Madrid, December, 2007

While New York has its diversity and hustle, Rome its antiquity and flare for fashion, Paris its art and romance, London its sophistication and stiff upper lip, and Brussels its charm, chocolates, and beer, Madrid has its people. From the moment we stepped off our US Airways flight, that had lost my luggage, until the minute we stepped back on, we never once encountered a person, from the baggage claim boy at the airport, to the taxi drivers, to our hotel staff, people in restaurants and museums, to people we simply banged into in the over crowded streets and metro rides, who were anything but warm, friendly, down to earth, helpful, and real. In all our travels in or out of the US we have never felt less like “the stranger” or more embraced. The magical, proud Madrilenos, in and of themselves, make Madrid the destination of a lifetime.

Then, as a bonus one wakes up immersed in an embarrassment of riches from The Prado to the Palacio Real, lively food, exquisite ports, sherry and wines of every description, to our final destination, Club Amigos de la Pipa de Madrid.

First, the city.

The lavish Palacio Real (Royal Palace) sits on a high bluff overlooking the Rio Manzanares and was occupied for centuries by the royal family, including the Bourbon Dynasties. However, the current king, Juan Carlos I, has moved his residence to a more modest palace outside Madrid and it is only used today for state occasions.

Not to be missed is a stroll through the majestic Retiro Park


Madrid's streets are ALWAYS packed with human traffic and it was a lovely relief to take a stroll one early morning through the completely unpopulated botanical gardens park next door to the Prado, designed by the Prado's architech for Juan Carlos III. The King's intense interest in plants from the Philippines and South America that were being brought back to Spain in the late 16th century can be found here.
In the garden of the Palacio Real a statue sits atop the central fountain. Designed by Velazquez, it is said that Galileo helped work out the mathmatics which allow the horse to rear up without tottering over.
Typical apartments on a street in Old Madrid.
A street by our hotel populated with a myriad of tapas bars and cafes.
We saw so many, many more places in Madrid and I'll post some of them later.

Our first week there we had the good fortune to be invited to dinner by Ignacio Macias, one of the founders of Club Amigos de las Pipa de Madrid, where we were joined by another founder, Jose Manuel Lacleta, at a Basque restaurant just up the street from our hotel. We could NOT have had a better evening with better company. These cultured, cultivated men spoke about their love of pipes and tobacco while we enjoyed a beautiful Spanish meal. The food was simple, but perfectly prepared and the various flavors created a beautiful sonata for our mouths. We began with a bowl of spicy chorizo (NO one makes more varieties of delicious hams than the Spaniards), followed by a plate of sliced Spanish ham that we put on mouth watering bread, crunchy crust, soft on the inside, while we sipped a young Sherry that brought it all together. Then came a bowl of bean soup, spiced with ham and blood sausage - to die. Next, lettuce with a light salsa on top, along with a delicately spiced cod omelet. Perfect! Finally, I shared a monk fish dish with Jose Manuel, simply perpared in olive oil, while Will had Argentine beef, and Ignacio a cod dish, all with a hearty Spanish red wine. Spain produces some of the best olive oils in the world and this makes all the difference.

You will note that Ignacio is smoking his pipe in between courses! Yes! It is left entirely up to individual business owners to decide if smoking will or will not be allowed, and in most places, it is. The Spanish are a very strong, proud people who will not allow their personal freedoms to be trifled with!
Members begin to arrive at the weekly meeting of Club Amigos de la Pipa de Madrid in the back room of Cafe Malasania, popular among intellectuals in Madrid's film industry.

Club President, Javier Vazquez - a charming and gracious host.

Ignacio and will lay Will's pipes out for display.

Our heartfelt thanks goes out to Ignacio Macias for making our trip to Madrid one we will never forget. He went out of his way to make sure we were taken care of and we will never forget his kindness to us. Many thanks, our wonderful friend!