After we arrived in Spain it was late at night. Below is a picture of the inside of Madrid airport terminal four. Very nice architecture. It is also the second largest airport in Europe but only the sixth busiest and this terminal was finished in 2006.
After waking up we became familiar with the local area. This included a visit to Puerta del Sol, the center of Madrid and Spain. It was at the entrance of one of the gates of the city walls but as the city grew around it. In 2020 it became pedestrianized except for delivery traffic. There was some improvements being made on the square while we were there.
They have over the counter and stand up bar service on the main level and a sit down cafe upstairs. We had two fish savory pies and two sweet delights along with our coffee at the stand up bar. It was constantly busy by mostly locals.
We then began a Rick Steves walk from his guidebook. His walks always offer a bit of history, culture, and sights you may want to pop into for a look see or longer. We were quite impressed at how pedestrianized the core of Madrid was.
It seemed like on every street there was one or more cured ham sellers and for good reason. After the Reconquista in 1492, when Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella took the last of the land controlled by the Moors, the Inquisition loomed large over people's lives. Eating ham was one of the ways to prove you were not a Moor. The most common food items in bars and Spanish restaurants still seems to be cured ham of varying quality, from pressed ham to acorn fed luxury ham.
One of the other major square in the core of Madrid is the Plaza Mayor. In the 15th century it was used for the main market, executions and burnings, bullfights, and is now home to many tourists and on Sundays coin and stamp collectors.
As we learned before our trip, standing at the bar means a lower price than at a table inside which is lower than a table outside. This is in the form of a service added charge for the wait staff required depending on where you sit. It also generally means faster service at a bar vice a table and in Europe when you have a table you stay as long as you want. Remember though that you should never order at a bar then take it to a table.
We had Padron peppers, Iberian cured ham amongst other cured pork items, and Manchego cheese.
We were quite full and was going to order the mushrooms with Iberian ham inside but decided not to. We mentioned that to the waiter and he quickly came by with a free tapas of mushrooms. Tapas are small bites and we were reminded of what we should have done: order a drink to get a free tapas. Most establishments, when you come in and order a drink for each person in your group, will give you a free tapas. In this case we got it at the end of the meal. BTW, with the mushroom tapas you have to hold the toothpicks like bulls horns and bring it to your mouth carefully, then remove the toothpicks once the mushroom is in your mouth. Yummy.
The day will continue in 01b.
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