Madrid Arganzuela District (near Atocha station): Mercado de Santa Maria de la Cabeza & Bodegas Rosell

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I arrived in Madrid two days early before the Al Andalus Camino de Santiago Tren de Lujo trip, so that I wouldn’t be jet-lagged to begin the trip.  I stayed at the Hotel AC Atocha, just a few blocks from the Atocha station, where I had to catch the AVE train to Zaragoza, where we would begin our Al Andalus Camino de Santiago train journey.

Hotel AC Atocha is in the Arganzuela District of Madrid, about which, despite have been to Madrid literally more than one hundred times, I knew next to nothing, so I decided to explore the area on foot on my way to other endeavors.  I found two really noteworthy attractions to add to my Madrid portfolio: Bodegas Rosell, a wonderful old-time tapas bar and the fine Arganzuela market, El Mercado de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, a lively well-stocked barrio market. 

 
Another Madrid classic, near Atocha station. Bodegas Rosell, Arganzuela District. 
 Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com. Canon EOS 6D / Canon 24 105mm f/4L IS USM. 


 
Slide Show Bodegas Rosell, Arganzuela. 

 
Tiled mural in a butcher shop, Mercado de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, Madrid Distrito de Arganzuela (near Atocha station), July 20, 2013.  
Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com. Canon 5D Mark III / Canon 24 105mm f/4L IS USM. 

 
Chuletón de Ávila (prime rib steak from Ávila), Mercado de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, Madrid Distrito de Arganzuela (near Atocha station), July 20, 2013.  
Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com. Canon 5D Mark III / Canon 24 105mm f/4L IS USM. 

 
Olive "pinchitos," olives cured in brine with pimientos, encircled by boquerones (fresh anchovies), Mercado de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, Madrid Distrito de Arganzuela (near Atocha station), July 20, 2013. 
Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com. Canon 5D Mark III / Canon 24 105mm f/4L IS USM. 




Galician conservas, superb tinned and jarred Galician & Basque fish and shellfish, Mercado de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, Madrid Distrito de Arganzuela (near Atocha station), July 20, 2013. 
Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com. Canon 5D Mark III / Canon 24 105mm f/4L IS USM. 


 
 Lomo Ibérico de bellota (loin of acorn-fed Ibérico pigs)--59.99 Euros per kilo (about $37 per lb.), Mercado de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, Madrid Distrito de Arganzuela (near Atocha station), July 20, 2013. 
Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com. Canon 5D Mark III / Canon 24 105mm f/4L IS USM. 


 

Slide Show Mercado de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, Arganzuela District, Madrid 

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About Gerry Dawes   

Gerry Dawes was awarded Spain's prestigious Premio Nacional de Gastronomía (National Gastronomy Award) in 2003. He writes and speaks frequently on Spanish wine and gastronomy and leads gastronomy, wine and cultural tours to Spain. He was a finalist for the 2001 James Beard Foundation's Journalism Award for Best Magazine Writing on Wine, won The Cava Institute's First Prize for Journalism for his article on cava in 2004, was awarded the CineGourLand “Cinéfilos y Gourmets” (Cinephiles & Gourmets) prize in 2009 in Getxo (Vizcaya) and received the 2009 Association of Food Journalists Second Prize for Best Food Feature in a Magazine for his Food Arts article, a retrospective piece about Catalan star chef, Ferran Adrià. 

In 2009, Dawes was awarded the Food Arts Silver Spoon Award in a profile written by José Andrés. 

 ". . .That we were the first to introduce American readers to Ferran Adrià in 1997 and have ever since continued to bring you a blow-by-blow narrative of Spain's riveting ferment is chiefly due to our Spanish correspondent, Gerry "Mr. Spain" Dawes, the messianic wine and food journalist raised in Southern Illinois and possessor of a self-accumulated doctorate in the Spanish table. Gerry once again brings us up to the very minute. . ." - - Michael & Ariane Batterberry, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher and Founding Editor/Publisher, Food Arts.

 

Mr. Dawes is currently working on a reality television series
on wine, gastronomy, culture and travel in Spain.
 

Experience Spain With Gerry Dawes: Customized Culinary, Wine & Cultural Trips to Spain & Travel Consulting on Spain  

Gerry Dawes can be reached at gerrydawes@aol.com