Spring is here!

I got off San Bernardo station to begin my search for Carmencita~ a reputed great brunch place!

Yes, you read it correctly - I officially declare that Spring has come to Madrid! I had a taste of it 2 days ago while walking in the afternoon. It suddenly felt hot. And yesterday, it was the same thing... except that it was hot the entire day. It would be possible to walk along the streets of Madrid without a jacket... a big surprise for me considering how cold it has been the past 3 weeks! And with the change of weather, my sinuses have acted up as well. I now have a cold and a sore throat. But it should be okay... drink plenty of water and everything should be fine.

Yesterday, I set out to do some smart shopping in the city. But before I even begin, I decided to start the day off with a hefty brunch to fuel me for the arduous task ahead. I googled the best brunch places in Madrid and found a link & number of reviews on Carmencita. Carmencita was just off San Bernardo road~ which was near Gran Via (where I was supposed to do all my shopping). Perfect proximity I said to myself, so let's go!

Tucked away along an unassuming neighborhood, Carmencita offers a delectable array of brunch options!

Normally, these brunch places we know about have nicely decorated exteriors that lure you to come inside. No, not Carmencita. If you walked nonchalantly along the neighborhood you might just miss it! But once you're inside, you would immediately notice quirky chalkboard menu and its eclectic mix of different chairs and lamps. Once I entered, I was asked if I had a reservation~ and since I had none I was escorted to eat by the high bar tables & stools. Good thing I came at the right time... as minutes later, the place would be soon full (see above).

Brunch item devoured: Mushroom Scramble

Madrid actually has a lot of brunch places~ but some of them only "feel" like brunch places. What I liked about this place was that it totally understood the concept of brunch and that its servings were hefty & delicious (moreover, they truly had English-speaking staff... which is why it wasn't far-fetched that many expats visit this place). I ordered a Mushroom Scramble from their menu.. which was basically soft scrambled eggs with really flavor-packed mushrooms topped off with grilled cheese. The salad had flavor too and the potatoes that accompanied it were totally made with love (it didn't come from a frozen bag of manufactured chips but instead hand-chopped).

I ate my meal and drank my fresh orange juice while also admiring the Eggs Benedict and Gourmet Burger dishes being served on the table across me. I'll likely come back here again.

The entrance of Museo de Historia de Madrid along Calle Fuencarral

Energized, I then went to Gran Via to pay homage to the monolithic H&M store there. After picking out 2 items at a real steal, I proceeded to walk down through the cobblestone steps of an alley perpendicular to Gran Via until I landed on Calle Fuencarral. I personally have a thing of old, historical things... and I watched in appreciation the facade of the Historical Museum of Madrid. It's truly a work of art. I would've loved to enter the building... however, I did have an objective that day to buy clothes that'll last me for the rest of my stay here. Well, now at least I know where it is! So coming back!

I didn't know where I was... but It was amazing to see everyone just socializing by the open space!

I wandered off this area of Madrid where I saw a lot of small cafes and plenty of people congregating for a vigorous afternoon discussion. The weather was quite permitting and there were people who happily chatted on the floor. There was a particular side of this opening that had graffiti all over its walls. It was actually quite political / activist in nature. On the photo below, on the upper left hand corner, was this sign hung from the balcony window which read "Politicos Terroristas Sociales"~ which translates to "Social Political Terrorists" via Google Translate. The artwork below totally expressed what that small sign said.

Beside this open space was this very expressive graffiti wall! 

Along this same path I stumbled on this street that had all these quaint & cozy artisan cafes. It reminded me of Insadong in Seoul and Haji Lane in Singapore. The only difference there was that it was REALLY popular among the locals and tourists alike!

Yes, a mojito bar!

As I was walking along this artsy street I noticed that some cafes had these special stickers pasted on them. It's like a Michelin star award but given by a local organization. This cafe I saw looked quaint, cozy and lively and had two stickers on it... something that indicated that it was the people's choice for 2011 and 2013! Seeing that there was a vacant table at the end of the room, I dove right in and cleared away the coffee cups and plates of the previous diner.

The seat & table was by this full window, spanning from the floor all the way to the ceiling. As Spanish people are quite small, I had to maneuver / wedge myself in. I raised my hand and asked the waitress to give me the same lime & mint mojito that the other guy from across the room seemed to be enjoying. Within minutes, I was given a refreshing glass that capped this day of shopping.

A funny thing about this mojito though was that the bottom part of the glass had this white stuff on it. And so, curiously, I sucked on my straw to taste it. SUGAR! Wow, I never imagined that they'd put so much. Apparently, there was so much sugar on this drink that the rock sugar on the bottom couldn't be dissolved anymore. Diabetics, beware!

I ended the day late... exhausted from my day-long journey of rummaging through crowds of people but I was generally happy of the things I saw. It was nice seeing a lively side of Madrid... and I was soon convinced that the neighborhood I currently live in is totally drab compared to these social spots. But that said, I came here to study. So these places will have to wait til this program is over!