» Madrid

Jamon, Manchengo and Olives

Chandra — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:26:44 +0000

Dinner time in Spain is quite surprisingly late. Most restaurants do not open for service until 9PM with peak eating hours running from 10PM to Midnight. In Spain the afternoon “siesta” is very much alive. Spaniards are on a schedule all there own. They get started late in the morning, have lunch around 2PM and then a siesta before 6PM followed by dinner at 10PM. After dinner the city is alive with dancing and music in the streets. One thing that I found to be certain for every dinner is the service of Jaman (spanish ham), Manchengo (spanish cheese) and assorted olives served with crackers. Every night I was in Spain these items were offered to me before ordering much like our restaurants bring bread and butter or salsa and chips before dinner.

Jamon for Sale

There is a quality scale associated with the Jamon. There are four varieties and prices reflect quality. The best jamon is called Jamón Iberico de Bellota - these black pigs are free-range, acorn-fed, Iberians. When walking the streets of Madrid you will pass many, many delicatessens selling Jamon hanging in wraps. The Jamon is sold as an entire leg or shoulder and there are special cutting boards and knives used to shave off thin layers of the ham for serving.

Jamon, Manchengo, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Crackers

Manchengo cheese is also a favorite among Spaniards. This cheese is made in the La Mancha region of Spain from the milk of sheep of the Manchenga breed and is aged for between 60 days and two years.

Manchego has a variety of different flavors depending on its age. There are three versions of maturity sold:

Fresco – the fresh cheese is aged for only 2 weeks, with a rich but mild flavor. Produced in small quantities, it is rarely found outside Spain.

Curado is a semi-firm cheese aged for three to six months with a sweet and nutty flavour.

Viejo, aged for one year is firm with a sharper flavor the longer it is aged and a rich deep pepperiness to it. It grates well but can also be eaten on its own or as tapas

During my time in Spain I had the pleasure of sampling each of the different varieties and I can say that each of them are very good but my preference falling to the “Curado” variety.

Finally, olives. Every dinner service was accompanied by a small plate of brine-y, green, olives. I’m not much of an olive person in general but these were not bad. What I truly preferred was the most excellent tapenade available throughout Spain at lunch and dinner.

Madrid Walking Tour Part 2

Chandra — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:14:27 +0000

While visiting the Royal Palace, Maria pointed out the statues along the roof line and then down into the gardens. These statutes are representations of previous saints and kings. King Charles III ordered the placement of these statues as a symbol of class and future kings followed in the tradition.

Catedral de la Almudena

Just past the Palacio Real is the beautiful “Catedral de la Almudena.” When the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the Church in Spain remained in Toledo; so the new capital – unusually for a Catholic country – had no cathedral. Plans were discussed as early as the 16th century to build a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena, but construction did not begin until 1879. Francisco de Cubas, the Marquis of Cubas, designed and directed the construction in a Gothic revival style. Construction ceased completely during the Spanish Civil War, and the project was abandoned until 1950, when Fernando Chueca Goitia adapted the plans of de Cubas to a baroque exterior to match the grey and white facade of the Palacio Real, which stands directly opposite. The cathedral was not completed until 1993, when it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II.

Plaza Mayor

Onward we make our way to the Plaza Mayor for fresh sangria and live entertainment. Capable of holding 50 000 people the plaza was built on a grand scale. During its history it has been used as: a market, open-air theater, bullfighting ring, a place where executions and tournaments were held though nowadays its mainly used as a place to relax in the sun and enjoy the fresh air.

Below, please enjoy a few more photos of my stay in Madrid.

Madrid Walking Tour Part 1

Chandra — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:25:19 +0000

I arrived in Madrid, Spain this morning at around 8AM after an overnight and overseas flight of 7.5 hours. I’ve been reading up on the “must-see” and “must-do” lists available on the internet over the last few weeks. This afternoon I had the very fortunate pleasure of a private travel guide. Her name was Maria and she was the perfect guide. We met in the city center of Madrid just in front of the Reina Sofia Museum and Art Center. Downtown Madrid is so beautiful. Everything is very old with lots of charm and centuries of history.

Casa de Correos

One of the first places we visited was the famous landmark “kilometer zero” in the even more famous Puerta del Sol. The Puerta del Sol is the geographical center of Spain. There is a building known as the “Casa de Correos” which is the headquarters of the
Community of Madrid Autonomous government. This would be equivalent to our State Capital. Above this building is a famous clock tower that all Spaniards looks towards on New Year’s Eve.

Kilometer Zero

Much like the ball in Times Square is our symbol for the beginning of the New Year. In Spain a person eats one grape to countdown each of the twelve chimes. Directly in front of this building is a stone slab which marks “Kilometer Zero.” This is the starting point for the 6 main highways in Spain.

Bear and the Tree Statue

Directly opposite the building is the most important statue in the square that of the “Bear and the Madrono Tree” (“El Oso y El Madroño”) . This is the symbol of the city of Madrid.

Continuing our walk through the cobblestone streets of Madrid I find myself standing in front of an ENORMOUS building. I never thought anything would top the Palace of Versailles in France for size but this building does. It is the “Palacio Real” or Royal Palace. It is the largest palace in all of Europe. It has 2,800 rooms, over 110 doors, 870 windows, 270 balconies, 44 staircases and a banquet hall with a table that can seat 140 people! It was used by the Kings and Queen of Spain from 1734 until 1931. It was originally commissioned by Felipe V in 1734 and construction took 26 years. During that time two more kings, Carlos III and Carlos IV also influenced the design and decor. The current King of Spain, Juan Carlos I lives in the more modest Zarzuela Palace outside of Madrid, but the Palacio Real is still used for state occasions.