The night of sleep felt so good after 18 hours of travel. We all slept in a little and planned on being out and about a little after 10am. Little did we know today would be all about food.

Our first stop was a cafe for breakfast a couple blocks from our apartment. Maybe we were super hungry, or maybe this place was amazing, but we were all pretty happy about it. Full disclosure, it was a Federal Cafe, a chain, but the food was easy and delicious. Serrano ham and basil on a fresh croissant with a runny fried egg? Yes, please.

Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena is a new-ish cathedral by European standards with construction starting in 1883 and finishing roughly 30 years ago. It definitely has a different feel than others, and is certainly less ostentatious than others we’ve seen. The highlight was the memorial for Pope John Paul II, who consecrated the Cathedral in 1993.

After walking through the Cathedral, we went to the park opposite the Royal Palace to meet our tour guide. The tour through the Royal Palace was really interesting because it’s a working palace. The rooms were furnished and the large dining room we saw was used just nights ago. Our tour guide was good and really gave us the details about the different kings and queens. It was interesting as it seemed like so many of the Spanish monarchs didn’t want the role, didn’t want to be in Spain, wanted to give the kingdom away, or were just flat out not good at it. Lots of stories about infidelity and drugs leading up to the present day. After a bit we honestly couldn’t keep track of the families or this lines, they seemed to serve for short periods and then abdicate or die. It was an interesting portal into a history of the country not many of us knew. Unfortunately it just made us feel bad for the people.

From the Palace we turned out sights to food. We made a brief stop a cafe and the group had various preferences: a coke, gelato, smoothie, and a ham and cheese pastry.

A short additional walk found us in the plaza right outside our Airbnb, at candy shop. Earlier in the day we watched some kids enjoying “toffee grapes” on a stick. We decided we had to try. Let’s be clear: these were invented by either a physician specializing in treatments for severe diabetics or dentists. Upon trying them, we quickly realized that the candy was impossibly sticky and the grape was almost completely hidden. It took 15 minutes and some prying with the bamboo sticks to peel most of the candy from our teeth. These immediately fell into the “will not repeat” category.

Of course then we decided that we needed churros and chocolate. Why not have more food and more sugar to wash down the toffee covered fruit?

Chocolateria San Gines appears to be an institution. When we followed the directions, we were confused by the multiple locations: there is a literally a section of a city block with numerous doors and dining areas for this company. And after trying the churros and chocolate, we didn’t wonder why. The churros weren’t coated in cinnamon and sugar like the Mexican versions, but the chocolate was incredibly rich and gave all the flavor needed and then some to the sticks of fried dough. Crazier still? The place is open 24/7. So, if you’re desperately in need of an over the top treat, they’re available for you.

That was plenty of food for an afternoon right? Apparently not.

On our walk back to our Airbnb for a break before the evening festivities, we stopped at the San Miguel Market. This was amazing. Tons of little stands selling all sorts of Spanish treats: olives, olive kabobs, empanadas, beer, wine, sangria, croquettes, sandwiches, bocatillos, and the list goes on. It was almost overwhelming and we had just eaten. So we only grabbed a few croquettes in anticipation of a return trip tomorrow…

We took a little break at the Airbnb – enjoyed croquettes, had some water, a few took a nap – until it was time to head to our Flamenco show. During that wait we did watch the local police break up some street performance. I’m guessing it was called in by Buzz Lightyear.

Cardamomo Flamenco Madrid was quite an experience. We had tickets for the 7:30 show, which included a free drink, so we arrived at about 7:20, which seemed just right. We didn’t order the dinner, partly because the reviews were mixed, but mostly because the show is only 60 minutes and we didn’t want to have to hurry through a meal. The show was crazy. None of us had ever seen real Flamenco live before and weren’t prepared for the noise or the passion of the dancers. I will say, we were two tables back from the stage and I wouldn’t have wanted to be any closer. We could see everything perfectly. We can’t recommend the experience enough. The hour went by way faster than anyone could believe.

It was a pretty short walk to dinner at East 47. It serves traditional Spanish food in a dining room inspired by NYC and Andy Warhol. It was an interesting setting for sure, but the food was amazing. We did a great job ordering both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes so there was something for everyone. Maybe it was all the energy we burned watching the Flamenco dancers, but we ordered like we hadn’t seen food all day. And we ate it all. The Spanish tortilla (very different from Mexican tortilla) was great, and the pulpo (octopus) was awesome. But the cod fritters drizzled with lemon honey were hard to beat as the best item on the table. Although, the last two bites of beef tartare, taken on the Parmesan crisps which were served with the mushroom risotto, were a next level experience. All in all, it was a great meal with a lot of laughs and a lot of fun.

So what happens on the walk back? Gelato of course! We each got a small cup, and it was just what the girls we needed.

This was a truly great day with wide ranging experiences, fantastic food, and a lot of fun with my family and our friends. Tomorrow should be another good day, with a lot to see. I’m guessing the 16,000 steps I logged today will be fewer than I what I see this time tomorrow.