Walking. Gossip. Travel.

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Madrid – Plaza de España

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

The Plaza de España was only laid out in 1911, with the area having previously been used by the military. The interesting looking building behind the above fountain is the Edificio España which was a shopping centre and apartment building, although it’s now closed with the intention of turning it into a hotel. I imagine it’ll be a luxury hotel, rather than my own preferred option of an Ibis Budget…

This statue dominates the square and it’s the monument to commemorate the life of Miguel de Cervantes. Cervantes is one of the country’s literary greats, the author of Don Quixote.

The grand statue was inaugurated in 1929, although some of the statues surrounding it weren’t completed until the 1960s.

At the other end of the square is a fountain, which adds even more character to the area.

The square has lots of seating, mostly under the olive trees which have been planted in neat lines to the sides. There were numerous tour groups all jostling for position when I was there, but I was happy to let them get on with it as it was far too hot for all that excitement…

August 10, 2025
Madrid – Muslim Walls and Parque Emir Mohamed

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

Given the size of Madrid I decided that I’d just start in the middle and use the Wikipedia app to find some sites of local interest. One of the first that it came up with was the Muslim Walls, which date to around the ninth century and originally protected the palace and mosque.

The walls have been uncovered recently following archaeological investigations, and this section is located at the base of Madrid Cathedral.

There’s a plan of the walls which gives some basic context.

A plan of how the central area of the city used to look.

The original Muslim walls, which had survived because they were used as supporting walls for later buildings placed on top of them.

The walls are some of the earliest remaining pieces of defensive stonework surviving in Madrid.

The park at the base of the walls seemed to be closed when I looked at it, which seemed a shame given that it was such a well designed and clean location. However, I was fortunate that I visited on a Sunday, as this is apparently the only day that the park opens.

The plants and trees in the gardens were well tended (I don’t know much about this really, but they just looked organised) and they had information in Spanish and English about what they were. This is apparently a hackberry tree.

And apparently this is a cypress tree.

This is an olive tree, although I might have guessed this one without the label as there are olives growing on it….

The park’s central fountain.

August 10, 2025
New Orleans – More Wine, Less Crime

[I originally posted this in July 2018 and have reposted it to fix the broken image link]

I’ve seen less interesting political posters and few are as inspirational as this…

The campaign was for Patrick Van Hoorebeek to become Mayor of New Orleans, although he wasn’t successful. Hoorebeek stood as an independent and he came twelfth in the 2017 election securing 232 votes, which is 0.28% of the vote.

Rather impressively in terms of a determined population, every single Mayor of the city has been a Democrat since 1872…. LaToya Cantrell won in 2017 and she became the city’s first female Mayor.

August 10, 2025
Madrid – Campo del Moro (Moorish Gardens)

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

There is only one entrance to these extensive gardens, and there is an impressive view of the Royal Palace that visitors see when they come through the gates.

The area that the gardens stand on today was once space between the palace and the river, which was formerly a steep slope. It was partly levelled in the 1840s, although the construction took some decades to complete.

The fountain doesn’t currently have water in it, and it seems from reviews that it hasn’t for some time. The formal name of the fountain is Fuente de las Conchas (fountain of the shells) and it dates from the late eighteenth century, although it wasn’t moved to its current location until 1845.

The fountain from another angle.

There were some beautiful parts of the gardens, although I didn’t see any particularly impressive floral sections. The gardens were badly damaged during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s, but efforts were made to ensure that they were repaired.

This is an eighteenth century wagon which was used in the construction of the Royal Palace. It was part of the collection of the carriage museum, which is at the park, but which has been closed for some years.

There were long rows of trees, which provided the shade that I needed given the heat in Madrid.

One of the more formal parts of the gardens.

One of the wide avenues in the park.

There are a number of these Tyrolean style buildings located throughout the park, all dating from the late nineteenth century. They didn’t currently seem to be open or accessible to the public.

These gardens are extensive, although the entrance can be tricky for some people to find. They do seem to need more attention though, with the museum closed, the fountain having no water and the toilets needed a little attention. However, there is no entrance charge and it is a surprisingly peaceful location, with not that many visitors in the gardens during my visit.

