After an early morning landing in Madrid we taxied from the airport to the Hotel Catalonia Atocha located within walking distance of the famous Plaza Mayor. Our hotel is located in the historic Literary Quarter where Spains great literary giants once lived and roamed the streets. The remains of Miguel Cervantes and Lope de Vega are said to rest in this area.
We were met in the hotel lobby by lovely Vera, our Gate 1 guide for the next eleven days. Vera provided us with maps, an overview of the area including shopping tips such as the large open air flea market and places where we might find a nice lunch. Under cool and questionable skies we were off to explore Plaza Mayor and beyond. With a reputed 300 days of sunshine a year, we were optimistic that the rains would not dampen our day.
Plaza Mayor is a spacious portico lined square situated at the heart of Hapsburg Madrid. Dating back to 1619, it is located in the old part of the city and reputedly one of the capitals most charming districts. The foundations of Plaza Mayor were laid when Philip IIs court moved to
Madrid, on the site of the former Plaza del Arrabal, where, towards the end of the 15th century, the towns most popular market was located. Many restaurants and shops line this popular square and, as we observed, crowds filled the square on both of the days we were there, one in the rain (yes it actually did rain) and the other in the sun. As usual, I waited patiently for an opportunity to get a clear shot of the square as the masses began to disperse.
There are 10 ways to enter the Plaza Mayor, one of these is to go up the steep steps of the Arco de los Cuchilleros. The name from the cutlers workshops that were once located here. These people supplied the knives to the butchers in Plaza Mayor. The tall picturesque buildings that lined the entrances to the plaza give a tunnel like feeling due to their height, the buildings leaning faades serve as buttresses. The iconic statue of King Phillip III, as he sits on horseback, is located in the center of the plaza and we were told is one of the most valuable works of art to be found on
The buildings surrounding the square are three floors high and there are 237 balconies that face the plaza. Throughout the centuries major events were held in this square. During these major events, nobles were legally able to temporarily evict the owners of apartments facing the plaza so that they could watch what transpired in style. These evicted owners not only had to leave their apartments but were required to feed and serve these entitled nobles, arrogant by any standards nowadays. After the sun came out I photographed a man who was surrounded by people as he filled the air with his huge soap bubbles. I was told the bubble man, like King Phillip III, was a regular in this square.
The Mercado San Miguel was a ten minute walk from our very modern hotel Catalonia Atocha and just off the Plaza Mayor. The Mercado was packed with people and once we had squeezed inside, I felt like the sardines that were for sale. We had to elbow our way to the stalls just to see what they were offering, much less buy anything, but after I caught view of the tapas I was determined
Siciliana (cod) and Boquerones (cod) on toasts and, my favorite, Tortilla de bacalao (anchovy and peppers)
to taste everything I could, they all looked so good. We began at La Casa del Bacalao where I had Siciliana (cod) and Boquerones (cod) on toasts and, my favorite, Tortilla de bacalao (anchovy and peppers). Each were delicious and inexpensive (1 euro each) so I went back for seconds. My favorite tasting was at MozHeart where I had the creamiest, smoothest, freshest (did I say beyond delicious?) mozzarella concoction ever. The addition of a sweet pepper topping was just out of this world. Oh and to finish off the tastings we elbowed our way into Litesan Chocolates to try something sweet.
