I am back in Malaga after completely sliding the last time I was here, failing entirely to take the Spanish class that was the reason I came to Spain. I arrived in Madrid by air a few days ago, 8am and dead tired so I used my DayUse app and got a hotel from 10am to 3pm when my hotel opened up. Walked by Palacio de Cibeles again on my way there.
Highly recommend DayUse if you are stuck and cannot check in to your hotel! I was on the run and wanted a quick bite and I notice on Google maps that there was a place nearby that makes Paella for one, seemed like a good fit so off I went. Now? I am not sure, but I do not think it is easy to make paella for one. In fact, at this point I believe that Paella for one is a bad idea. Dried out and unappetizing… I refuse to even start in on what they did to the calamari side dish. Paellitas Tradicion en Mercado San Anton does not get my endorsement, sadly.
I could not get in to Hotel Sardinero this time…
so I went with a slightly less expensive place, Aparthotel Tribunal which is right on top of the Tribunal Metro stop! Love the location! You can see just how close the Metro stop is to the hotel in this photo.
Immediately hit Duquesita for a couple pastries/cookies, I really like the simple stuff there. But the more ornate stuff looks good too. Wish I had a photo of the collection of cookies I got, they apparently sell the cookies by weight. It was a nice breakfast the next day. When I woke up I had the espresso in room, ate a couple cookies and walked in Retiro Parque for an hour.
Had a decent bocadillo con jamon at an open air park cafe. Not bad and the view of trees was great.
Then returned to Casa Dani where I had the same waiter as last April and I ordered confidently and in a relatively understandable accent! I was pretty chuffed.
Until my food got to the table and I realized that I had ordered Huevos Roto con Morcilla instead of Tortilla Español Tortilla con Morcilla. Whoops.
Still good, but not what i wanted.
But i did get a rather good Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp with garlic).
Next day I joined a Secret Food Tour of Madrid, which is a company I liked a lot in London. We started at el Riojano for a Bartolillo, which is similar to a flakey empanada but filled with a vanilla creme that was really good. Then we were off to Bartolome for a charcuterie plate with two types of Iberian ham and three types of chorizo, pork loin and ? Good time and good food, though I have to admit that the Iberian ham was only good not great. The downside of taking these food tours is that not every tour is relaxed and not every host of the tour group really wants the tour in their business all that much. Enough said about that.
Then we went to Bar la Ideal, the sister bar of the one I went to in April, but this time the Bocadillo Calamari was fresher and more tender and the waiter brought us a salsa brava (?) that added a slightly spicey touch that I really liked. And the Beer Mahau went down a treat, as well. Next it was off to Bar Refra for vermouth where our guide told how much the two owners there (brothers) hated each other. Oddly enough, we got moderately bad service. Odd that. Then we went to Casa Fraile for Manchego and Cabrales cheeses, spanish omelet, marinated peppers and the house shrimp toast thing. The cheeses and omelet were the winners there. Good time, though not quite as good as the food tour in London.
I am getting very slightly better at ordering in Spanish, which made my visit to Madrid even more enjoyable that my visit in April.
The next morning I boarded a Renfe Avlo train (Talgo trainset) from Atocha station in Madrid and was off at around 250 kph to Malaga. There is something oddly comforting about going to a chaotic place you know, slightly, and being able to navigate the ups and downs with ease. If only all of life was as easy as mastering a train station in a foreign county!
I really like the train system in Spain!
In Malaga I started out with a rather good Ensaladilla Rusa at Esquina Padilla, then ordered poorly. I have to learn to order to a restaurants strengths, not my whims.
The next day I walked by La Cosmopolita, sadly. I wanted to try it again, but of course it is closed. As was my favorite touristy cafe Los Marangos Alamos. Near Marangos the city has the entire sewer system opened up and being rebuilt, which explains both why Marangos Alamos and my favorite AirBNB in Malaga are closed…
I went to a couple restaurants I kind of want to try, but Araboka turned me down cold. I was only one person, did not have a reservation and did not look like I was their type. No, I did not take it personally. LOL!
But La Cosmo seated me immediately this time after turning me down last time. Who knows why. The fact that I do not do reservations is a problem I refuse to face up to. Someday I will, but not this day.
Anyway, I ordered Ostra Menier (Thai prep), Puerro (leek) con jamon and Amberjack Limon. The oyster was only borderline fresh and resembled the oyster I did not like at Cosmopolita, so I deserved that hit. The Amberjack was rather good, the prep was on point, the fish was very mildly cooked, so the flavor came through well and it was rather good. The hit of my meal, though, was oddly enough the leek dish. It was simply a slightly sweet, delicious treat. I really liked that dish.
I was up early the next morning for class and walked up the beach with a beautiful sunrise to the east…
I have been lunching between classes at panaderia owned by a very nice Argentinian woman, Claudia. I have a little empanada and a cortado and it comes out to less than 5€.
I usually have some parrots to help me with the crumbs.
Both my AirBNB hostess and my conversation coach recommended Uvedoble for tapas so I went there for a late lunch and was rather happy with my meal. I got Porra Antequerana, a tomato and dried bread soup dressed with shredded tuna. Very nice! I also had a super fresh and well prepared ceviche and an excellent octopus media racion/half portion.
Walked through a beautiful square as i left.
Finally, I got hungry late in the day and I folded under the pressure. I had seen multiple signs for French Tacos and I went in search of one. It was on the menu at a basic kebab shop just up the street and I ordered the Paris French Taco. Flour tortilla, diced potato, taco fixings, grill and press it. And it was rather good! I think it was originally a drunkards comfort food, but it has gotten huge in Spain. And I kind of like it!
But I am still in search of another Sopa de Andaluzia (tripe soup) and Frijoles Babitas, those little baby beans that I liked so much in Cordoba. And Espetos, the grilled sardines on a skewer. And the bigger clams since I spent an hour eating the little ones last time. And I have started stocking up on canned seafood, too.
It is probably apparent, but I really like both Malaga and Spain in general. And Madrid! This is a great country to visit!
