November 12, 2016 | On a brisk Saturday morning, we headed over to the Mercado de Motores to see what it was all about.
A brief Google search will land you at the Mercado de Motores website, where you will find the event’s tagline: “El mercado más cool de Madrid” (The coolest market in Madrid). The only markets we’ve seen thus far have been of the culinary kind, so this one – featuring vintage clothing, artisanal goods, home decor, baked treats, and food trucks – was very cool, indeed. What really makes this market unique is that it’s situated within the Museo del Ferrocarril (Train Museum), a warehouse-like building with tall ceilings, lots of natural light, and several old-fashioned trains!
We met up with our friend, Clara, and made our way around the entire circuit of booths. Hearty bread loaves, local olive oil, homemade cookies, and fresh cheese wheels were followed by papier mâché animal decorations, pastel baby clothes, and multicolored leather wallets. One of the trains housed a tiny café and a tiny hallway to match; other patrons flattened themselves against the wooden wall to allow us to squeeze past into the ordering area.
After getting our fill of the colorful kiosks inside, we stepped through back door and out into a spacious courtyard full of red Coca Cola chairs, plastic tables, and numerous food trucks. Tim and I both grabbed chicken bacon sandwiches from Papi’s Bagels (YUM!), and the three of us ordered cafés con leche, as well. Warm food and drink was the ideal way to end our mercado adventure.
– J
P.S. You might notice the mug shot of a ridiculously good-lookin’ brownie at the end of this page. Later in the day, Tim and I stumbled upon a hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Mistura, where we were served a warmed brownie with hot chocolate on top. Amazing.
Pictures & Some Words 