Should we make it a lunch, then? Maybe we should have a tapas-filled lunch in the Plaza de San Andres - where we've had a few MadridMan gatherings. What do you think? It's next to the Plaza de la Cebada, very near where the Cava Baja and Cava Alta meet when traveling FROM the Plaza Mayor towards the Plaza de la Cebada and has the Iglesia de San Andrés on one side of the plaza.

Shall we try to meet there at 1:15pm to avoid some of the lunchtime rush? Not sure how full this big terraza will be but these days with the good weather it's hit-or-miss.

Saludos, MadridMan

That sounds perfect. It looks like the weather will be good too! See you then.

Exxxxxxcellent. See you there!! Anyone else can come too!

Saludos, MadridMan

I´ll be there .. Steve

Looking forward to it! Take your sun glasses! See you there at 1:15pm today.

Saludos, MadridMan

Hope you had a great lunch! Wish I could have been there, too!

It was great , La Historiadora !! Esperanza and her daughter to start with in Plaza San Andrés .. then a bit of bar hopping , meeting up with father and son ( Tristis ) from Philadelphia .. Ending up at Plaza de Oriente and meeting a cool guy ... talking across tables ... very Spanish . He´s a Madrileño , teaching high school kids on the upper West side of Manhattan . .. We ate Calamares a la Romana , Chorizos en Sidra con patatas , etc .. A nice couple of wines at the Torre de Oro in Plaza Mayor .... A good day for sure ! Steve

It WAS a great get-together yesterday! We sat in the shaded part of the Plaza de San Andres first and it got quite chilly by the end - EVEN I WAS COLD!!!! There, we had Chorizo Frito, Calamares a la Romana, and croquetas de jamon - and couldn't finish everything.

Next, we walked to the touristy-yet-cool Plaza Mayor and took a terrace table in the sun at the Torre de Oro / Bar Andalu where we just had drinks and where we met a father-son couple from Philadelphia.

It was here when, unfortunately, Esperanza said her goodbyes and the rest of us then walked over to the Plaza de Oriente for another few drinks on a terraza overlooking the setting sun behind the Royal Palace. We struck up a conversation with a Madrileño sitting at the next table which happened to be a lawyer-turned Spanish teacher teaching in New York City. Nice guy.

Esperanza, Steve, and our new friends from Philadelphia made soon-to-be-confirmed plans to go out for Flamenco on Saturday night. Can't wait! If anyone else wants to go along let us know, like NOW, so we can make proper arrangements.

Good to see you again, Esperanza!!

Saludos, MadridMan

Thanks for the re-cap. I love to live in Spain vicariously through all of you!

As Sparkalina said, thanks to MM and Steve for the update! It sounds like a lovely time. I've never had (at least to my knowledge) calamares a la romana so I may have to try that the next time I'm in Spain.

I have very fond memories of last summer's outing at Plaza de San Andres; in fact, yesterday I was cleaning and I found the cork from one of the many bottles of Rueda we drank there!