No city is perfect, it is that the things that annoyed me about Madrid were somewhat unexpected. This was certainly a place I didn’t research enough before visiting. Maybe it is just that a lot of the below things felt like it came out of left field. In travels past I was a lot better at scouting an area. This trip I did a lot more “winging it” which is both good and bad. Let me dig in deeper as to the things I didn’t like about Madrid.

Madrid Was Loud

It is cute at first, the great people of the country staying up until all hour’s partying. With the music blaring it was a nonstop event, this is why we visit Spain. That is until the third night, when you are shaking your fist at the whipper snappers like a 90-year-old man on a lawn chair. Madrid is loud and it is loud at the worst possible times. There is an endless supply of horns if you stay in the wrong area. Cars seem to have only one way of communicating and they did so at all hours. I loved my hotel; I loved the location on the Gran Via… but sleep was difficult at times. Luckly, I walk about 30K steps a day and eat like a pregnant rhino or I never would have slept.

Take out the terrible car horns for a second, the people themselves never shut up. It was the World Cup, so I was just asking for trouble, but the songs at 4am got old. Not like they had good voices anyway. One of the things I loved about Madrid is that it was a nonstop party. One thing I hated about Madrid is that it is a nonstop party. I cannot have it both ways, but sometimes I want to!

Madrid is Landlocked

Madrid has 99 problems, but a beach ain’t one. For a landlocked city Madrid had excellent seafood, that is undeniable. Still there is something nice about eating that seafood overlooking the water. There is a lot to do in Madrid, especially if you like history and art. Sometimes I want to just walk along the coastline when traveling and get away from the previously mentioned noise.

I am not really a fan of the beach, too much sand and heat. I do love the water and most other Mediterranean cities I have visited had plenty of it. At times, being in a landlock city feels claustrophobic. Once again this is not a total dig at Madrid, it is a beautiful city. I certainly knew it was landlocked when I arrived. Still, in comparison to other places, I did have a bit of nostalgia, a missing of the sea. This may just be me being nitpicky!

Madrid Is Crowded

Another thing I didn’t like about Madrid was it was full of people, almost overwhelmingly at times. Since it is a nonstop party, everyone is on the street. The walking lanes were so crowded at times that one could not move. The touristy areas are especially bad, they usually are, but Madrid just felt extra cramped.

This is a real city; I do not know why I had it in my head that it would be on the smaller side. For gods sakes it is the capital of Spain, of course it will be crowded. Going to the San Miguel Market was a chore at times. Fighting the other tourist for a table, it can get a little old when trying to relax. Other markets weren’t all that better in terms of crowds. Really, all of the best places were packed at peak (and sometimes nonpeak) hours.

Then there are the lines to get into the tourist attractions. Madrid has some amazing sites, but you have to wait for them. Sometimes the back streets weren’t as bad. Even then you find yourself battling for sidewalk space with the locals. If you are going to Madrid, Spain for a relaxing walk down the street you might be disappointed. The streets are beautiful, yes, but the amount of people was one of the things I didn’t like about Madrid.

Madrid Was Dirty (At times)

I claimed in my last post that Madrid was cleaner than a lot of cities in Europe, I may have been over exaggerating. It is a huge city, with a ton of partyers. With a constant supply of drunk people there is a constant supply of garbage. I think the city did a great job of cleaning it up, but it was a never-ending battle. So many trash cans were over filled, and the garbage just piled onto the floor.

There are homeless camps everywhere (I will get to that later). More than I have seen in other areas of Europe. To be fair the city was still cleaner than most cites in the United States and probably cleaner than Athens. Still, I hate to see a place with such amazing beauty covered in graffiti and trash. It is a major city, comes with the territory, that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

There is a Seedier Side

Madrid is a beautiful, family friendly city during the day. At night the atmosphere shifts a bit. At times my partner would call it quits early due to feeling sick and I would walk the mean streets of Madrid by myself. More than once I would get called over by a pleasant gentleman asking me if I wanted a hooker. I politely declined, but it was very nice of them to ask. This on top of the fact that there were hookers in plain sight all over the city.

Madrid, like any other big city has an underbelly. The laws seem more relaxed than in the United States. That is not to say I ever felt unsafe. Mainly due to the huge amount of people everywhere. I certainly would worry more walking the streets of New Orleans at night, but still there is an underlining element in the city. Whether it is the people lining up to play lotto or the lucky rosemary scam it isn’t all Ritz and glamour.

