Tapas tales 1, Madrid

From the moment we stepped out of our apartment on Calle de Carretas, there seemed to be something to look at. On this particular day, we checked out the view of the Madrid skyline from the top of Catedral Almudena, and ogled the Tiepolo ceilings and five Stradavari instruments (among other things) at el Palacio Real.
Ravenous and not realizing how close we were to restaurant-rich Sol,we had tapas at a cafe right across from the palacio. It was really a bit too chilly to sit outside, and the place felt too touristy, but we did it anyway. The food was pretty good: marinated mussels, potatoes with mayo and spicy aioli, atun on a thick slice of bread, and a big vegetable and hard-boiled egg sandwich.

More meandering and gawking after lunch, running into some fun and interesting places and activities by chance: Plaza de Espana, Templo Debod, a reliquary full of miscellaneous mememto mori at Real Monasterio de la Encarnacion, music stores (including one with a fascinating George Crumb chart in the window) and a late-Monet exhibit in an elderly building with gloriously beautiful modern restrooms.

But there's nothing like watching a passing pot parade to stoke your appetite. We heard heard some horns and commotion, and wandered over to see what was up. Hundreds of people were marching from Puerta del Sol, waving signs, shouting into bullhorns and smoking Louisville Slugger-size spliffs. We watched for a while, breathing deeply, and went in search of snacks.

We settled in at Meson Gregorio III, which we've dubbed "the old man's bar." No frills. A bar, a couple of tables, a few hams hanging from the back bar (now there's an unusual touch), numerous framed shots of the bartender in autographed photos with people we didn't recognize.

Every time we bought a round, we got a free dish of tapas, starting with some very tasty olives and moving on to ham croquettes. Very nice. Other people who looked like they were there for the night got plates of sliced ham, dishes of nuts, cheese assortments. Made me kind of sorry that two's my limit. I think we spent 5 Euros for our night on the town.

We hoped to find our way back there before we left Madrid. We never did. But it was a cozy, old-fashioned, non-touristy neighborhood joint, very comfortable.