La Tapa del Mundo, Madrid

For all the tapas shops in Madrid, I found this one odd. They advertise tasty bits from all over the world.

You’ll find the usual Spanish fare here, but also stuff from Mexico, India, and so on. Wicked combination of cooking if ever I’ve seen one. And there’s more! Drinks from around the world as evidenced by the next sign.

Wow, you could spend a couple of days traveling the world without leaving your seat. Just keep trying something different with each serving. That’s the joy of travel, experiencing the things you don’t normally do in your native location.

Published in: on October 10, 2010 at 12:11 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Old Town, New Power

Madrid is an ancient city, no doubt about it. Still, you’ll find forward thinking people, including those operating this hotel near the Plaza Mayor. Look carefully at the roof.

It looks like they have an evacuated tube system for heating water and some photovoltaic panels to make electricity. Good idea. There’s plenty of sunshine in Madrid, might as well use the energy.  I would have liked to talk to someone at the hotel to see how much energy they were saving. Alas, not enough time.

Published in: on October 9, 2010 at 10:46 am  Leave a Comment  
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La Perejila, Madrid

La Perejila is one of those old-time joints I enjoy most. It’s on Cava Baja Street in the old part of Madrid, Spain.

Here you can get a vermut, vino, or cerveza among local characters. The decor is from another time, including the caged bird at the entrance.

I’m not exactly sure what creates the atmosphere of places like this. Maybe it’s the age, or the clientele, or the little touches like the bird. Whatever it is, the process has to natural. In the United States, too many places try to force the vibe and fail miserably. Fortunately, we have jet travel to take us to places like Madrid where there are streets like Cava Baja and authentic places like La Perejila. Stop in, stay awhile, enjoy yourself.

Published in: on October 8, 2010 at 11:39 am  Leave a Comment  
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Torégano Castle, Spain

East of Segovia, you’ll find the tiny town of Torégano and one of the most unusual castles I’ve seen in Spain.

From the photo above, you may be thinking it’s just another pile of rocks left over from another age. In some ways it is. The original fortress was built around the Tenth Century. Over the years it was expanded and modified.

You can see how the outer wards were expanded and a larger keep installed, rising to several stories. However, what makes this site most curious is the construction of a large church within the center.

The church spans the entire center courtyard, and when it was built, the older columns were simply covered over and incorporated into the newer structure. From the upper keep, you can see the roof of the church and the countryside beyond.

What a view! The tiles on that roof are showing their age, and the floor that used to be located here is gone. But the window seats by the arrow ports are still in place within the span of the wall. There’s a story behind the church being built within this castle. It’s a long one, like so many about Spain, so I’ll skip it for this blog post. Nonetheless, take a final look at the keep from the outside.

Imposing is the right word. If you happen to visit this town, don’t forget La Casa Vieja, a fine restaurant and inn where you’ll have a great meal and peaceful rest. See an earlier post on that subject.

Published in: on October 5, 2010 at 10:25 am  Leave a Comment  
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