Turkey Hunting in Madrid | Arts & Culture

Have you ever found yourself in the market for a Thanksgiving turkey in Spain? Well, I have and learned they are even more rare than a café open in the late afternoon. 

While studying abroad in England I got to meet up with a friend in Madrid while her ship docked for a few days in Cadiz. We had grand ideas of washing away any homesickness with an American Thanksgiving celebration with friends. As I soon discovered, turkey is geographically native to the Americas and not a common dish in Europe, even on (gasp) what I consider the most sacred holiday of the year! My grandmother told me later she had the same experience while living in Switzerland in the 60's - and Thanksgiving Goose it was!

We quickly got over this travel speed bump and set out to discover the city and find our own feast. As weary travelers we wholly embraced the standstill that overtakes the city at siesta time. Madrid is a beautifully rich city, but I have to say the highlight for me was touring the Palacio Real with a gorgeous courtyard that overlooks most of the city.

Luckily, we happened upon a hole in the brick wall restaurant and sat down to what ended up being one of the BEST Thanksgiving dinners of my life (sorry mom - but I know you'll understand since you gave me the travel bug). The paella we ordered came with fresh seafood and pork and it was  hands down the best I have ever and probably will ever have. The cherry on top was - literally - homemade sangria filled with not just apples and grapes, but lemons, strawberries and, you guessed it: cherries. Experiences like these have taught me that the less signage a restaurant has the better the food will probably be. This meal for me captures a moment in time of travel and new experiences that I wouldn't trade for any poultry… even fried turkey that has had my mouth watering in anticipation for days! 

Even though I didn't eat turkey during my year away (and I'm not counting turkey sandwiches here because, let's be honest, they don't count), what I ended up eating and seeing in Madrid I am much more thankful for!