Today’s entry in the Metro challenge is the stop Arguelles. Arguelles is a major stop – it is the origin of the 4 line, and also has stops for the 3 and 6 line. One of the first impressions you get from Arguelles, besides its size, is this fantastic mosaic mural on the wall…

El Corte Ingles (translation “The English Court”) is a large department store chain, and one of their largest stores is located here – everything from Michael Kors purses to GE appliances to gourmet wine and cheese to couches. One of the largest locations is on the corner here. However, today Nancy was in the mood for something a little cooler… a little more trendy…

There is something about Tiger that reminds me of Ikea. Maybe it is the minimalist design, the Scandinavian sensibility (Tiger is Danish) that anything can be whimsical, or the fact that everything seems cheap… even if its not. Everything here is priced and packaged to appear affordable. Yet somehow the two times we have been here the bill has been north of 40 euros… but you do get a lot for it… spices, stationary, candles, toys, mostly between 1 and 5 euros per package.

Also at Arguelles, what I think made Nancy TRULY happy, was the corner florist. It seems you can go anywhere in Madrid even in February, and find a street vendor with fresh and bright flowers.

Once the exploring (which is really code for SHOPPING) is complete, we wander over to the real purpose of our trip to Arguelles… dinner.

We love Paella. Even though it is not a Madrid specialty, real Paella comes from Valencia, the tourists demand it so it is everywhere. The restaurant Casa Valencia is a Madrid tradition. Located across from the Parque de la Tinaja and the Temple of Debod, two major Madrid landmarks, the restaurant has been a fixture of Madrid since 1975. Opened officially by the King of Spain, it is THE place in Madrid for traditional Paella.

Inexpensive, with a great wine list (fantastic wine under 20 euros a bottle makes Dan very happy), friendly wait staff, and an English menu (always a plus), we love Casa Valencia. Some interesting quirks about the place is the live lobster tank… Nancy is constantly worried that something we order will have lobster and she will see it removed from the tank, and the fact that they charge for the bread… but don’t ask you if you want it. The bread is excellent and pretty cheap, but the Asian pair at the next table was NOT happy.

Between Tiger, El Corte Ingles, and Case Valencia, not to mention a Zara Home, and some other cool stores, Arguelles is a stop we will be visiting again and again.

Stop 3 in the books, 178 to go. Dan

 

 

One of the cool things about the metro, is how it is like a cocoon. You walk into the metro in one place, and then are totally isolated from the outside world until you emerge somewhere else. Did it rain? Maybe. Snow? Possibly. Flying pigs? Have to read tomorrow’s paper. So emerging from the Metro always brings with it a surprise, sometimes small and sometimes…

Ventura Rodrigues is on the 3 line, and is not really remarkable on its own. Its close to a lot of things… Plaza Espana, the Royal Palace, the massive department store El Corte Ingles.

Our dinner destination for the evening was a stylish tapas restaurant bar called La Sifoneria.

We decided that we had been in Spain for three weeks and had not yet “Hace Vermut”, the Spanish phrase for “Doing Vermouth”, and tonight was the night. If you are not familiar with sweet vermouth, this is not the stuff James Bond adds a very small amount to his Martini’s. Sweet Vermouth is a sweet herbal cocktail and very much an acquired taste. Its in the wine family, but tastes nothing like wine. We Clark’s have argued about whether or not is tastes like uncarbonated Coke… and the argument continues.

La Sifoneria is an interesting place. The food was decent though not spectacular. We had tapas that were more Italian than Spanish (a Caprese Salad, mini pizzas) and a main course that was definitely Asian (they called it a Wok, I call it a stir fry). But what made the place worth the trip was the atmosphere.

It was a little hipster, a little trendy, and definitely off the wall. There was a wall covered in old liquor bottles, exposed green painted brick, and lots of character. There was a group of Americans discussing their lives as ESL teachers. It was a slice of Modern Madrid, in a city that loves its traditions.

Stop #2, definitely a success. We even found a cool taberna to visit the next time we are in the area! 2 down, 179 to go. Dan

Last night, after our 2nd Spanish lesson, Dan and I were in search of a birthday present.  Could there be a more perfect event to start off our Madrid Metro Challenge?  The name was drawn from the jar and we ended up at Tirso de Molina on Line 1.

One of the things I love most about Europe is how architecture and neighborhoods change just by turning a corner.  When I emerge from the metro, I have no idea what will be waiting for me.  Admittedly, sometimes its not so good, but most of the time, its glorious.  Last night was one of those marvelously surprising moments.  The metro dropped us off at a center full of flower vendors.  Bouquet flowers, flowers for outdoor potting, every different size and variety of cacti, and trees, were pouring into the square.  It was so beautiful and so charming.

As it turned out, Tirso de Molina isn’t very far from the widely popular Plaza Mayor.  We have been here several times, but like the food around the plaza and the bustle.  We ate mushrooms for dinner, acquired some great presents for my favorite humans back home, and walked until our feet hurt (which is easy to do here).

Stop #1 in the books.  180 stops remaining.