Spain: Madrid and Barcelona

Dick, Gil, Arik and I just returned from a jaunt to Spain, and have formed some impressions that I'd like to share:

Madrid

Madrid is a big city, yet it offers intimacy in selected spots. For example, having High Tea at the Ritz Hotel is a very Spanish experience, which I'd highly recommend. The Ritz, in general, is the finest hotel in town. It is located across from the Prado museum, which has amazing works of art by two of my favorite painters, Hieronymus Bosch (El Bosco), with all his complexity and near-perverse view of the world, and Velasquez, whose paintings of Spanish royalty are singularly expressive. You can also find unparalleled collections of Goya (including the Maja, both clothed and nude), and, Gil's favorite, El Greco.

The hotel offers great location, solid room service and very quiet rooms in the back. It is rich with old world charm yet modern functionality. Rooms 616 and 617 are both suites, which can get pricy, but they are also incredibly quiet.

When in Madrid seeing a flamenco show is a "must" and they are scattered all over the city. Al Moreria is the best. The show starts at 10 pm, and the food (which is below mediocre), is served at 8:30 pm. If you can get tickets without the food, I'd recommend it. The show is intense and captivating, although one of the master flamenco dancers sweats so profusely that he produces his own rain, which can be hard to watch...

My favorite restaurant in town is Botin. It's reputedly the oldest restaurant in the world, and their suckling pig is outstanding. The restaurant is charming and serves food on four levels; I recommend the basement, which you'll only get if you arrive early.

In general, "early" is a term that means different times to the Spaniards: 1pm for lunch is early, and 8:30pm for dinner is as well. If you want to fit in, have dinner at 10pm.

Plaza Mayor is at the heart of Madrid's old town, a short walk from Botin. The area offers many unique boutiques that sell Spain's intriguing and unusual fashion for both men and women. Gil and Arik aren't typically adventurous buyers, but they mopped up at the pedestrian Calle de Sol.

Barcelona

The Le Meridien Hotel has a perfect location, right on Las Ramblas, the walking street that's at the heart of Barcelona. The hotel itself, though, is modern and impersonal, room service food is far beneath expectations, and, overall, it's a noisy and cold hotel.

Two blocks away is the incredible fruit and vegetable market, where we spent many an hour walking the aisles, buying the amazing fresh fruit juices sold at the market (up to 20 varieties) as well as copious amounts of picnic ingredients for the room: great fruit, good bread and amazing Iberian ham.

In addition to the Ramblas, the hotel borders on the Barrio Gotic, the Old District, which offers a maze of winding streets, which are dotted with open-air markets for anything from books and flea- market items to home-made honey. The area is also full of clothing boutiques and other shops.

For dinner, I highly recommend Dramola at the Hotel Majestic. Try their baby goat - sounds menacing but tastes divine. Also go for the local cava (champagne) - a light and festive drink that's reasonably priced.

A couple of cafes are also worth noting: Café Opera (again, a short walk from the hotel) and Café Zurich, two blocks from Meridien in the other direction. Try the Churros with hot chocolate (a misnomer, as the hot chocolate tastes almost like liquid chocolate) at Opera, and the chocolate and apple cakes in Zurich. Either place serves a mellow Macchiato (coffee with lots of milk), and is a great spot for people watching.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed Spain. Barcelona is a younger, more funky city, while Madrid appears more conservative and traditional. Both are great spots to visit.