Cafe y Tapas

Just a short post this evening, partly because I want to review this tapas bar and partly because I'm determined to reach 1000 visitors (i'm currently standing at around 960) so be prepared for lots of self promotion coming your way!

If you're familiar with Madrid you will probably have noticed the prevalence of a chain called Cafe y Té. I discovered it on my first week here when I went for breakfast with Teesha before our flat hunt began; I was delighted to see they did English and American style breakfast as I thought that might provide some comfort on really hungover days when I was missing home. 

Anyway, whilst strolling down through the red light district one day I noticed Cafe y Tapas, a   slightly more sophisticated looking spot but nonetheless linked to the Cafe y Té chain. Thankfully, it is positioned more towards the police station end of the street than the prostitute patrolling end of the street(clearly, the police are not doing a very good job)  so me and Aleesha decided to go there for a coffee. 

Our coffee quickly turned into Tinto de Verano as it normally does in Spain at 4o'clock in the afternoon but we decided that it was practically happy hour and it was really rainy and cold so we deserved it. We ordered some Tapas to accompany our drinks and this is what we got

Albondigas (Meatballs) in curry sauce with mini patatas fritas (chips) which came in this adorable little dish which I was really tempted to steal. 

Calamares (calamari) with a really tasty garlicy dip and then Aleesha got a Pincho of crab in some saucy dressing 

Although a couple of the dishes are quite expensive (as is the norm in Sol) I have to say they were the best Calamari I have had since I have been here so definitely worth it! The interior of the bar is really rustic with big wooden dining tables and warm neutral colours. They also have an outside area which is thankfully covered and we even noticed they provide blankets for people who might be a bit chilly come November time! 

I will definitely be taking a trip back here to try some more of the dishes, they have something for everyone whether you want a quick drink with some nibbles or a few tapas or even a paella to share. Also I think this is one of the first places where the staff actually took an interest in us and weren't hovering around waiting to swipe the plates from under us as soon as we'd finished in an attempt to kindly remind us not to stay too long! 

I'll try upload some pictures of the inside next time I go :)
Also, I realise I said this would be short but I'm trying to procrastinate until Young Apprentice is up on iPlayer so you'll just have to deal with it...if you made it this far, congrats and thankyou!

Donjuan x

Bienvenido a mi piso

So, only about two months after moving in I decided it's finally time to reveal to you all what my humble little abode is looking like right now! Here's my weak attempt at some kind of virtual tour...

First is our lovely little entrance, I absolutely love our front door. Although it doesn't feel exactly safe or secure it is definitely pretty, and that's all that matters, right? It has a pretty useless peephole (that big gold circle) because when you open the little door the other person can see you, not so good if you then decide you don't want to invite them in! Then we have that cute little tartan thing...not quite sure what it is but useful for sitting on nonetheless.

To the right is the lounge area. Looking a bit bare at the moment so I'll upload a picture when we sort it out, we're hoping to get another sofa/some bean bags to fill it up and maybe a few posters! The lounge has a little balcony which is actually quite scary because it feels a lot higher than it is and it also kind of slopes downwards which I'm not entirely sure was an intended feature. Here's some pictures of the view

Next we proceed down the green mile, otherwise known as our corridor. The flat is quite a quirky shape it's really unusual, also very stressful as there's a bit of a trek to the kitchen/toilet for me. When Aleesha's around you can hear her slippers scuffling along the corridor for what seems like an eternity. If you're interested in the shiny floor I can confirm it is the perfect surface for a running sock slide (generally makes the trek to the kitchen/toilet much more amusing).

Anyway, some months after embarking down the corridor you reach the kitchen, all relatively newly renovated so pretty nice if you ask me. The only issue is our table and chairs. Both perfectly adequate when considered individually, but together require a deadly combination of hunching and twisting. The chairs are for a breakfast bar and the table is definitely not breakfast bar height. Fortunately you can get a back massage for pretty cheap around these parts, may have to be a future investment if I don't want to end up like Quasimodo. 

Just off the kitchen is a little utility room and, strangely, our shower. I'm starting to think it's more of a wet room though as every time you step out the shower you're greeted by a nice little puddle of water on the floor, we haven't quite managed to find a way around this yet. 

Finally, slide back down the corridor towards the front door to find my little pink room. Although it bears a striking resemblance to a page out of the Ikea catalogue I think it's pretty damn cosy. I really like the tiles on the floor, despite their dusty topcoat. 

Watching Gray's Anatomy there, sorry. 

I tried to make my room more homely because it looked a bit bare so I've added some pictures but I still need to print a couple more off. I even managed to make it nice and cheesy by adding this picture of Azzedine next to my bed so now it feels like I'm never sleeping alone (I bet my Dad just went 'pass the sick bucket' or 'ohhhh isn't that nice' very sarcastically or something)

However, I think Spaniards already thought of a solution to this problem by creating the monopillow. It's like two pillows in one, pretty much like having an extra comfy bed time companion. 

