I'm BACK!

So I know I've been a little MIA for the last 8 months, but between fashion week and summer, I just couldn't dedicate the time to sitting inside typing. However, with fall here and winter fast approaching, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have no qualms staying inside for an hour or two. I almost don't know where I should begin posting! I'm thinking I'll start with my June trip to Madrid. I was there for a few days and had one day completely free! I arrived in the morning and spent the whole day wandering around the city in a hot jet-lag mess. I discovered the Prado Museum after a few hours and fell in love with the endless paintings. Well, apparently, looking at art really works up an appetite, because once I left I was starving! All around the museum were touristy looking cafes. I was determined to find a great meal that was reasonably priced and locally popular. After a small unguided search, I found a hole-in-the-wall cafe that was completely packed with locals in their 40s+. Me being me, I somehow ended up sharing a table with a local woman. Between my broken Spanish and her under-basic English, we shared a lovely meal of gazpacho, seared whitefish and rice, with a fresh fruit salad dessert. Believe it or not, this all cost a measly 7 euro! The rest of the day I walked aimlessly through the city, finding beautiful monument after beautiful monument. At last, I discovered the mecca of all foodies in Madrid:

Mercado de San Miguel

This place is just fantastic! Picture all the best specialty stores in New York thrown under one roof. It's like a food festival but every day and late into the night as Spaniards usually have tapas or dinner around 10 or later. If I remember correctly, I went back for dinner and got a few olive bites and some marinated squid. For dessert I had my favorite: my first fresh figs of summer! I had been dreaming about them ever since the days of sunshine began. I truly loved my time in Madrid. P.S. Sorry the pics are just from my phone!