Spies and Flamenco

The Statue Uncovered Today

Vertical Garden 

These twenty-four "possible" portraits of Chelsea Manning were generated algorithmically from an analysis of her DNA. Despite being in prison with no visitation rights, the famed whistleblower managed to send the artist mouth swabs of her DNA, from which these portraits were then created. By graphically illustrating how DNA analysis can lead to multiple interpretations, the piece underscores the highly subjective nature subjective nature of DNA decoding and rebuffs the notion that identity is biologically defined and described.

 

All Stainless Steel Stairs and Floors

Moon Over Madrid

Eduardo Guerrero

In the morning we were treated to a special experience. The last time we stayed at The Principal Hotel, we had the same suite. It looks out over the city, and we could observe the restoration of a beautiful building directly across the street. The building is topped by a giant classical winged statue. All of it was shrouded in scaffolding and cloth. Today during breakfast, we looked out the window and there were workers removing the scaffolding. I am sure it will be a several days process. However, we got to see the unveiling of the restored statue. The workers were like monkeys as they worked. They wore safety harnesses and attached themselves to the scaffolding as they worked. It is back breaking work I am sure, but also looked like kind of macho fun.

We spent most of the afternoon at CaixaForum. The Caixa Foundation supports culture throughout Spain. This very modern building houses was created from an abandoned power station. One side of the building is an enormous vertical garden. The floors and stairways are stainless steel!

We came to see an exhibit right up our alley: Spies and Cinema. This exhibition explores the relationships between cinema and espionage, between fiction and historical facts, between the props and the technology used by spies, from Mata Hari to Carrie Mathison or Malotru, through James Bond and Edward Snowden. It is extensive and we both wondered if it would come to the Academy Museum in LA one day. Cathy thought it needed more focus, I enjoyed the variety of exhibits. The documentation was in English and Spanish and very good.

There were lots of clips from movies, illustrating reoccurring motifs in spy and espionage movies. Much of the language of these films were established by Alfred Hitchcock. Once again, I wondered if todays younger generations (which at my age includes about everybody) will ever watch those classic movies and if they do will they be watching them on their iPhones.

We returned to our hotel for our daily Siesta, we could get into this Madrid lifestyle.

Post siesta it was time for cocktails. Had a third bartender (I wish they could keep the same one on duty). This one failed in his Martini making. We then had red sweet Vermouth which makes for a great pre-dinner elixir.

We then went to a Flamenco show and dinner at Corral de la Morería. I know a dinner show sounds corny and touristy but believe me this one isn’t. The dancing is sexy and fantastic. We loved it as did everyone. The lead dancer Eduardo Guerrero is amazing, charismatic, sexy and quite a showman. We are officially on Spanish time. The show ended at midnight! You definitely should watch some clips on YouTube, or click on the link above.

 

Vermouth is Medicinal

Happy Customer

Another Happy Customer

Beautiful Brick Work

Great idea, they use half of a cork as a chopstick holder

Best Part of the shave

Straight Razor Shave, smooth as a baby's ass

Version # 1

Version More than 1

Like a Spaniard, drinking Vermouth

Four types of Tomatoes with 4 different Olive Oils 

Perhaps the best part of this vacation, is the break from our quotidian lifestyle. We aren’t on anyone else’s schedule. A typical day for us is me seeing tons of reminders of tasks to do on my computer or iPhone, Cathy researching dinners to make, creating shopping lists, etc. Habits formed about exercise, gathering mail, retrieving, and reading newspapers, doing laundry, washing dishes, you get it. On vacation it is all put aside, we are free agents. 

 

I often joke that Parsifal, our cat, only thinks of one thing: How can I have more pleasure than I am currently. When he figures it out, he does it. It might be moving to lie in our laps or going outside to sit in the sun, eating, whatever will make him happier. He is simply a pleasure-seeking animal. That is what this vacation is for us. No tour schedule just relaxing and do what we want on our schedule.

