What a glorious place this is. A market filled with food stalls, wine stands, exotic kiosks, gluttonous hedonists, and curious onlookers. For those back in Milwaukee, it resembles the Milwaukee Public Market in style, but is superior in every way. First, it's jammed full of people always.
Along this trip, I've encountered feasts for the senses. Whether it be open air markets, bold museums, or unique public spaces. However, this market nearly sent me into overload. There were olive stalls doing things with vinegar I didn't know possible. I don't even like olives. Yet, I was compelled to indulge in one of their many skewers, ladened with cheese, other-worldly peppers, and onions. Luckily, I'm taller than most in Spain, and as a result, the sights and sounds were nearly manageable.
In the distance, I spot a kiosk devoted solely to caviar and Russian vodka. Croquette vendors bare with leaning and desperate patrons extending their arms to full extent, in an attempt to garner attention. A marisqueria caters to tried devotees, suckling down razor clams and other shelled creatures. There's wine everywhere, sold between every stall, and it's presence is ubiquitous, as glasses of all shapes inundate the many tables and counters. Feverish activity surrounds a particular counter, and I can tell by the facial expressions on the anxious customers, that this stall purveys a most desirable treat.
It's the jamon iberico. A delicacy in Spain, and most famous in Madrid. My eyes widen to the maximum, as I leer at an impressive amount of dried and cured ham legs, hanging from every corner of this stall. The butcher, an artist in his own right, cowers over his leg, gently shaving paper thin slices of what the ravenous patrons are clamoring for. Hands wave, holding tickets, and men call in their own distinctive form, in a desperate attempt to gain priority. Everyone waits, tension mounts, and yet, the butcher patiently and peacefully slices, with a precision only a marble sculptor could appreciate. The setting for this sumptuous display is a Beaux-Arts complex, satisfying in its simplicity, with giant window panes lining every wall, and ornate early 20th century lanterns illuminating the activity.
My favorite experience in Madrid. I went four times in two days.
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On to Toledo, former capital of the Spanish Empire, and famed for its religious history, with aspects of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The entire city center is a UNESCO world heritage site, with winding lanes and medieval facades in every direction. La Convivencia is Toledo's most acclaimed period, marked by religious tolerance, where Jews, Christians, and Muslims all lived together in a cultural golden age. One of the few European cities where a mosque, synagogue, and cathedral stand together in such proximity.
Toledo has changed hands countless times over the centuries--emblematic of many Spanish cities--but it's image as an experiment in tolerance is especially significant historically. A fantastic day trip from Madrid, and the main sights can be hammered out in a few hours.
Boom, Toledo!!
READING: The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene
LISTENING: I always preferred McCartney musically, but Lennon's songs have a grittiness and irreverence I appreciate as i get older.
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