You Say Goodbye, and I Say Hello – Hello – Hello, London!

After walking halfway to the metro station, I remembered the gifts for the hubby’s godfather were still in the fridge at Éric’s. Luckily, we had left far earlier than we needed to get to the airport, so we ran back to get the sliced chorizo and cheese. From the metro, we took the airport express bus for 5.30€ per person one way. It was a worry-free way to get to the airport.

Once we arrived at our gate, I now have time to write about the show last night! Maria, the hubby, and I met up with another friend to ride together to Razzmatazz 2 downtown. Éric came out to meet us with our backstage sticker passes. Once inside, we hear the other bands winding down their sound checks. We scuttle upstairs to Éric’s exclusive dressing room to find his backup band chilling and noshing on sandwiches, paté, and an assortment of junk food. The drink fridge is stocked with beer and mixers, and a row of full bottles of liquor sit on the fridge ledge. So THIS is how real rock stars are treated! It was a great performance, and the crowd went wild for Éric and his music.  It was a great sight to see because it was almost ten years to the day since I had met him when his former band The Unfinished Sympathy had opened for Jimmy Eat World in Madrid at the live music venue Arenas near Plaza de España. What was different about this performance was that it was for an official Communist Party fundraiser. Éric failed to mention this detail. Meh, whatever.  It was a really great show. The last act’s female lead singer was dressed in a flamenco dress but rocking out.  I do enjoy the juxtaposition of imagery.

When we got home from the concert, I hand shredded the chicken and made tacos for everyone. Éric and Maria each tried the tostones with the avocado pico de gallo. He asked if pico de gallo really meant beak of the rooster. No, it’s probably a misheard version of picadillo which means a chopped salad or mix of foodstuffs. Then, came the chicken tinga tacos with repollo. “What is ‘repollo’? Is it double chicken?” asked Éric. I laughed so much. Maria chimed in that it’s ‘col’ or cabbage in English like from the Spanish for Cabbage Patch Kids. He retorted that he never would have known that because he didn’t play with Cabbage Patch Kids growing up. Once they took that first bite, they looked super perplexed. I asked if they enjoyed the taco. They replied with a resounding yes. The look they shared was attributed to the fact that neither had ever had that particular taste combination in their mouths before. Chipotle was a completely new flavor, and the multi-faceted layers of flavors and textures were overwhelming but not unpleasant. I LOVE introducing new foods and flavors to people who whole-heartedly appreciate them.  Suffice it to say, the tacos and tostones were a hit. Maria kept telling friends that they have never and would never eat so well again . . . until I came back. They asked if I wanted to move to Barcelona and jokingly said that we could have free room and board as long as they got to eat at the restaurant. Oh, how would I LOVE to move back to Spain!

Holiday in Madrid and ¡Bona tarda, Barcelona!

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Late night  = late morning. We wake up the next morning to a city that was almost completely shut down.  La virgen Almudena is the patron saint of Madrid, and so on this day, Madrid shuts down except for bars and restaurants, and the whole city celebrate its version of the Virgin Mary by eating out. I love holidays in Madrid.  For tourists, it may seem inconvenient, but it is such a boost for local restaurants, in my opinion. I thought the Línea Cero stall in the Sol metro station because it was in the middle of tourist central, but alas, it was also closed for the holiday, too.  These stalls sell jewelry, handbags, hats, clothes, and scarves – all of which are hip and cheap, so I always make a point in stopping by one while in Madrid.  I still have all of the pieces I’ve bought from there because I love it so much.

We go straight for the train station.  With beautiful foliage and clean benches, we park ourselves under a tree, and I go exploring. I found a great little shop called Natur. If you need something to compare this shop to, then imagine if Claire’s Accessories and Muji had a classy, eco-friendly child. Souvenirs – check! Off to the train!

After finding our seats and settling in, we had lunch on the train.  We had already pulled away from the platform, and we were well on our way to Barcelona at more than 220 km/hr, or approximately 137 mi/hr. The café car was fabulous. The menu was great as pictured above. I got the ciabatta with a large quantity of Iberian ham and a red wine. Hubby ordered a combo of a smoked pork loin with roasted green chilies, potato chips, and a beer. Oh, lunch was simple and glorious. Who knew train food could be so lush?

The metro in Barcelona still offers 2, 3, 5, and 7-day unlimited passes for the convenience of tourists, so that was a bonus.  We hop on and make our way to my friend Éric Fuentes’ home.  Éric is formerly of the well-toured band The Unfinished Sympathy and is now pursuing a solo career making quite the name for himself around Europe as El Mal (The Evil). Check out his latest album on . . . and catch him on tour.

After a lot of drinking and catching up, Amit and I decide we need to get dinner before all of the neighborhood bars close. Our host recommended Bar Versailles as it never disappointed him. We found it easily on the main drag in the neighborhood. This establishment only provides beer, cocktails, coffee, and water as libations, so both the husband and I got a beer while deciding on which tapas we would try out of the cold case on the counter. We finally make up our minds and choose some rather heavy dishes as we were quite hungry of boiled potatoes dressed in aioli (garlic mayonnaise), mini chorizos stewed in cider, and a mixed olive plate. We make our way back to the house and enjoy an evening of mocking the television programs and getting to know Éric’s companion Maria.  Off to bed!