Adios Madrid

Our final day together in Spain was only partially spent in Madrid.

To anyone considering a day trip to El Escorial – go!  It’s an easy excursion that’s interesting even if you’re not a history geek.

We started at a non-Starbucks cafe (called Faborit) that actually had soy milk.  It was maybe 25 steps from the hotel lobby so we kinda felt like idiots for dismissing it the entire time.  Oops!

Croissants.

Cafe con soja.

I was psyched to see a new city since I’d already been everywhere else we’d travelled thus far.  Plus, I can’t tell you how many times I recall my history prof at the University of Barcelona detailing the importance of El Escorial.

It is a fairly quick ride from Madrid.

The travel distance wasn’t the issue…the bus we took to get there was.  I’m pretty sure my face was the color of split pea soup when we arrived – green with nausea.  It was rough.

However, I do get motion sickness really easily, so I’m sure the average passenger would have no problem.  Note: if you’re prone to getting queasy with winding roads, pop a Bonine before you begin your El Escorial adventure.

El Escorial is basically a graveyard.  For royalty.  And those who were almost royalty.

It’s a good thing it’s pretty otherwise it would be kinda creepy.

We didn’t spend an enormous amount of time in each and every room, but that’s only because my mom sent us all research to read before we made the trek.  That’s what Diedens do.  Love it or hate it – no vacation is complete without a history lesson.  Seriously.  I’ll spare you all and just show some of the nice pics (sin la historia).

By noon we were ready for food.

You can really tell we were either delirious from hunger or just plain crazy.  My poor dad.  Can you believe he puts up with this nonsense?

My mom perfected photo bombing, so I’d say the Euro trip was a success.

Anyway, back to lunch.  It was the perfect excuse to cut off the sight seeing.  To “town” we went!

Not much of a metropolis, but they had a few restaurants clustered together that was maybe the hot spot in the city.  We chose Cafeteria del Arte for no reason whatsoever.

I knew that my last lunch in Spain should be tortilla.  Then again, it’s about all I was eating in the country anyway.

I had a fatty slice with a hunk of fresh bread too.  Perfecto!

My dad warmed his hands over a pizza.

Laura went with the ever inspired pasta with red sauce.

Marie and my mom both got Caesar salads.

The drive home was wayyyy better.  I took drugs and passed out.  Apparently my head nod and perpetual drooling was amusing the old men in the bench seat across from us on the bus because when we arrived back in Madrid they were flat our staring at me.  Like, looking me up and down, repeatedly.  My mom explained the head nod/drool sitch to me after, so no, they were not checking me out.  Also they were 250 years old.  So sexy.

Back in Madrid it was time to mellow out.  And pack.  And do Paris research.  I did a load of laundry in the sink and facetimed Kyle and next thing I knew it was 7 pm.  Whaaat?!?

Alene and Ethel met up with us and in typical Euro fashion we went for pre-dinner drinks.  Boy did we get drizzzunk.  Estado Puro had a more open seating area this time (probably because it was cold and rainy the first time we went) and the waiter was shameless with his flirting.  My dad is used to it though…that’s what happens when you’re the only male in a family of five (plus A & E were there to further skew the ratio).  My dad mentioned several times how desperately he wishes Kyle were with us.  I’m not sure he even cared about anything more than getting some extra testosterone up in thurrr.

Cheers!

After taking tons and tons of photos (proof above and below) we headed to dinner.

This time it was just the fam bam.  To celebrate our last night as a five-some.  So cheesy!  Party of five much?

We wandered to find a restaurant and came upon Cerveceria Cruz Blanca.

They took us downstairs to the basement where we were one of two groups dining.  It was nice to have some privacy.  I guess the stereotype of obnoxious Americans has it’s perks.

We bread-ed (I think it’s a verb by now) and olive oiled it up.  I’m certain my skin has lost 5 years from all the EVOO I’ve been eating.  These Spaniards have the system down.  Extra virgin olive oil.  Siestas.  30 hour work weeks.  No wonder they look 20 until they’re 65!

We got a few starters for the table to share including grilled artichokes (so so good)!.  They were salty with a perfect balance of oil and vinegar.

We also got grilled vegetables (I could have happily hogged this entire plate myself).

I got a made-to-my-specification omelet (mushrooms, asparagus, and pimientos please!), which was also salty and delicious.

Nobody dared touch the foie gras (above – brought complimentary), but I did borrow a few croutons to use as an omelet vehicle.

There were also olives, as per usual.  I took a photo of these ones since they were were finally they kind that I enjoyed (figures on my last day I get the good stuff).  I am very picky about what kind of olives I like and they are really only in Spain.  Glad to have found some good ones just in the nick of time.

The only other meal I took a photo of was my dad’s paella.  Monstrous!

We all enjoyed the food very much – the perfect closure to a wonderful family vacation.

The End.

Not really though…the next day Laura and I were off to Paris while my parents and Marie flew home.