 

We finally decided to walk in our neighborhood and browse the stores. We found a small Japanese clothing store and each of us found a perfect garment. We continued our random tour and were thirsty and decided to go into a small restaurant for a Coke. It turned out to be a tiny very hip Japanese restaurant. They had a very clever idea that we have never previously observed. They sliced corks in half lengthwise and used them as chopstick holders. We will do the same upon returning  home. God knows we have enough corks!

 

I always like going to a real barber that knows how to do a real wet shave. First he covers your face with a salve then applys hot towels, finally when the skin is hot and moist applying lather and shaving with a straight edge blade. I always wish my dad had taught me how to use a straight edge. If I tried now I know I would inadvertently cut my juggler vein! Safety razor only for me.

 

We then walked to the Foundation Mapfre. The foundation supports all kinds of Art, and Social Awareness programs. Currently the foundation had 3 exhibits. To us the most profound was an artist we have never heard of before: Medardo Rosso. He was a sculpture who often worked from pictures of his subjects. He would make multiple copies of the sculpture changing his technique and materials. He thought sculptures should be like pictures or photos and only observed from the front. He was highly influential but not widely known. You might want to read about him. We liked his work.

 

A second exhibit was of a Spanish Painter Joaquín Sorolla. A Spanish Painter that painted beach scenes.

 

The third exhibit was of a current day photographer Mathieu Pernot. They have many of his photos, most very large size, some in color others black and white. He documents the destruction of war, people in prison, the dynamiting of buildings etc. Not exactly happy events but he is a whiteness to the world’s suffering.

 

This being Spain, we returned to the hotel for our siesta and see if Juan remembers how to make a proper Martini.

Unfortunately, Juan wasn’t on duty tonight. I had an inferior martini but I didn’t want to educate a different bartender. We did research that stated that Vermouth was a great digestive. So we switched to the national drink of Spain: Vermouth and it was quite delicious and possibly medicinal! We did our usual Facetime with Barbara all is well in San Francisco.

 

We had planned to go to Tapas restaurant but then decided we would just wing it in our neighborhood. Cathy’s stomach was a little off, so we decided to go for Grilled Chicken at a restaurant, near our hotel. We asked the doorman if he could recommend a tapas restaurant, we could go to first before we would go for our chicken. He suggested a nearby restaurant: Celso-Manolo. We intended to have a drink maybe a tapas and then go for chicken. We sat at the bar and started with Vermouth and a fantastic Tomato Salad composed of four different tomato varieties served with four different olive oils. After eating the tomatoes and drinking our Vermouth, we decided to order a bottle of wine and have dinner there. It was a wise decision. The place is friendly, and the food was great! It was an easy walk back to the hotel. We might very well return to Celso-Manolo again on this vacation.

 

Drink, Eat, Sleep..Rinse and Repeat

El Rastro Flea Market

Doggie Station outside of market

Typical Architecture in the Chueca

Cats and Thai Food, how cute

Dog Poop Bin

Israeli Mezze

Sea Bass

We took a taxi to the giant outdoor flea market called: El Rastro. Think of it as an incredible garage sale of all things you couldn’t give away to anyone. I had the feeling all the vendors are buying and selling to each other. I didn’t see anything I could conceivably want. But as the used car salesman said: “There is an ass for every seat”. So, I assume there are people who buy things at the flea market.

 

We then took a long walk around the Chueca neighborhood. We really enjoy staying in this area. It is Sunday so most of the boutique stores are closed but tomorrow they will be open and ready to receive us. We love the architecture. Since there are no private residences in this area, everyone lives in apartments and they all come out in the sunshine, many walking their dogs. We liked the dog station outside the market and the poop containers on the street.

 

We walked quite a lot returned to our hotel and like true Spaniards took a siesta. It seems to be the Madrid way: Eat, Drink, sleep and repeat.

 

Upon awakening it was cocktail hour. I decided I shouldn’t give up on martinis in Madrid. Cathy had wine, but I told the bartender I wanted to watch and improve his martini making skills. The problem, I believe is the Spanish love their Vermouth. This causes them to not understand the delicate relationship between Vermouth and Gin needed to make a proper Martini. Under my supervision, he minimized the Vermouth and maximized the Gin. It was superb! I am not sure he enjoyed the direct supervision, but I am sure the generous tip ameliorated any hurt feelings.