August 10, 2025
TAP Portugal (Lisbon to Seville)

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

It’s quite a while since I’ve been on a prop plane, with this being the TAP Portugal service from Lisbon to Seville. It was a late-night flight and was to be the last flight to arrive in Seville for the day, but it was still a relatively full flight.

Given my name, I felt that this was quite apt.

This is the aircraft they used, the photo is from the airline’s in-flight magazine.

2*2 seating, all perfectly comfortable, and all kept clean and tidy.

I knew from my previous flight that TAP provide food and drink on pretty much all of their flights, although I did wonder whether that included these short hop flights. It transpired that it did, and there was a roll and drink offered to everyone, in another efficient and friendly service. I’m not quite sure what was in the roll, it seemed to be tuna, but it tasted fine.

The flight took just under one hour, and the efficiency of the entire operation did surprise me. I’ve enjoyed my two flights with TAP Portugal today, the crew had a warm and engaging attitude, and they fortunately spoke excellent English. And one more good thing, and unlike my first flight, there was absolutely no clapping when the aircraft landed. This pleased me.

August 10, 2025
Madrid – Mercado de San Miguel

[I originally posted this in July 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

This centrally located market building was originally opened in 1916, on the site of a former open market. It risked falling into decline in the late twentieth century and it was modernised and re-opened in 2009 as a market selling fine food and drink.

The market is visited by over ten million people a year, and a good portion of those appeared to be there during my visit. The market is really aimed for those wanting to dine there and then, rather than a more traditional provisions market.

Cocktails available for €8 or €9. There was an excellent array of different tapas items throughout the market, although like the drinks, the prices were generally set at a premium level. There were many stalls where the tapas looked particularly appetising, and a real effort had been made with the presentation.

Well, how lovely – the crisps that is, not the pork rinds.

There was a bustling atmosphere in the market, although there was a lack of available seating for those who wanted to sit down.

A fine selection of meats.

And a fine selection of wine, although all of the bottles seemed to be over €20. All the market needs now is a pottery seller from Great Barton and the selection will be complete.

Another frontage of the market, which is open for very long hours of at least 10.00 until 00.00 every day of the week.

August 9, 2025
Gdansk – Browar PG4

[I originally posted this in June 2018 but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

I’m always pleased to see new brewery restaurants opening up, and this is located at Podwale Grodzkie 4 in the basement of a city hotel. It’s quite easy to miss the restaurant as it’s to the rear of the building, rather than accessed through the main frontage of the hotel.

The brewery equipment gives a positive first impression, with everything looking modern and clean.

The beer selection, at first sight, looked interesting, but unfortunately the majority of it wasn’t available. The staff member made an appropriate alternative recommendation, but I was a little disappointed at the lack of dark beer.

Unsurprisingly, the restaurant wasn’t packed at 14:00 on a Monday afternoon in rainy Gdansk.

The restaurant interior, like the whole theme, is modern and on-trend, so there’s a contemporary feel. The menus at the table are in Polish on one side and in English on the other, with the prices being surprisingly reasonable given the location.

The service was efficient, attentive and very polite throughout, so it did feel like a welcoming restaurant. The beer tasted of a high quality and seemed fresh, with the temperature also being appropriate.

I ordered the fish and chips, because I do that a lot. The meal was beautifully presented, but I don’t know what the red dollops of sauce were, so there was a slight element of style over substance.

The fish was battered in a panko type breadcrumb, which made it crispy and added texture. Unfortunately, the whole fish was over-cooked slightly, so although perfectly edible, there was a bit too much texture for my liking. The cod itself flaked away and seemed of a good quality, and it had a pleasant taste. The tartare sauce seemed home-made and the chips tasted excellent, firm on the exterior and fluffy on the interior.

Overall, I thought that this was a rather pleasant location and it had a calm and welcoming atmosphere. The staff members were pleasant and the food wasn’t unreasonably priced, with the 0.5 litre of beer and food coming in around £10, although that’s towards the higher end for Poland. Ideally, there would have been a wider beer selection though, especially when they’ve got so many of the beer menus around the restaurant area.

August 4, 2025
Gdansk – Kotka Cafe

[I originally posted this in June 2018, but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

The cat cafe rules, sanitise your hands and then go and eat food and drink. And amuse yourself with cats if you so desire.

