My Secrets Places In Madrid I

Plaza de Olavide (Chamberi)

Source: El Angel de Olavide

Until 1974, it used to be a local market selling fruits and vegetables but it was destroyed by the city's mayor (some say because of a political revenge, other, because of real estate speculation). Olavide surges from a fountain that stands in the middle of an intersection, away from all the traffic. It's said to be rented per hours because of the variety of people that you can find walking around it: catholics, evangelicals and jews, chess players, jazz musicians, elder men playing card games while drinking some beer, people enjoying tapas and tinto de verano any time of the year. I recommend going on weekdays in spring - the trees will be blooming and bars will be taking out their chairs and tables for guests to enjoy the good weather. Due to its near location to Calle Fuencarral, it's an ideal place to go before a cinema or after shopping.

Make me Laugh and I'll be Yours

I'm back! - Not sure if I'm feeling as enthusiastic as that exclamation mark, though.

Madrid again was a perfect weekend (this time including my flights being on time, and me getting an upgrade from Iberia to business class as a reward for my "fidelity" with them - it was about time!).

After a hammering friday night on which we had drinks at my friend's apartment until 5 am, which is when we left to a club to have the deadly last drink - we call it deadly, because we are sure that it's the reason for our huge hungover, not the mix of bottles of wine, cocktails, pacharan, turkish shot and beer. No way.

Saturday night was about our routine: having tapas in la Latina. This time, instead of going to our usual bars, we tried out something new - Aroca XI, a designer tapas bar. The interior was amazing, and I later found out that it preserves part of the Arab and Christian walls. Specially recommendable are their cocktails - try out the Watermelon Mojito!

Anyway, getting to the reason of this post - the waiter. He wasn't particularly handsome, rather average (although there was something in his voice or accent that was appealing). He was watching for us all the time and, the best - he was hilariously funny. It was a really long time ago since last a guy used his sense of humor to flirt with me, and I don't understand why - it's such a good tactic! I noticed how my attraction towards him was changing during our dinner. Where I started thinking he was average, I found him more and more attractive - and the reason was definitely the way he acted towards me - he was sassy, cheerful and flirty, and I just love that. This got me thinking: in my long list of qualities the one should have, I now rank "makes me laugh" as the very first. In my last relationships it was me the story teller and the one trying to make the other laugh. It had only been my first boyfriend, who was a big story teller and who had a great sense of humor that could keep me laughing for hours in a row (at least the first two years of the relationship). Why did I just push this quality down the list? Maybe I had assumed that it's something rare, after all, I only found it once (ok, twice including the waiter). It's about time to change back my top priorities - maybe I wasn't being lucky because I was looking for the wrong character.

I must admit, that I was sad to leave this bar (with its waiter), knowing that I cannot come back as often as I would like to - but I'll keep it in my mind, and will definitely go back next time I'm in my Madrid.

36 Hours Madrid Non-Stop

I'm flying to Madrid this weekend!

Ok, august isn't precisely the best month to spend it in the capital - it's hot and there's really not much going on. I guess most of the people manage to jump over to Ibiza and Formentera, or at least to drive their way to Costa Brava. But still - I'm excited to finally meet the girls again!

Once more I'll be spending only about 36 hours in the city (including sleeping hours) which makes it very difficult to rest, specially when I have so many plans to do! I have to:

• Meet my friends
• Drink tinto de verano on a terrace in La Latina, Plaza Dos de Mayo or Plaza Olavide
• Drink a cocktail at Areia - It has been far too long since I last stepped into the loungy bar... or as we call it, the make-out bar
• Eat tortilla española - if time gives the change, it shall be at Jose Luis or Juana La Loca
• Eat morcilla (in Lateral, why not?) and don't forget to bring a toothbrush with me. That stuff, although awesome, tends to stick between your teeth - not sexy at all
• Drink pacharán, and, if possible, buy a bottle to take back to Switzerland for summer nights on the balcony
• Eat a tapa de solomillo con brie. Mmmm... smolten cheese....
• Have another cocktail at Del Diego or Bar Cock (the animal, you pervert)

If you think all I want to do in Madrid is eat and drink..... you're probably right. But since this doesn't seem like a very healthy attitude, I'll add two more non-food-or-drink-related-activities to my list.

• Check out the last sales at Benny Room and Yube
• Go to the pool and get a nice tan (without getting burned!)

I don't think I will make it... but I have 36 hours to find out! :)