Hot chocolate caliente and churros in Madrid

There is a cafe in Madrid just off Puerta del Sol that stays open really late, probably never closes, that sells the youngsters and all night drinkers in the morning hot chocolate and churros.  Either to sober you up or to help with an unfortunate hangover the next morning.

I have enjoyed this combination of thick Spanish hot chocolate and fried batter sticks sprinkled with sugar called churros, myself on many occasion.  Once with a hangover in Valencia outside their market and on other occasions, because it is just fabulous !

Not all regions sell this, but when they cook the churros there in front of you while the hot chocolate is poured, you know its going to be an amazing experience, while you dunk your doughnut style churros in the deep thick chocolate and wonder how long you can leave it there before you cave in and eat it !

Madrid and Beef Entrails !

I had arranged to meet the Research Queen i.e. the wife in a small bar down the latin end off Plaza Mayor on Calle Cava Baja.

She had previously text me saying how good the bars were here in Madrid and that one bar even promoted itself as serving "the best lamb intestines in Madrid!"   For once, I felt turning up for this assignment sober may not have been the best option.  This road full of bars hightens both your senses of smell and hearing.

I found the cosy little bar with the menu proudly displayed.  "un vino tinto por favor" I said as I entered feeling I needed a drink as soon as.  We found a small table and I pointed to their house special of beef entrails.

The atmosphere here slowly soothing my anxiety.  I have previously in other bars ordered "hopeful onions" and "pigs in the sky" ,  the onions confused and the pigs not even pork but a dessert, so I was intrigued as to what style of food would arrive ? Then our plate to share presented itself.  It was in fact a beautifully cooked beef entrecote steak with fried potatoes !!  I had then a Sherlock Holmes moment!  "Elementary my dear Watson!"  My wife's name is not really Watson.  If you write ENTR first, then A is before E on a spanish translation spell check !

We enjoyed, ordered more wine and some manchego cheese to follow, deciding to leave the lamb intestines bar for another time.

Parc Guell and the queue to see the sights

We took the bus up hill away from Barcelona City Centre to Parc Guell and on arrival immediately realized that we had got this one wrong.  This amazing Gaudi creation was way bigger and busier than we had guessed.

We decided not to purchase tickets for the main sights, but instead just to have a stroll around the park.  When in the past we visited Alhambra in Granada we have previously booked tickets on line months in advance to get the early morning viewing, before the midday sun got up.  This place was even busier !

Even if we had purchased tickets the sights were so crowded that any photo opportunities would only show a mass of people.  So slightly disappointed we headed back down hill by bus for the restaurant we had targeted for menu del dia.  Next time we visit Barcelona we will get tickets to a selection of Gaudi's designs and do it properly we said to ourselves.

La Pedrera

After a little exploring we found La Bodegueta, the small below street level authentic catalan bodega on the intersection with  Carrer de Provenca. Rambla de Catalunya 100, full of locals at lunch.

I was offered a table in a small room at the back,  but declined and suggested I wait at the bar until a table became available at the front as I preferred it here.

The wine we were offered with the menu del dia was excellent and complimented the cheese and tomatoes and chicken risotto perfectly.  Monday to Friday between 13.00 and 16.00 Menu del dia is a three course lunch with wine for thirteen euros.  This place is small and not easy to find but definitely worth it.  Try and find it!

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