K & L's Travel Blog

January 14, 2024

We’ve noticed a pattern with our energy levels when we travel. Typically, we hit it hard the first two days and then hit a wall on the third. This time we made three days before hitting that wall on the fourth. We were lucky insofar as the weather cooperated and gave us a rainy, grey day to mitigate any FOMO. It was also a Sunday, so the pace around us was quite slow. People were literally strolling the streets in what I consider “Commencement Cadence,” part of the paseo tradition here in Spain. Lots of family, children, dogs and elderly slowly walking and talking. We hook arms and join the procession.

We started on the bus (#61) that took us across Chamberí and to the Sorolla Museum. Our first ride on a Madrid bus, and I was impressed. Clean, efficient and easy to navigate. Sorolla was a turn-of-the-century artist from Valencia who painted lots of muted pastel seascapes and bourgeoise social scenes. The museum is in his grand Madrid home, so it is as much a house museum as it is a gallery. One enters from the street into a lovely formal garden with fountains, hedging and sculpture. Orange trees loaded with fruit. Elegant tile work . 

As delightful as it was, we were aware of the steady stream of humanity entering from the streets. We found the ticket counter and discovered it was Sunday so free entry. The crowds built quickly while we were there, and by the time were ready to enter the gallery, there were so many people crammed into the space that we decided to return on another day and pay our €3.00 with less crowds. Guess we weren’t the only ones thinking a museum a perfect plan on a rainy Sunday in Madrid! 

We had recently read a Rick Steves’ post about how travel has changed since we started in the 1980’s, and a big part of that is today’s mass tourism. I’ve never been comfortable in a crowd, and I suspect this tendency has been exasperated by Covid, so avoiding crowds has become a part of our planning. We’re pleased with our choice of location this trip. Chamberí has proven affordable, safe, and local. We intentionally travel in off-season, and retirement further allows for lengthier stays, giving us the flexibility to delay plans as needed. It is a luxury to say “We’ll come back another day” after so many years of 1-2-night stays.

The strolling families disappear as the rain begins and the back streets are quiet and deserted. We came prepared with our coats and I have a plastic bag for my camera. Kitty carries an inadequate umbrella from the apartment. We head back in search of a Pollo Asado or grilled chicken. This became one of our regular Sunday meals in Barcelona where we had a favorite rotisserie in Gràcia. We found a highly rated one in Argüelles that uses wood for grilling. We put in our order and then went on to lunch at a nearby El Cortes Inglés. 

These ubiquitous department stores are not the cheapest for eats, but do have well stocked grocery stores in the basements and cafeterias/restaurants on the top floor. We ride escalators up and up, then follow the families and eventually find the restaurant. We share an Angus burger for lunch. It’s very well prepared and the portion is perfect. 

We still managed to walk 10,000 steps, which would be a good day at home. The remainder of the afternoon is spent in siesta time: photo work, reading, writing, napping. Then we feast on chicken. We are re-watching Breaking Bad and thoroughly enjoying all that we missed (or forgot) from our initial viewing. The chicken is delicious.