When I first got to Madrid I thought (and still do) it was a gorgeous city. Walking back from my hotel I turn down one different street, literally 5-minutes from the hotel. My partner looks at me and says this is the bad part of town. I laugh and say there is no bad side. Well, not five seconds later does a homeless man proceed to take a crap in the middle of the street. Not on the side, smack in the middle. Central Park horses have more discretion. That pooing man made me eat my words.

Certainly, there is a Homeless Problem

That last story ties in nicely with my last problem with the city. I hesitated to even mention this, but it was so in my face that I thought I should. This is in no way to complain about the homeless themselves, it is more how they are treated and some of the messes they cause. I hate seeing a rich city seem like they do not care about the poorer people. I know we in the United States have no leg to stand upon given our cities conditions. Maybe I just thought Europe was better than this.

Of course, any major city (outside of what I saw in Tokyo) has this problem. Madrid just felt worse than most cities. Once again this is a post Covid world. Take it from a New Yorker, this is not something you want getting out of control. It will ruin the city, fill it with terrible homeless camps and doesn’t help anyone. I don’t know the solution to homelessness, but I do know what it could do to a city. You certainly don’t want your tourists stepping in the previously mentioned human poo.

Conclusion: Six Things I didn’t Like About Madrid

Yes, I loved the city, but there are things I didn’t like about Madrid. So many times, when researching a place people talk about the positives only. I just want to give a fair representation of my experience. I loved the city. I want to get that straight. Still, it is not without its problems, no city is. For those of you that visited, tell me your pros and cons of Madrid that you noticed.

The post Six Things I didn’t Like About Madrid appeared first on Man in Flight.

In a nutshell Madrid is worth visiting because it has everything great that most Mediterranean cities have. Amazing food, a beautiful landscape, and more culture than you can ever ask for. Also, Vermouth… lots of Vermouth. Madrid might be worth visiting just for this drink, I drank so much of that stuff that I woke to my liver holding a knife to my throat. It is funny how this city is sometimes overlooked by American tourists.

Whether you make it the focal point of your trip or just a part of your journey, I cannot imagine you will be disappointed with the location. This is not to say there aren’t some drawbacks, I will write about those in a future article. Here I will focus on the positives and there are plenty of them. Below is why I assure you Madrid is worth visiting.

Madrid is a Beautiful City

It had been years since I visited Europe, a world-wide pandemic will do that, I guess. I had forgotten just how beautiful the cities on that continent are. Madrid is no exception. My neck hurt worse than a two-dollar hooker from looking up so much. The architecture is something to be seen. I loved just spending my days walking around admiring what the city has to offer.

Maybe it didn’t have that old Roman feel like Italy or Croatia, but streets like Gran Vía still offered one of the best atmospheres in the world. It is its own city, with its own style. My room was on the top floor of the hotel. I would wake up every morning to an amazing view of the city. Madrid is worth visiting for its ambiance alone.

To make it even better, they were setting up for Christmas, now the lights weren’t lit, but I was able to get the idea of what I was going to miss. I guess Europe isn’t like the United States and they don’t show Christmas lights in August. Madrid is one of the more beautiful cities I have been to and cleaner (but not totally clean) than a lot of cities in Europe.

The Food in Madrid is Excellent

You know the city must look amazing if I am mentioning the food second. Still, not to be outdone, the food in Madrid was outstanding. It was also plentiful. Every time I take a trip overseas it has me asking a lot of questions. This time it was, how does a land locked city have so much great seafood? I ate a lot of foods I had never tried before on this trip to Madrid. Most of which I loved, but my stomach was in a pact with my liver to get even with me for all the damage I had done.

So, what did I eat in Madrid. The usual, I took out entire continents worth of Anchovies. Had Churros, but only once, I can’t start my day off with heavy chocolate, it would take too much room. The Jamon was eaten by the pound full, I think the country almost ran out by the time I was finished. Sorry Peta.

There are a lot of foods that are unique to Madrid (or Spain). I skipped the fried squid sandwich (Bocadillo de Calamares) but ate a ton of egg dishes. This included of course the famous tortilla from Casa Dani. As a side it is nothing like it was on Somebody feed Phil. There was a huge line and wait.

