OLE'

The restrooms at La Torre del Oro in Madrid. I visit this bar several times a year. I adore the waiters (ex bullfighters)  and LOVE the pinchos!

Mas comida por favor!

I left off yesterday with the empanada and mussels in Madrid. Same day same city we moved on to some unknown location for some sort of beer or wine and my other favorite food SARDINES!

Next on the tapa tour my other favorite food... champinons or mushrooms.
Even the notoriously picky eater Mig will eat mushrooms in Madrid!

So you are thinking...." This chick is obsessed with food" And what? This is what fat people have in common!

bueno pinchos, malo camareru

The first time I visited this so called sideria I liked it. I ate grilled sardines fresh from the sea and my waiter , after discovering I was American wasted no time in proclaiming "Bush fucked you good, yes?" I felt an immediate fondness for this waiter as he talked. And Talked. And Talked....I did notice however that he refused to pour my sidra opting instead for a mechanical device saved for tourists. OK that irked me a little .... I don't pay taxes but I don't consider myself a tourist.
On my second visit here I noticed again that the locals were all drinking glasses of wine, but as I loooove sidra so much I ordered a bottle. Yet again I was given the stupid mechanical device shaped like a plastic apple and powered by a battery to squirt sidra into my glass. Unlike my last visit I now found him full of hot air, shit and himself. On a positive note..... this place has awesome pinchos and tapas! Unusual morsels like dates stuffed with almonds and wrapped in bacon. Mussels cooked a variety of ways, hot and cold seafood tidbits....This summer I do plan to patronize this bar again. I hope that the waiter in question has moved on to another vocation in life. No matter I guess there is an excellent chance I too will be drinking wine like the regulars.

La Paloma Cafeteria, Oviedo Asturias

Vermouth, its whats for breakfast in Spain. Keep in mind that Spaniards don't get up as early as Americans. (as a rule) But somehow Spaniards do not sleep near as much as Americans. I guess that there is just to much to do and when you live in Spain you can sleep when you are dead. This is my most favorite place in all Asturias to drink mid morning vermouth. La Paloma. I have been coming to this bar for Five years now and every day its the same two men tending the bar. I wish I knew their names. They are the most efficient and happiest workers I have ever met in my life. I am sure that these men are the reason customers pack this bar several times a day standing shoulder to shoulder . It is here that businessmen and businesswomen come out of their offices for a mid morning vermouth and a tapa of Spanish tortilla, snails, mussels or giant deep fried shrimp. The barrel in the right foreground is where the homemade vermouth is poured for the thirsty customers. Several years ago Miguel and I purchased a bottle to bring back to Kansas. Its loooong gone, but I still have the bottle to look at when I get homesick.......... OK I'm officially homesick!