 

Since it is the Yom Kipper, we decided to go to an Argentinian-Israeli restaurant. We had great Mezze and grilled Sea Bass. It wasn’t our traditional Matzah Ball Soup and Brisket, but if fortified us for the New Year.

Museum and Mushrooms

How I feel!

Garden entrance at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Mushroom Menu 1

Mushroom Menu 2

Not Mushrooms, but fresh Shrimp

Porcinis, Olive Oil and Finishing Salt

 

Mushrooms with Eggs

Poached Artichokes

Tomato Salad from their Garden

After breakfast we headed to the enormous Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. It is located near the Prado (the most famous of all the Madrid Museums). The building is quite large created from an old palace and bank building but completely gutted into a modern exhibition space.

 

On our previous visit we loved it and were anxious to return. We spent basically the whole day there. There was a special exhibit of Occult as portraited in Painting. The scope of the museum is amazing. One of the very best features of the museum is the explanations of the paintings. You don’t need to constantly be searching for QR codes on your phone the info is right there next to a painting or on a wall explaining why a group of paintings are gathered. It is a very accessible collection.

 

It is said “All great fortunes begin with a crime”. (Aside to reader if you don’t know the source of a quote you want to use assign it to Voltaire, you will probably be right, and if you are wrong no one will question you). I don’t know the source of the Baron’s vast wealth (actually I do, his father gave it to him, so I guess what I really don’t know is how the fortune started), but it is a good thing his collection now sits in Madrid where it is appreciated by the crowds of viewers.

 

Continuing our attempt to act like native Spaniards after our extended walking in the Thyssen, we returned to our hotel for a siesta. I still am bothered by the fact since the word SPAIN has the letter “I” before the letter “N”, the word Spaniards does not have the “I” before the “N”,I think it should be spelled “Spainiards”, but no one else agrees with me.

 

We had a cocktails on the deck overlooking the Madrid from the hotel’s rooftop bar. I decided this Hotel doesn’t know how to make a decent Martini. I switched to wine.

 

We walked to a favorite restaurant of ours: El Cisne Azul Taberna. It is a restaurant that specializes in dishes made with Mushrooms. We had eaten at the restaurant on a previous trip to Madrid. We love mushrooms. Since it was fall, they had Porcini Mushrooms (the best of them all)  and unlike last night they served them raw with olive oil and salt, it was delicious! Once again, we had poached Artichokes. We can only guess how they are made, maybe steamed then poached in olive oil, but we can’t figure out when they remove the course outer leaves. They are great and we expect Jaimie to figure out how they are made! A careful look at the pictures will note some fabulous fresh shrimp were served without the benefit of mushrooms.

 

Acting like natives our reservations were for 9pm (late by our usual standards) and we didn’t finish dinner till midnight.

We had an unusual tourist experience when the bill arrived.

The tab was 144 Euros, but I noticed on the wireless machine that they bring to the table to charge us with our waiter entered 154 Euros. I told him it was the wrong amount. He apologized and entered the correct amount. He poured us an extra portion of dessert wine as a penitence, but I tend to think it wasn’t a mistake. Savvy traveler alert: always check the amount they charge vs the amount on the check!

 

We walked back through the narrow streets of the Chueca neighborhood to our hotel feeling totally safe and enjoying our late night stroll. Tomorrow, we go to the Sunday Flea Market where everyone says “Beware of pickpockets”. Life is an adventure.

Jet Lag Day 2

Just Looking

Best Artichokes Ever!

Absolutely the BEST Basque Cheese Cake Ever!

Porcinis and Egg 

Did someone say Porterhouse?

Day 2 continued to suffer from Jet Lag. We took strong sleeping pills last night be we had a sleep deficit due to the crying babies on the flight. We understand there is no remedy for the situation, babies get to fly too, but it sure ruined our sleep!

We decided to make an easy day of it. Surprisingly, it involved a lot of walking, but Cathy did great. When all else fails and you aren’t up for a museum or lecture, shopping always works as a low energy experience. We found a great store Loewe’s (not the hardware store for sure!). We shopped and went to several stores before returning to The Principal Hotel and taking a mid-day nap. Of course, all the Madrid natives at the hotel thought "how wonderful, you understand our need for a siesta". We earned Spanish respect!

