Day 2: December 26 ... 3 days packed into one, an overview

If there is such a thing as magic, December 26 comes close.  In the La Latina neighbourhood, I had lunch (tripe, anyone?) in a restaurant that originally dates back to 1830 and whose current incarnation has the late 19th century written all over it.  In the Chueca neighbourhood, I discovered a mouth-watering food market similar in concept to the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, but so true to Spain with its tapas, cured iberian hams, cheeses and olive oil.  It was a beautiful mild, sunny day, and I strolled some of the finest avenues and plazas of Madrid, avenues and plazas that rival those of other great European cities.  I couldn't resist stopping, lulled as I am by donuts, to have a Dunkin coffee and old-fashion glazed, and I sat in a lone chair on a busy pedestrian street and watched people pass by.  In the late afternoon, I sat in a park close to my apartment and captured the last rays of sun.   In the evening, I stopped in an eatery that would most appropriately be called a diner (I have this thing for diners), sat at the bar and had a Spanish egg and potato tortilla that I still can't forget hours later.  I put my metro pass to the test, crossed this city several times (perhaps I exaggerate a little), and miraculously made it back to my home base.  Then, as if the day weren't complete enough, I attended a dinner/flamenco event at 10 pm.  This was the icing on the cake, and what I saw unfold on a stage pretty well captured the magic and intensity of my day.  All of this ahead.