The food and drink, which is prepared in a separate room, was nicely presented and the prices are relatively low. There’s no charge to enter the cat cafe, and no timed entry system, with customers just expected to purchase food and drink during their visit. I felt that a latte and apple pie was a suitable morning dining experience, and it cost the equivalent of around £4. A decent depth of taste, everything at the appropriate temperature and tasting of a good quality, so all is well.

Some cats were sitting in baskets on the floor.

Some cats were sitting in baskets on the window sill.

Some cats, or kitten in this case, were lying down making a deliberate effort to look cute.

Some cats wanted to survey the action that was going on from their vantage point up high.

My favourite cat, a black and white one.

Resting cat.

The other heart-warming element of this cafe is that some of the cats are up for adoption, so you can take away an apple pie and a cat. Actually, the adoption process is slightly more complex than that, but it’s a nice idea that you can see the cat you like and interact with it. Some of the cats here are owned by the cafe and aren’t up for adoption, they’re here permanently.

The cats were also well trained, or as much as you can train a cat, not to eat food from the tables. Customers were also trained not to feed the cats, who were given cat food by the owners so didn’t need any more, which seemed much more sensible. During my time at the cafe, it all seemed to be very professional and both the cats and customers were suitably well behaved.

August 4, 2025
Gdansk – Salad Story

[I originally posted this in 2018, but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

I’ve seen a lot of Salad Story outlets around Poland, and as the saying goes, no good story starts with a salad. However, sometimes a new experience has to be tried, even a salad experience.

The menu boards, with salads, wraps and juices being advertised. They didn’t exactly whet my appetite, but at least the signage was clear. They could perhaps do with a little chicken strips section, but perhaps that takes away from the vibe they’re trying to create. And, they are literally next door in the food court to McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC.

Actually, the main reason I’m not dining at the holy trinity of McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC is that they have large queues. Salad Story doesn’t. I can’t begin to imagine why…..

Salad stuff.

I went for a healthy Fanta, with lots of sugar, and a hot avocado wrap. It transpired fortunately the wrap had chicken in it, as otherwise it would have tasted rather dull. I must admit, their tomatoes were excellent, I do dislike those mushy things that are sometimes served in, usually, British restaurants.

The wrap was grilled and I do like avocado and its smeary texture, and it was much more substantial than I had anticipated when I ordered it. The prices here are towards the higher end of the scale, primarily because I’m in the food court of the Gdansk Forum Mall. The UK equivalent for the Fanta and avocado wrap was £5, which is the same as a large McDonald’s extra value meal.

Overall, it was much better than I anticipated. Would I go again? That’s a much more challenging issue for me to deal with given that they normally locate these outlets next door to McDonald’s et al. However, I wouldn’t refuse to eat here again.

So, although not yet converted, not disappointed….

August 4, 2025
Gdansk – Gryf Hotel

[I originally posted this in June 2018 but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

I booked this hotel at the last-minute, having decided that it was possible to get Gdansk for Friday night. My expectations were rather low, given the relatively cheap price and the fact that they still had several rooms available at a weekend at short notice.

The hotel is situated in what appears to be an assembly of buildings either being demolished, or needing to be demolished. However, the hotel has clearly spent some money on its frontage and the addition of a lift, with a modern signage.

My entry to the hotel was slightly hampered though by a large group of guests trying to get a photo of themselves taken outside of the hotel. I did try and wait, but they were faffing, so I’m probably now in the official photo of some German musicians or something. I blame them, they should have been more efficient with their photography. Although I did appreciate their dithering about, as it meant I got to check-in first and didn’t have to wait for around twenty people to get their rooms allocated before mine.

The location is around a 20-minute walk from the city centre, and opposite the Solidarity Museum, with my room having a rather nice view of the building. My room also had a nice view of the demolition site to the rear of the hotel, but I felt generous and didn’t take a photo of that.

Other than for the slightly old radio set-up in the bedside cabinet, the room was surprisingly modern and well-appointed. It was clean and had teas and coffees, which isn’t always to be expected in Polish hotels. There were no noise disturbances either internally or externally, and the staff all seemed friendly and helpful.

Given the price I paid, which was just under £30, I was rather impressed with the whole set-up.

August 4, 2025