Chase A. Wolf's

La Iglesia de Something I Don't Remember

     Chase’s Log 3.25.2010.  From sunny Rome to rainy Madrid, my brief flight – a mostly empty one – was uneventful.  Breezing through baggage, I grabbed a cab to the Intercontinental on the Paseo de la Castellana, and arrived without incident, where I received my normal room upgrade.  I only had one Global Shopping Adventures meeting that day and discovered that the next day was a national holiday – Father’s Day in Spain is celebrated on St. Joseph’s Day.  Who knew?

     After my Global Shopping Adventures meeting, I headed off to find a SIM card for my phone.  On my walk, I wandered through a multi-level shopping center and was amazed that around half of the stores were out of business and there were very few customers to be seen anywhere.  In fact, street level retail stores were empty in many places and there were many signs advertising space available and apartments for sale.  It seems the economic crisis is still alive and well in Madrid. 

Me at Posada de la Villa Restuarant

     I ventured into the Old City for dinner that evening at Posada de la Villa – the ever-reliable Intercontinental Hotel’s concierge’s suggestion – and, like Athens and Rome, Spaniards eat late – it didn’t even open until 9:00 p.m.  Luckily, there were many bars and small cafes throughout the old quarter, so I found one that was fairly full and had some wine and antipasto to quell the rumblings of my stomach.  At the Posada I had their specialty – the Quarter of Roast Lamb which was moist and succulent, and went down well with a couple glasses of red wine from the Rioja region of Spain.  Well-fed, I waddled back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. Read the rest of this entry »