One more sleep in Madrid

My bags have been repacked and now I have only a little room left in my carry-on bag, although my big case only weighs about 22 kg - not bad seeing that I am allowed 30kg checked luggage and 7kg carry on. Hopefully because my big case is well under weight they won't worry about my new red carry-on bag. Not a lot of room left - so light stuff from here on.

Thank goodness I didn't trust my Spanish translations and I walked back to Espoz y Mina and found the the glove shop open. So my big purchase for this holiday - an exquisite pair of hand-made red leather gloves from Guantes Luque. I also found La Violeta open so very pleased to be able to visit the all of the three old shops I had on my Wish List. (previously visited the old hat shop) Unfortunately the Tea shop is miles away from where I am. As it is, I've been walking for three hours - albeit slowly - but on my feet for three hours.

I've booked to go to the opera restaurant La Castafiore tonight and it looks like it is only 17 minutes walk from my hotel. Will check that out this afternoon. It's in totally the opposite direction to how I was reading the map - no wonder I couldn't find Calle Marques de Cubas when I went out walking this morning. Yes I know - girls can't read maps, but walking out for a traditional 2pm lunch I found the street and my instructions from Google maps say - go down Marques de Cubas for 350m, then turn right, left, left, right and left again. OMG I hope I can find my way home at midnight.

Lunch today in a nice wee restaurant where I can at least decipher the menu. Fresh pasta salad with roast vegetables - unfortunately not a lot of vegetable and a rather salty dressing, I think with a soy sauce base. Okay but not the best I've eaten and suddenly wishing I had chosen the Cezar Ensalada. I chose a Tiramasu to follow - a little bit of rich chocolately stuff at the bottom of a cocktail glas with a lot of sweet cream (with something else that I can't decide what) on top sprinkled with cocoa. Nice but not as nice as a traditional Italian Tiramasu. I finished with a coffee and I'm getting used to the espresso short black.

I'm now quite ready for a siesta (or at least a break from walking around on the cobbled streets which are quite hard to walk on). I like this tradition and I'm going to find it hard to go back to working an 8 hour day with no rest in the middle of the day.