madrid

breakfast at cafe vergara. cafe leche and ham and tomatoes on toast. not processed ham though.
on to palacio real, catedral nuestra senora de la almudena, disappointing jardines de las vistillas (if we got there.) long way round to campo del moro.
metro to puerta de toledo for el rastro. didn't see much of a flea market, but characterful uphill shopping area: antiques, furniture, bags. settled on los caracoles for lunch. snail, chorizos and beer. tasty if salty, with slight bitter aftertaste. owner friendly, quite a character, demonstrating drinking of sauce and 'bellissimo' all the way.
castro de arte reina sofia in the afternoon. free entry - gao xingjian exhibit! stark ink on paper works. uncharacteristic dali and miro enjoyable. la guernica disturbing. yves' blue intoxicating. very stuffy. warhol/basquiat/clemente bewildering beyond pop culture references and wordplay. back to rifer for rest.
went out at 10pm for food. made it back at 1.30am. streets packed with madrilenos. first tapas bar was intimidating. casa del abuelo - tried prawns and sweet red wine. excellent. ca oreja de oro - white wine in terracotta jug, octopus and grilled oreja at wy's suggestion. later figured out oreja=ear. la venencia next for amontillado with cheese and olives. entire place looks smoked and unchanged in decor since the 50s at least. last stop cate central jazz bar. no more live jazz but wound down with hot chocolate and piped in jazz. streets still packed. still prefer to sit though it's standing room only at some tapas places. difference between the whites and the latin americans quite obvious.