Almost Home

Day two in Madrid. Enjoyed sleeping in. We had yogurt, peaches, mini chocolate croissant, bread and cheese for breakfast. Mona went down to the lobby to get us for coffee to make out breakfast complete. We hopped the bus to the metro station. We toured the cathedral and then stumbled on an amazing tapas market. With a pocket full of euros we ate our way through the place. I was able to try a couple exotic dishes. I had a sea urchin croquet that tasted very similar to scallop. I also tried a small plate of Percebes, goose neck barnacles. They are a delicacy here and very expensive. Here’s why:

Watching fisherman gather percebes is like watching a high-wire act at the circus. A fisherman gets close to a rockface in a little rowboat as the surf comes in and out. He ties a rope to his ankle and holds a knife in his teeth. He times his jump into the water with the surf and swims over to the rock where the Percebes are growing. He quickly chisels off a handful and stuffs them in a net bag around his waist. He then rushes back to his rowboat and tries to clear the rock before the next wave comes in. Every time he goes out to gather the Percebes, he faces the very likely possibility that he or his boat will be smashed against the rock with the next wave.

To eat them you pinch the base and tear the membrane and peel it open revealing a small bit of flesh that you pull out with your teeth. It was lobster…ish. Fun to try, but to make a meal out of them would cost a fortune. 
Also of note was a stand selling small spoons of caviar served with a shot of vodka. Not really my thing, but the young man behind the counter was a great salesperson. He walked me through the process. Drink the shot, put the caviar on your tongue and exhale with pursed lips. It was supposed to bring out the flavor in the caviar. Interesting! Mona finally got her long awaited glass of sangria. 
We also had some normal fare: fried Camembert that was awesome, olives with ham, a lightly pickled shrimp and a small dish of chicken and rice.  
We walked off the meal and spent some time trinket shopping. We hopped a cab back to the hotel. We made it an early night as our flight home is early tomorrow. Looking forward to being home after an amazing five week adventure!