Spain (Spring 2023) - Madrid - Day 3
Went to go see what the locals do on day 3. We walked a lot - 27K+ steps worth of Madrid. We could have taken the subway as we had many trips left on the ticket but you can’t see the city from the train.
We also finally ran into some rain at night while walking back to the hotel - luckily I packed my rain shell in my backpack so it wasn’t lost with the luggage.
Rodilla
These photos are from different days. One was breakfast and the other was lunch. There are several of these Rodilla cafes around Madrid and they are very good and ridiculously affordable. This place was my favorite way to start the day. Like a lot of places, it costs a little more if you want to sit outside.
Great pastries in the morning and they have piles of different crustless sandwiches with all different fillings. I had foie gras in one of them.
Note: If you want just a regular black coffee in Madrid - you ask for a “cafe solo.”
El Rastro Flea Market
This market happens on Sunday and is huge. It spans many city blocks and my pictures can’t do it justice in terms of the size and the amount of people there. Would need a drone to get the full effect. It was fun just to stroll around and see the stuff for sale. I bought carry on bag for 10 Euros since our luggage was lost.
Restaurante de Madrono
On our way walking back to the center of town from the flea market, we found this fun little traditional restaurant. They make their own liqueur which we tried. It comes in a chocolate cone cup that you can eat after doing the shot. They also had these tasty little sausages that are cooked in the sweet liqueur.
Walk from Sol to Salamanca
As part of our many steps that day, we walked from Sol to the upscale Salamanca area north of the Prado and the city park.
We went past the famous San Gines Chocolateria which dishes out hot chocolate and churros. There is always a line there and I generally don’t do standing in line. I mean, seriously, how good can hot chocolate be? We eventually got some hot chocolate and churros in Malaga which was just fine with no lines.
We also walked by the Parq el de Retiro which is a big park by the Prado. We just walked by the entrance this time but explored inside on our return leg a few weeks later.
Salamanca appears to be where the gentry live. Very classy neighborhood but was very quiet when we went on a Sunday. A lot of places were closed but we found a quiet garden cafe to have a coffee break.
Funambalista Bar
Walking back from Salamanca, we found this neat little cocktail bar. This I would also consider one of the better cocktail bars that I went to in Madrid. It is also one of the few places that would give you water (and fancy cucumber water at that). The drink menu is pretty creative and you get chips and popcorn to munch on while you drink.
Majaderitos Cafe
We decided to walk south of Puerta del Sol to find some evening snacks. It started to rain so we didn’t dawdle too much. When something looked ok and had seats we would pop in. Majaderitos fit that bill. The inside had a more modern feel and more importantly had the big plate of boquerones that I was looking for. It was also the first time we had patatas bravas since we got to Spain.
Taberna La Descubierta
We felt like one more drink/snack before heading back for the evening and stopped in this place. It was fairly busy inside probably because on one was sitting outside due to the rain. This restaurant had a more traditional feel. I mistakenly ordered a 1/2 liter when I wanted a smaller beer but being Spain it still only cost 5 Euros. I also didn’t expect the chorizo plate to be this big either - we couldn’t finish it all.