My favorite dish was huevos rotos con jamon. Broken egg over potatoes with jamon blanketing the eggs (sometimes I paired it with Seafood). If you eat one dish in this country, get this one. More on the food of Madrid in later posts. The best part about the food besides its taste was how inexpensive it was. Cheaper alcohol and no tipping really keep the cost down.

Their Vermouth game is also on point. I never would have imagined drinking it straight, but some people were like wizards in their cocktail creation. In the San Miguel Market, there is a stand that has it on tap, which is fabulous Although not the best one I have had. Madrid, Spain is worth visiting for the food alone.

There is a lot of Culture, History, and Activities

If your idea of fun is getting drunk and seeing old beautiful art, Spain has you covered. The museums are top notch almost (but not really) on par with Paris, France. The Museo del Prado is world renowned, with works from Dalí, El Greco, Monet, Picasso and more. Really Madrid is worth visiting for this spot alone. This is only one of many fantastic museums, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is also another good option. I can keep going, bottom line if you love art Madrid is worth visiting.

Then there are the activities that are uniquely Madrid. A Flamingo dancing show was surprisingly fun and interesting. The dancers were talented, and it was very entertaining. The history in Madrid is strong and just walking the city a seeing sites like the Temple of Debod can be a fun day. This Temple was a gift from Egypt and wasn’t stolen, that is saying a lot for Europe. Of course, the Royal palace also needs to be part of your itinerary. The palace is a work of art by itself, and I believe it doesn’t even get taxpayer money these days. See Great Britain it is possible! Hell, this city even sports the oldest restaurant in the world.

The parks are some of the bests I have seen, particularly Retiro Park, it is a must visit. Giant statues and monuments throughout this park make you feel as if you are walking in a different time. I ponder what it must be like to live in a spot like this, as opposed to Charlotte, NC. Just pure culture, history and beauty at your fingertips, that goes for miles. I hope the people of the city appreciate what they have.

It is Just a Great Atmosphere

Aside from the actual look of the city, the energy of Madrid is a great one. Europe and Spain in general just have a vibe about them that I love. I know I am on vacation when I am visiting, but you get a sense about how laid back and fun focused the people are. The bars and restaurants are always packed, even the ones off the beaten track. Everyone looks happy. That makes a difference.

The city has a distinct personality and a comfort level to it. I went to Paris and Madrid on this trip. Paris was great and I will write more about that city in a later post. I felt like I was coming home when I got back to Madrid. It was less stressful, people were not as snooty, and it was a place I was used to quickly. The people of Madrid were all easy going and welcoming. This is not to say I would want to move to Madrid Spain. Yes, Madrid is worth visiting, but living there not so much. My next post is on things you might not like about Madrid.

Conclusion: Is Madrid Worth Visiting? Yes

Madrid is a wonderful city. It is not without its flaws, but I would love to return one day. The food the history and just the fun factor, I can’t imagine you would have a bad time seeing it. Certainly, schedule some time in the future to see Spain’s capital.

The post Is Madrid Worth Visiting appeared first on Man in Flight.

Barcelona, Spain fell to third on my list of best restaurants of my favorite food tourism locations, linked here. That ranking does not diminish its great food scene. In my original post it was number one, but Lisbon and Palermo, Sicily are just too tough to beat. As in all Mediterranean countries, Spain excels in freshness. Everyone knows this country for it’s tapas, but in my opinion that is just the beginning of their great food culture.

In this post I plan on going into depth as to what to eat in Barcelona along with where you can discover these items. The city is big and eating times are odd, but I do not think you will have a problem finding amazing food if you are hungry. It has been some years since I have been to this city and I know the disease that shall not be named has certainly hit Spain hard. Some of these spots maybe closed, still the foundation of what to eat in Barcelona remains. Below are the highlights of the food in Barcelona.

Seafood

All the Mediterranean countries I have been to have amazing seafood for the obvious reason of being so close to the water. Spain is no exception, maybe people think of tapas when they think of Spain, but the creatures pulled from the Mediterranean and put on your plate an hour later are why you go to this country to eat. I had great seafood all over Barcelona, but to get the best (or what I felt was the best) you need to go to a market.

Mercado de La Boqueria

When discussing food in Barcelona, I would be foolish if I did not mention the Mercado de La Boqueria. This market is heaven for anyone who owns taste buds. Walking in you can grab a $5 mojito from the stand outside, after which you are hit with the smells of any good market. You will also be greeted with an array of fresh juices, which may ruin you because you will never drink Tropicana again.

