WLT Travel Blog: Jamon y Madrid

Ham in Madrid is like gelato in Italy. You can have it whenever, wherever and however you want in any style, shape or form for prices varying from 1 Euro to hundreds of Euros (for an entire pig shank).

A fairly common cornerstone restaurant known as the Museo del Jamon actually could be a Museum of Ham if it wanted. Each "Museo" differs from its brothers, although the inventory is always the same: Ham.

The Museo del Jamon that we happened upon was in Northern Madrid, close to the Mailboxes Etc. we had to wait two hours for...while they took a siesta...with our Real Madrid tickets.

So, we dropped in to our first Museo del Jamon experience and standing at a counter, as gigantic, dusty hindquarters of pig hung above us, we picked from the 1 Euro menu. I chose the buttery croissant with ham and cheese shown below with a new drink that intrigued me.

Right and left, old ladies, old men, young people, everyone was ordering a beer and pouring lemonade to top it off. Tangy, sparkling, crisp. Actually, pretty good!

You can see the drink behind the appetizer that comes with a drink...which I mistook for my croissant. Luckily, when I asked the lady behind the counter, all she did was laugh hysterically at me.

Travel and learn something new every day. Or get laughed at. Or both at the same time.

WLT Travel Blog: El Rastro

[Compasses for sale in El Rastro]

The most popular open air flea market in Madrid is called El Rastro, or "The Trail," and is 3500 stalls strong. Every sunday and public holiday the stalls of antiques, clothing and goodies open shop from 9am to 3pm along Plaza de Coscorro and Ribera de Curtidores.

According to legend, the open air market got its name from the trail of blood left by slaughtered cattle on their way to the tanneries located in Ribera de Curtidores which means "Riverside of Tanners."

[Dyed, leather sandals hang on a fence]

Today, the marketplace is filled with anything you can imagine. Unfortunately, however, no food. But just about everything else!

[Wooden crafts]

In the cobblestone squares, merchants set up shop with old swords, vases, coins, dressers, you name it. It's like an organized, simultaneous, Spanish garage sale. It was an amazing array of the most random assortment of goods. Yet, even in its randomness, it wasn't chaotic or entropic, it was a community.

El Rastro is a staple in Madrileno life in the center of Madrid. The largest open air flea market is sure to draw treasure hunters and curious tourists, but locals also frequented the market buying everyday household goods like blank CDs or measuring cups or silverware.

[Anything you could imagine]

El Rastro is an open air market that welcomes everyone into its winding pathways, leading them through discovery after discovery and spitting them out with untold stories and armfuls of who-knows-what. What more could you ask for?

WLT Travel Blog: 100 Montaditos

[So, I'm kind of late, but here are the catch up blogs I never got to post from my latest romp in Europe. Enjoy!]

Our first official meal overseas was at a place called Cerveceria 100 Montaditos. The chain which has become somewhat of a Andalusian franchise began in Islantilla in 2001 and had reached 100 locations by 2007, 39 of which are in Madrid.

[Crisp, refreshing and cheap bearing the 100 Montaditos logo]

The Cerveceria gets its name from the 100 varieties of small sandwiches otherwise known as bocadillos or montaditos from which diners choose from on a piece of paper and hand over to the cashier.

The petite subs were basic, but delicious. A crispy mini baguette formed the vessel for all sorts of fillings from the normal ham and cheese to salami to small shrimp to salmon and cream cheese. While one may not be enough to fill you up, a six-sandy party platter will certainly do the trick for around 5 Euros. Do not underestimate these little guys.

[Party platter of deliciousness]

However, the best part about Cerveceria 100 Montaditos:

1 Euro beers. What better way to celebrate our arrival in Madrid than a pre-noon brewski from Madrid's McDonald's.

[Fellow traveler Matt trying to catch up on his beer intake]

For more on these travel-sized subs and other Madrilena ponderings, check out Tapasdealyssa.

WLT Travel Blog: Thank God for Stewardesses

[So, I'm kind of late, but here are the catch up blogs I never got to post from my latest romp in Europe. Enjoy!]

You know you're about to set off on an epic cultural experience when you find your first two meals consist of a Sausage McMuffin and a slice of pepperoni and sausage pizza. I mean, let's face it, both are delicious and, well, we weren't out of the States yet.

The pizza was a prelude to our nearly nine hour ride from Atlanta, Georgia to Madrid, Spain. Despite landing the exit-row seat and semi-delicious in-flight meal, it was on that plane, Delta Flight 108 I encountered the first obstacles of the journey.

I could talk on and on about the red-eye eight hour and 40 minute flight, the worst turbulence I've ever felt (seriously.) or the massive time difference between Madrid and Los Angeles, but those all pale in comparison to the freelance meteorologist sitting next to me. That's right.

Midway through the flight I jotted down these notes:

Striking up a conversation on the plane is always risky. Much like the proverbial 'box of chocolates,' you never know who you're going to get.

You might end up with the quiet reserved guy who deflects your questions with simple one word answers, either unwilling to share information or just too lazy to contribute. Or you could get the guy who never stops talking.

Such was my fate today.

Sitting in my palace of an exit row on Delta's Flight 108, I struck up a conversation with a freelance meteorologist from Tampa Bay. This means he goes from weather channel to weather channel on a freelance basis and forecasts, well, weather. Yup.

Initially, I asked him loads of questions because I was intrigued at such an occupation as freelance meteorologists, but soon the questions stopped and his continued lecture on traveling, frequent flyer miles and clouds commenced.

Halfway through our conversation, I slipped into smile-and-nod mode and began drafting this blog in my head. Luckily, a stewardess sat down in front of us and he found his new chatter pal while I drifted off to sleep.

Thank god for stewardesses.

Here is CNN's advice on how to deal with what they call the Talkative Airplane Seatmate and if you want to share your own chattery stories you can post them on the website Flights from Hell.

[Photo: CNN]

WLT Travel Blog: Takeoffs and Landings

(From left to right: Me, Matt and Justin trying to survive at Oktoberfest, Munich: Photo Alyssa Bricklin)

As of yesterday, two of my dear friends returned from a trip around the world. It was a trip that we all started together, but a trip that they finished, in epic (wink, wink) style, without me.

We left LAX on September 23rd and after three countries, loads of beer and more cultural misunderstandings than I care to recount, we parted ways on November 2nd: me to Dusseldorf and eventually America's East Coast, them to leave their mark on Asia.

Along the way, we walked in circles around Madrid, got chased by a scary dude in Paris and took an international survey of beer games.

To commemorate their safe return to the States, I felt it was finally time to get back into the blogosphere.

This is our story.

...well what we remember, anyway.