World Tour: The City That Never Sleeps
Think of it as the city that never sleeps in Spain and that’s what sums up the city of Madrid. Well, not exactly. It’s the city that never sleeps @ night. Madrid is known for starting the day @ 2 pm and going well into the wee hours of the night. Now it’s been some years since we last ventured over to the capitol city of Spain but the memories are still as fresh as the hangover we’re experiencing from those drinks last night. The thing that sticks out the most is the vibrant nightlife that allowed a 16 year old to live the life of a grown, professional 25 year old. Fun times.
Now mind you at this time we were @ a very impressionable age and dared to try just about anything including sneaking out from under our chaperone’s nose to club and drink too much tequila. Ramales Square, Plaza de Cibeles and the Royal Palace of Madrid stand out on the long list of archaic (*well archaic to our generation…) landmarks in Madrid. Though we love all the historic stuff, it was the flamenco dancers that we fell in love with…we left wanting to pursue a professional career as a flamenco dancer. Clearly, you need a small waste for this profession which quickly ended that dream for us. Being the largest city in Spain with a drinking age of 16, it’s no wonder we found plenty of ways to get into trouble. From Madrid, we trekked to Cordoba, Seville and…Tangier. Yup, as in Tangier, Morocco (North Africa). As we passed the Rock of Gibraltar on a ferry, we didn’t know that by the end of the day we @ the tender age of 16 would know what real African couscous should taste like, how to mount a camel and ride a full mile and leave with a pair of balghas. Nowadays, you can take a cheap flight to Tangier for prices starting @ 4 Euros and be there in no time (*Ohh, the benefits of the Internet and cheap travel…). Now we officially feel the aging process sinking in…we thought we were doing fairly well with the ferry plus a day of fun for $100.
Looking back on this experience, makes us take a look @ how we didn’t understand or have the palate we have now. I remember calling home about how home sick I was about the food and now what I would give for a nice heaping pile of couscous and tajine (*a lamb or poultry stew). Is there any way I can have that tajine overnighted to the District via FEDEX??
Now mind you at this time we were @ a very impressionable age and dared to try just about anything including sneaking out from under our chaperone’s nose to club and drink too much tequila. Ramales Square, Plaza de Cibeles and the Royal Palace of Madrid stand out on the long list of archaic (*well archaic to our generation…) landmarks in Madrid. Though we love all the historic stuff, it was the flamenco dancers that we fell in love with…we left wanting to pursue a professional career as a flamenco dancer. Clearly, you need a small waste for this profession which quickly ended that dream for us. Being the largest city in Spain with a drinking age of 16, it’s no wonder we found plenty of ways to get into trouble. From Madrid, we trekked to Cordoba, Seville and…Tangier. Yup, as in Tangier, Morocco (North Africa). As we passed the Rock of Gibraltar on a ferry, we didn’t know that by the end of the day we @ the tender age of 16 would know what real African couscous should taste like, how to mount a camel and ride a full mile and leave with a pair of balghas. Nowadays, you can take a cheap flight to Tangier for prices starting @ 4 Euros and be there in no time (*Ohh, the benefits of the Internet and cheap travel…). Now we officially feel the aging process sinking in…we thought we were doing fairly well with the ferry plus a day of fun for $100.
Looking back on this experience, makes us take a look @ how we didn’t understand or have the palate we have now. I remember calling home about how home sick I was about the food and now what I would give for a nice heaping pile of couscous and tajine (*a lamb or poultry stew). Is there any way I can have that tajine overnighted to the District via FEDEX??
Category: Food.Fun.Stuff., Travels, World Tour
About the Author (Author Profile)
Johnna French is a Harlem NY native with deep roots in Panama, Washington, DC and North Carolina. All four places have heavily influenced her life and the foods she loves today. After graduating Howard University School of Law and beginning her life as a young professional in the city she was led to start Johnna Knows Good Food in November 2007 to keep family, friends and colleagues updated on where to go and what to eat while dining in the nation’s capitol. French, who still practices law, leads a team of three writers to cover the ever expanding Washington, DC food scene. French has been featured in print and television, appearing in Washingtonian Magazine and is a regular contributor to various local TV affiliates including WUSA 9, FOX 5 DC and WJLA (ABC Affiliate) News Channel 8. During the 2016-2017 football season, Johnna aired on Comcast Sports Mid-Atlantic (CSN) show, Redskins Life, as the weekly tailgate host. Johnna is currently a regular contributor to the FOX Baltimore Weekend morning show.Subscribe
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