In any good market you need whole animals that are sliced up to scare the hell out of any kids you may be with. Mercado de La Boqueria accomplishes this task in the most joyful of ways. People want to believe meat is born in hot dog form, but shockingly it is not. Moving away from the meats and toward the seafood, you see an even greater amount of freshness.

The best part of this market are the little restaurant counters thrown into the mix. There are many places where you can sit down have a drink and an exquisite seafood feast, for a fraction of what you would pay in the United States. I went repeatedly to a variety of stands and was not disappointed with any of them. One famous place was on both Somebody Feed Phil and one of Bourdain’s shows (I believe No Reservations), that is El Quim de la Boquería.

El Quim de la Boquería

We went for breakfast and had a tasty meal here. It is nice when a place mixes fresh baby squid with eggs (see above) for breakfast, something Denny’s just has not added to their menu. Seafood for breakfast is king here as in most of the market, but there are plenty of other options. On the show, Phil ordered a Foie Gras on his eggs that looked outstanding. This is one of those first stops off the plane kind of places when deciding what to eat in Barcelona.

El Quim de la Boquería does not hold a monopoly on good food in the market. As mentioned, a stop at any random stall should satisfy you, especially because your first choice may be too crowded. The above dish has beautiful shrimp, razor clams, mussels, and some other creatures sprinkled around the plate. I bow my head in prayer for those of you allergic to shellfish.

Sardines & Anchovies

I lumped these together because both come in disgusting forms in the United States. Spain must be Bizarro world (Superman reference) because both of these fish are delicious in this country. First, let me start with sardines. To be fair, they are good in many countries in the region, they all pull the fish from the same sea. Sardines in Barcelona are not those inedible slivers we get in tins from the supermarket. They are big, meaty, and delicious. They also do not have that overwhelming fishy taste that is so common with American sardines

Anchovies are the biggest shock in terms of what to eat in Barcelona. I could not get enough of these while visiting the city. There is something special about a fresh anchovy spread onto a piece of bread with a little olive oil on it. Just thinking about it reminds me how the simplest food can be amazing when fresh.

One could probably write a book on all the great seafood in Barcelona. The gist of it is, when trying to figure out what to eat in Barcelona, seafood should be your number one choice… although your number two choice is not bad either.

Tapas

Clearly, I had to mention tapas, they are the food most people think of when visiting Barcelona. Rumor has it tapas were originally created to protect your drink from flies. I guess it is better to have flies on your food then in your wine. Tapas are a small, bite size piece of food most likely on a piece of bread. When it comes to tapas, there is Spain and there is everyone else. What I love about tapas is that it matches my style of eating. Jumping from one place to the next trying a million things is preferable to sitting down to one meal.

Tapas can be cold or hot and are usually eaten around happy hour (in United States time) This is due to the fact that Spain serves dinner after 9 PM. The variation of tapas is almost unlimited. Technically the aforementioned anchovies on bread would be considered a tapa, but they are getting much more sophisticated. Some popular forms of tapas are fresh prawns in a sizzling olive oil sauce, a mini Spanish omelet, as well as an endless variety fanicer and creative inventions.

My advice to you would be to go nuts and gorge on everything in your vicinity, but that is usually my advice when it comes to food. A more helpful piece of advice is to avoid the places where you see tapas just thrown all over the restaurant, sitting out exposed. These are not fresh and much of the time they are sitting unprotected from the elements and insects. I prefer to at least be fooled into thinking they are fresh when they come out of the kitchen.

Some Great Places…

Tapas spots are on every corner in Barcelona, many places compete to win awards. My go to when I was in Spain was Cervesería Catalana. At last look it is still open and avoided the downturn from the virus that shalt not be named. I must have eaten here every other night. I am sure the menu has changed since I was there, but my experiences included cod balls, (not to be mistaken with Rocky Mountain oysters, they are balls of cod), Padrón peppers and fried shrimp skewers.

Quimet & Quimet is another popular tapas restaurant, located closer to the Gothic Quarter. They had a wide selection of tapas as well, but when I went it may have been a little too good. I hardly had standing room; the place was a madhouse. Go at an off time if you want better service and a more comfortable experience. These are really two of thousands of tapas establishments. Try as many as possible and get back to me with the results.

