K & L's Travel Blog

Madrid, January 15 2024

We awoke to a heavy rain so spent the morning at home doing laundry and cleaning. I’d made a reservation at a nearby local restaurant, Taberna Paula. By the time we set out at 1:30, the rain had ended. 

Not surprisingly, we were the first in the restaurant. “Peyote,” greeted us warmly and brought us beer and chips to start. He recited the menu in good English, and then retreated to the kitchen to prepare our meal. He was from northern Spain, and his recipes had been passed down from his aunt and grandmother. I ordered abuela’s cod stew while Kitty got the tia’s squid with rice. We also had some excellent homemade rolls and ham croquetas. The wine (“Gilda”) was a white Rueda that Kitty is now seeking out in stores. Peyote gave us a free second pour and we left happy.

After the meal we explored a sports and exercise complex, Canal Isabel II. This space was fantastic and took up at least 2x city blocks. It was circled by running and walking tracks and had several soccer fields, playgrounds, handball & tennis courts. We did our lap and watched some soccer—impressive!

On the way back we passed an elementary school that was letting out. My familiarity with the process comes from suburban US schools, where parents’ cars line up and the children climb in. Here parents crowded in great anticipation outside gates and waved enthusiastically when their child appears. Hugs and kisses follow. It seemed every child was eager to share stories of their day. We suspect that this positivity and sentimentality fades as the children enter high school, but we were impressed with the love & excitement that saturated the daily ritual.