So there you have it, our beautiful little piso. Can truly say I am very happy with it except for the one minor issue of the man on the floor below who appears to be dying and very rudely plagues my ears and nose with his farting (non-ashamedly and full of pride I might add) and what appears to be him coughing up his guts. Sometimes at night I can hear him breathing, rather unsettling not going to lie, have to close my window and listen to some music to forget about it. 

Special thanks go to my lovely Mum for spending a very stressful three days negotiating with my horrible thieving old landlord and helping me find this flat which is much much nicer! Love you mummy xxxxxxxxx

Donjuan x

Went for a wander...Retiro!

What better way to finish off a lazy Sunday than a visit to Retiro with Meg (Hey Meg, I just mentioned you again, hope you appreciate it, now....Shutup Meg). We treated ourselves to a Starbucks - Skinny Vanilla Latte, of course - and braced ourselves for the wind, it was not a very nice day! Not letting our dreadlocked hair deter us we carried on like the little troopers we are and decided to FINALLY go see Retiro park, and this is what we saw along the way.....

So there's a little peak at Retiro, unfortunately, most of my photos look a bit grey and gloomy because of the weather but I'll try and update them when it's a bit sunnier! It kind of reminds me of Hyde Park a bit, everyone goes round on rollerskates and there's little sandy paths to follow. As you can see there's statues everywhere, can't really see the correlation between this horse and what looked like an Egyptian mausoleum but oh well! 

Donjuan x

Mercado de San Miguel

As some of you know, as soon as I arrived in Sol I fell in love. I knew straight away that this was where I wanted to spend my year in Madrid and I have to say one of the main attractions was definitely the Mercado de San Miguel. 

Mercado de San Miguel is the last Iron market left standing in Madrid, it's named after a church which previously stood in the same spot. Now, I've seen an indoor market in Spain before and, compared to the only other indoor market I've seen (Birmingham...grimace), they're pretty cool. You're surrounded by mountains of colourful fresh fruit and vegetables and impressive arrays of fish and meat. However, Mercado de San Miguel is certainly more unique for not only is it host to a fresh fish stall rivaling all others....we're talking full octopuses on display, but it has what I believe is the perfect combination of necessities under just one roof! 

For the early riser, there is a juice bar with a wonderful display of exotic fruits which the barista will transform into a refreshing smoothie for you, or, if you return later at night, he might even add a little something extra...

For the seafood lover there is the aforementioned fish counter at which you can buy fresh seafood as well as a little taster, I definitely aim to make trying their fried seafood cones a top priority!

There's also a bar devoted entirely to oysters...might save those until I'm feeling a little more adventurous.

For the not so adventurous, or those who don't appreciate foods with the consistency of a bogey (so I've heard), there is numerous other options such as sushi, croquettes, nuts, olives, cheese and bread.

And finally, if you're strolling past after dinner one night why not step inside to one of the many bars serving wine, beer and, my favourite, cocktails! 

If you have any room left after your meal they have a glorious selection of mini desserts, they look outstanding (another one to add to the priorities list!) I can't wait to take my Dad there I'm sure it will appeal to his sweet tooth! This one's not so mini, but glorious nonetheless...

Mercado de San Miguel is truly unique, has a lively, relaxed atmosphere and I think it is the kind of place I will never get tired of taking people to when they visit me...as long as they pick up the cheque!

Donjuan x

La Latina

Being a lazy student, it has taken me three weeks to actually take a trip down to La Latina, an area literally a seconds walk from my flat! In England I can happily waste a day pottering about the house but as I'm now living in Madrid, home to some of the most beautiful streets ever and, more importantly, regular host to the sunshine, it seems a shame to waste the days sitting inside. Me and Megan were starting to get a bit of cabin fever so we decided we'd venture down to La Latina for a little wander and a cheeky cerveza!

Being that it was only 6pm and the evening doesn't really begin until about 10 here we were expecting it to be pretty quiet but La Latina was packed! Friends were relaxing round the square or sitting enjoying the cool evening air with a drink, 

as ever it was a totally laidback relaxed atmosphere. People had even brought speakers down and were listening to Spanish music. Others were sitting on the steps having brought their own alcohol, again, I wish this happened in England!

We strolled around looking for a table, which was unsurprisingly a near impossible task! We settled at a small bar on the corner only to be pounced upon by two Spanish men. Having realised we were English one of them began to pull his ears out saying 'Principe Carlos' whilst the other continued to stare. Realising we weren't going to be able to have a quiet drink here and, on my part anyway, feeling rather offended (I may have mistaken his impression of Prince Charles for an insult to my lovely little ears) we decided to leave before the waiter even had a chance to serve us, much to their dismay. 

In our haste to escape we walked in the wrong direction and realised we were leaving La Latina but, too embarassed/scared to have to walk past our Spanish admirers again, we continued towards Tirso de Molina. I thought the buildings were so lovely!

Fed up of searching and ready for our cerveza we chose the nearest free table in a small square filled with market stalls host to impressive displays of flowers and also this lovely yellow building...

