K & L's Travel Blog

Madrid, 26 January 2024

Friday, we started out top of the world.  The Circulo de Bellas Artes Building is right down town.  You pay a small fee and ride up an elevator to the rooftop.  There are tables and a café.  We were early enough to get a primo table.  The day was clear and the views were spectacular.  I sat and enjoyed my coffee while Lorena circled around and took pictures.  I enjoyed watching a young group of American college students try and act cool.  

Next, we explored the streets of the Barrio de las Letras.  This is the literary quarter where many of the famous authors lived.  Lorena had mapped out of houses to visit.  We were disappointed that the Ateneo de Madrid library was only available to members and to become a member you had to be a Spanish citizen.  We missed this detail on their website.  

The neighborhood is historic and colorful. There were lots of pedestrian streets, shops and restaurants.  It is very popular with tourists. 

We stopped in a famous bar & restaurant, Casa Alberto.  We tried barging in but this time it did not work.  We were told to wait at the door.  But the waiter did not forget us and he came and got us when a table was free.   We had two vermouths and a wedge of tortilla- an egg and potatoes omelets.  It is a Spanish delight. It was the kind of place you have to take in slowly.  It is o old and storied.  The more you look the more you see.  

After we wandered around  more it was time for lunch.  We got sucked into our first TOURIST TRAP.  A couple of fellow travelers had recommened this restaurant  and it is famous for its signature dish.  We stepped in and this aggressive, loud man swooped us up and led us to another location.  (Later we questioned, why did we follow him?)  The food was overpriced and Lorena’s dish was awful.  And to top it all off it gave Lorena food poisoning that night.    What a bad decision.  Oh well, travel challenges us to learn from our mistakes and be kind to ourselves when we screw up.  

We finished up the day with a drink at a small local bar around the corner from our apartment. The woman who served us was so sweet and kind.  We look forward to returning.