Strawberry Chapstick: MADRID: Mercado de San Miguel

Hello Mr. Fishy

While in Madrid Alex and I made several stops at the Mercado de San Miguel. The key to avoid the massive crowds was to visit during off peak hours, so we avoided siesta and the tourist lunch rush. While San Miguel has been around for years in Madrid as a typical fresh market, recently it has been converted into what only seems like a slight tourist trap, and is intended to delight the palate of the hungry traveler (primarily through the eyes).

Now don't get me wrong, the market offers a fantastic array of cheeses, meats, and fresh shellfish, but I came to learn that the tapas left more to be desired. After a long day of traveling Alex and I engulfed the tiny sandwiches of mussels, tuna, octopus, and salmon. However, days later when we ventured into a supermarket to do our own shopping we found that all of that great seafood on our tapas didn't come directly from the Mediterranean, but rather, a CAN. In fact, we proceeded to buy a few cans of their mussels and tuna and fresh bread from the panadería and made our own tapas.

For anyone traveling overseas, I think it's always fun to venture into the supermarkets of the country and try the different and often surprising food they offer.