I wish I lived there!

Unfortunately for us, having escaped the awkward situation at the first bar we had walked right into another one with our chirpy waiter who claimed he couldn't believe we were from England and insisted we must be from heaven, I guess some things never change!

Lessons learned: get to La Latina early on a Saturday evening and know you can never enjoy a drink in peace if you're an English girl in Spain!

Donjuan x

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

It´s safe to say I didn't expect much in the way of organisation when I decided to go to university in Spain, in fact, if my experiences with Birmingham´s Spanish department were anything to go by, I knew any chance of getting things done on time was pretty much doomed from the start. However, I never in a million years expected to come across any thing, person or institution which could make me, Amy Donegan, (the girl who only realized she needed a student card three months after being enrolled at the University of  Birmingham) feel organized!

On the 24th of September all the philology students were gathered for a welcome session in which we were supposed to find out more about our modules. Bearing in mind our course started the following day I was growing increasingly nervous about the fact I hadn't even looked at what was on offer. We were told that we were allowed to take pretty much anything we wanted, first year modules included. This was great for anyone who goes to a normal university but, unfortunately for me, I chose Birmingham, land of the least helpful Erasmus department EVER! We were told we weren't allowed to do any first year modules and given that five out of the eight second year options were medieval literature I was forced to turn to third and fourth year choices.

What came next is what one can only call a complete shambles! I turned up to university bright and early the next day, having dragged myself out of bed at 7 for my first lecture at 8.30. I fell victim to the completely illogical placement of buildings and rooms in the philology faculty. The buildings, which incidentally do not give any indication of their letter, are arranged in a circle in the order A, D, B, E. C doesn't seem to even exist. When I finally located building B I had to ask at three different information desks before someone could point me to the correct room. The result was a very flustered Amy rushing into class five minutes late to be greeted by the grouchiest old lady ever. I positioned myself at the back of the class and sat trying to understand a word of what she was saying, but before I knew it people were packing their bags and leaving. I was absolutely furious to have got up so early raced around the building only to be told the lecture was over after five minutes and worst of all I had no clue why! I returned home, defeated, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

Refusing to return to the class of the old witch lady I opted for different modules on day two. Accompanied by some friends from my course we decided to tackle a linguistics class. In hindsight, I should have known this was a bad idea from the start given that I barely managed to get a 42 in Linguistics at Birmingham, Aengus hates me. We had just settled into our seats and been handed the module program when the lecturer, an old, grumpy looking man, approached our desk before shouting to the class ´THIS MODULE IS FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS ONLY...UNLESS YOUR WRITTEN AND SPOKEN SPANISH IS PERFECT GET OUT OF MY CLASS NOW, I WILL NOT TELL YOU AGAIN´. We exchanged a confused look, this was majorly awkward, fortunately we were on the front row, but our attempt to sneak out unnoticed was ruined when he, ever so kindly, added ´Well, if you´re leaving give me my handout back´.

Reduced to a quivering mess by the wicked witch and old mr scrooge I returned home to ponder my options. The only other lecture I had attended seemed a lot better yet I was advised by the lecturer that the exam would be extremely difficult for Erasmus students. I emailed Birmingham to clarify why we weren't allowed to take first year modules when every other student was and, as usual, received no reply. Cue several more days of turning up to lectures that were either impossible to understand or which we were rudely denied entry to! After three more (increasingly angry) emails I still had no response from Birmingham and resigned myself to the fact it was a hopeless cause.

The only thing left to do was to head to Tapas 44 for a jug of Sangria with the only person who can feel my pain right now....

...it's just a shame she won't see this post for a while; to add to her list of worries her internet isn't working! Anyway, rant over and thank the lord for Teesha because I definitely couldn't handle this stress alone!

Donjuan x

Spanish Cooking!

So we figured since we can't afford to go for tapas every night (boohoo) we would attempt to make our own at home! Here's the recipe for our first dish!

Spanish Tortilla

(Serves 6-8 people)

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes

1/2 an onion

7 eggs

Oil

Seasoning

Method:

Peel and chop the potatoes and onion into thin slices

Meanwhile, heat a generous amount of oil in a pan until sizzling

Add the potatoes and onion to the pan and fry until softened

Whilst waiting for the vegetables, beat the eggs in a large bowl and season to taste

Remove the frying pan from the heat and drain the excess oil from the potatoes and onions

Once drained, stir into the egg mixture

Return the frying pan to the hob and add the mixture

Ensure the omelette is thoroughly cooked on one side before attempting to flip it over

Continue to cook on the other side 

Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

1. The potato to egg ratio can be altered to suit your preferences
2. Extra ingredients, such as cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms etc can be added for extra taste
3. The larger omelettes are much harder to flip so make sure you're prepared! We flipped ours onto a plate before sliding it back into the pan
4. Spanish Tortilla is meant to be quite thick, not flat as a pancake so make sure you don't spread the ingredients too thin in the pan

If you try our recipe let me know how it turns out!

Donjuan x