Iberico Ham

This is the gold standard of pork. Iberico Ham is to pork what Kobe beef is to steak. I do not know how to describe this except to say that it is excellent. The meat melts in your mouth. It is extremely rich, like Wagyu beef the fat content makes it feel like butter. To give it a unique flavor to be called Iberico ham the pig needs to be fed acorns in the last few months of its life. I am not sure how they figured this out, but it gives the meat a nuttier taste.

The only way I have seen this eaten is by being sliced in thick pieces and eaten like prosciutto. There are plenty of places to try this delicious meat; one of the top ranks shops is RESERVA IBÉRICA Jamón Ibérico en Barcelona. I also ran across a couple of places selling cones of this ham near the Gothic quarter. It is safe to say that Iberico ham is what to eat when in Barcelona, it is incredible.

Paella

Paella is mandatory when going to Barcelona, like pasta in Rome. This rice dish (for those of you who do not know) is made with some of the outstanding seafood I mentioned earlier. Usually shrimp and clams (at least that is the way I had it). I have heard about them adding rabbit to it, which to me sounds amazing as well. I was able to try this dish in the market. As luck would have it as I explored someone was finishing up a big pot of Paella. Realizing it usually takes some time to develop the flavors (hours), I am not sure how long it was cooking for, but it was delicious none the same. I will say that this dish is extremely tasty and a must eat in Barcelona. Paella is certainly worth the hunt and stomach space.

Churros and Hot Chocolate

Churros and Hot Chocolate are a lethal combination. Spain is known for Churros, a fried pastry covered with sugar. Some people eat these for breakfast, I like to call these people diabetics. Of course, we eat donuts for breakfast, so America is not much better. These treats are found all over the city, I discovered mine in the twisted streets of the gothic area.

After being given one I walked down the road and asked for a hot chocolate, she asked me if I want a normal one or one to dip my churro in. If you love chocolate and someone asks you this question, tell them to dip the churro. Spain does chocolate almost as well as Portugal (read my post here). Hot chocolate combined with a churro is a perfect combination. After a big seafood meal, hunt down some churros and grab some hot chocolate, nothing wrong with that combination.

Empanada

Most people think that empanadas originated in Latin America. They in fact are from Galicia, Spain, (although some swear that they came from Portugal). Either way close enough, these were another staple in my diet when I was not eating tapas and seafood. For those of you that do not know, an empanada is a turnover type pastry usually filled (but not always) with meat and cheese.

Empanadas are the perfect drunk food. If you are not drunk when you find a good shop, sit down, and order a pitcher of sangria, that will help you get any buzz needed. I spent many hours in Barcelona eating these pastries and sipping on sangria (a wine with fruit cut into it.) Empanadas are a must exploring the food scene in this city.

As far as what to eat in Barcelona, those are the big ones in my book. There certainly are a lot of more localized Spanish dishes to try, but those will be consumed by me at a later date. Before I end this post, I would be remiss not to mention my best eating experience in Barcelona, the restaurant Spoonik.

Spoonik

One of the best things about this restaurant is that it is still open, even after the unfortunate events of the last year. Spoonik in Barcelona was more of an event than a dinner. It is a treat for all your senses, one of the best eating experiences of my life. It is almost difficult to put into words that capture the full story of this meal. Spoonik offered what amounted to a 14 (plus)-course dinner. All of which are small plates (thank god) … complete with a wine pairing.

Starting with the atmosphere, there a few large tables set up. You are very cozy with whoever is eating next to you. As a side, there was a guy on a first date right beside us, it is strange to me to have a first date on a 4-hour event, but I digress. Moving on, what was interesting about the meal, there was a light show and music to match the theme of whatever course you were eating. It was an extremely different experience.

The food was amazing in the restaurant, it was unique as well. I had my first course in the kitchen, followed by between 14-20 other courses and wine…lots and lots of wine. The food ranged from great seafood bites, cold soups, small steaks, things I can’t even describe, and a variety of desserts. The night was capped with a complimentary champagne toast. Again one of my best eating experiences and memories of Spain. I thought I needed to mention this restaurant when discussing what to eat in Barcelona, since I loved it so much.

Conclusion: What to Eat in Barcelona

Even as I write this article, I realize I need to go back to this city. I visited Barcelona before I really knew how to travel. I ate and ate well in this city, but I can do so much more damage! My eating experience will not change too much, seafood will always be supreme in Spain. Currently, as I sit here, I just want to inhale a wider variety of tapas. This article should be sufficient in directing any first-time visitor towards great food.

The post What to Eat in Barcelona appeared first on Man in Flight.