December 31, 2012 - Madrid, Spain




Eating of Twelve Grapes at Midnight

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to
be drunk to spend time with his fools."

                              ~ Ernest Hemingway

Cramming as much as possible into each moment of 55 hours in Espana.  Today rest.  Resting in preparation for New Year's Eve. 

 

Madrid's central plaza, Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun), is similar to all major cities throughout the world.  An open area for mingling and markets, surrounded by shops topped with living spaces, all overlooked by a looming clock tower.  During the holiday season, a large red and green lighted shaped tree is central in Puerta del Sol.  However, not a pine needle Christmas tree, rather an important Iberian Peninsula shrub called Arbutus.  When directly translated into English, Arbutus "wild strawberry," but this plan does not produce strawberries.

 

My form of relaxation before an eventful evening is a long run.  I always find the true spirit of a place by venturing away from tourist destinations, towards local neighborhoods and parks.  The Rio Manzanares (Manzanares River), or creek by my Pacific Northwest standards, is flanked with extensive pedestrian paths for miles.  En route to what I call, 'Swirly Head' I came to realized Madrinians spoil their canine kids similar to Americans.  I spend much of my time traveling abroad missing my canine kid.

 

Last night, walking to Plaza Major, I spotted a beautiful modernesque glass building enticing me with smells of tapas, sounds of clinking glasses, and ambiance any foody would embrace.  Modern is relative.  Constructed in 1916, the Mercado de San Miguel was the last ironwork-built market built in Madrid.  Returning from my long run, I justified a coffee-chocolate-condensed milk-whipped cream capped Hot Toddy to wash down fresh creamy-mozzarella drizzled with local balsamic vinegar.  Continuing to eat my way across Madrid with street vendor hot chestnuts and finishing the food portion of the evening with a steak dinner.  I did go Portland on the waiter; requesting meat freshness, locality of where the meat was grown, and stopping just short of asking the cow's name.  Locally and organically grown, beyond U.S. standards, one of the best steaks of my life!

 

With hours still remaining in 2012, we filled the time at an Irish pub where it appeared all American tourists were congregating.  Finally, we stumbled to Puerta del Sol for the Eating of Twelve Grapes.  At the stroke of midnight, the first grape is consumed, followed by eleven more chimes and the eating of a grape on each dong.  12 grapes on 12 dongs for 12 months of good fortune in 2013.  

 

Devised by grape growers at the turn of the 20th century (1890's), this tradition increased marketing in winter.

August 3, 1998 Journal Entry:
After last night I decided I would pay for the three of us to stay in a nice hotel - we got to shower, bathe, and shine.  The hotel was beautiful, we watched a bunch of movies in Spanish got 3 40oz. beers (40oz. to freedom) and a 6 pack.  It was nice because we had such a good day walking around Madrid and eating the awesome ravioli at the Italian restaurant.  I don't really like Madrid that much.  It's hard being in a big city (Paris) for a week and then going to another big city (Madrid).  We're ready to go to a smaller more personal town.