Page 23 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2022 DISCOVERING MADRID

adrid is magical. It has everything we
crave in a great city. An exciting mul-
ticultural home to 3.2 million people
M from all corners of Spain and the
world, it’s rich in history, arts and culture, stun-
ning architecture and energy off the Rictor
scale. It’s easily explored on foot or via an ex-
tensive, modern transit system. Plus, it’s Spain’s
hub for high-speed trains that whisk you to the
Mediterranean in about two hours. And for food
and wine lovers, it’s a dining paradise that won’t
break the bank. We spent a month getting to
know this vibrant capital city, delighting in ev-
eryday we were there.
In central Spain and notorious for steamy
summers and cold winters, Madrid was not on
our radar for long visits. Addicted to the mod-
erate Mediterranean climate we enjoy in our
San Diego home, we have based our Spain and
Portugal stays in coastal cities like Lisbon, Cas-
cais, Alicante, and Barcelona. That changed a
year ago when we hopped aboard a bullet train
in Alicante for a five-day side trip to Madrid.
Though cold and rainy, Madrid wowed us, and
this year we returned for a month-long stay.

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