After we awoke, we went for a massage. The best cure for Jet Lag ever invented!

To recover from the massage we had cocktails on the patio of the Hotel overlooking Madrid and a called Barbara to check in.

It was time to walk to our favorite Madrid Restaurant: Roostiq. I know there are a lot of pictures of food on this blog today but that is what we did today, I don’t think you want to see pictures of our massages!

A few food thoughts. It is impossible in the States to get Porcini Mushrooms this good! We are so lucky it is the fall and Porcini season. We know we are returning to Roostiq on this trip and we will definately order them again. The same goes for the Cheesecake. It is the best Cheese Cake we have ever eaten!

We can get good steak in Los Angeles, but this one has a great 2nd act in store for it. Madrid has wonderful food markets and we have walked through them salivating, but never bought anything. This time it will be different. We took back to the hotel lots of our leftover steak and stored it in our refrigerator. We plan to go to the food market and pick up all kinds of great sides to go with the leftover steak. We are sure the hotel will set a place for a picnic on the deck, and we will have a feast of steak and whatever the great markets offer!

1st World Problem in Business Class

Our Living Room

Deck Overlooking Madrid

Bacalao - Salt-Cod Fritters

Veal Shank

Avi, our usual driver, picked us up about 3pm to take us to LAX. It was traumatic because we hate to leave Parsifal behind, but we are sure Kiesha / Layne will take good care of him.

 

LAX was it usually zoo. I can’t understand how the new People Mover will work in the real world. Every other airport in the world we have been to you pick up your luggage usually take an elevator down to meet at train that takes you to the exit. Here you have to go up and walk to the middle of the airport to meet a people mover which will take you to a remote site. I can’t picture it being efficient but will withhold judgement.

 

Last time we were at LAX we were flying to Mexico and were prechecked and it was simple to go through TSA. This time for some reason we weren’t so the lines were longer. We learned that if you are older than 75 you don’t have to take off our shoes. Wow what a benefit! Cathy declared herself as 75 (the whole point of this trip is to celebrate her 75^th ) and wasn’t challenged although she is a week short of the milestone.

 

We flew on Iberia Airlines the only airlines offering non-stop flights from LAX to Madrid. We had a brand new A350 and Business Class was quite nice. I was very impressed with it, although they didn’t have a rich assortment of movies to watch.

 

The whole point of for us in purchasing an exspensive Business Class tickets is to have the use of lie-flat seats, have a drink or two, take a sleeping pill, go to sleep and wake up at your destination, in this case Madrid, Spain.

 

Unfortunately for us and ALL of Business Class there was a couple with two young babies that screamed and cried the entire trip! It was a torture, both the sounds of their screams, the volume and the screech it self were continual and unending. The two babies never ceased! It overpowered the sleeping pills, the earphones we put on and the pillows over our heads. The staff was sympathetic but there was nothing they could have done except ignore my suggestion of stuffing stuffing them in an overhead bin and locking it!

 

This has never happened to us before. When we arrived, I started googling “Crying babies in Business Class” many people believe babies should not be allowed in Business Class or First. Others consider the parents inconsiderate for flying with crying kids. You are paying a LOT of MONEY to fly in Business Class, and it is basically wasted. I will write to the airlines and see what they say.

 

We arrived in Madrid about 2pm, very unrested and were driven to our hotel: The Principal (Jaimie had recommended it, and we had previously stayed at The Principal and like it).

 

Exhausted, we unpacked, took a nap and ate at he hotel. The hotel sent us a complementary bottle of Cava, so we drank it and FaceTimed our friend Barbara in SF as we do every night, no matter where we are.

The Hotel has an exceptional restaurant and we had Bacalao as an appetizer and shared a veal shank. Once again we were amazed that we had an excellent bottle of Spanish wine for $ 25. The entire dinner was less than $100. The food was as good as I remembered.  Sleeping Pills for us tonight and we will wake up for our first full day in Madrid which will include massages and a dinner at our favorite Madrid restaurant: Roostiq.