next door, the manager’s family business. At his recommendation we tried Inedit – a unique coupage of barley malt and wheat, flavored with coriander, orange peel and liquorice and is said to be the first beer specifically created to accompany food. It’s quite good and my daughter bought two bottles when we got back to London. The food (tapas set of six and paella) was ok except for the escargot. I parted company with my wife and daughter when we reached the Opera Metro station. I returned to the hotel for my siesta. Then I paid another visit to the Museo del Prado. And I rejoined my family members and dined at the Restaurant Botin. We ordered their specialty, two Cochinillo Asado (roast suckling pig), one Cordero Asado (roast baby lamb) and a bottle of Muga 2004 Prado Enea Gran Reserva. The food was delicious (the pig is better though as good as the one I tasted in Madrid back in 1994) and the wine still has aging potential. We’d Flan de huevo con nata (homemade crème caramel flan) as dessert which was super. Once again on our way back to the hotel we stopped briefly at the Mercado de San Miquel.

Equipment used: Olympus Pen E-P3 – Olympus M. Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II (35mm equiv. 28-82mm), Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-200mm F4.0-5.5 (35mm equiv. 90-400mm) and Nikon 52mm Circular Polarising filter.