So wonderful to be back in Madrid! I’ll be here nearly 5 weeks. I’m not staying at my apartment—it is rented to a lovely person whom I can not uproot!—so I’m renting a room very nearby from a friend of a friend. It is very very nice.

Despite the economic “crisis” here, Madrid remains an incredibly vital, bustling,stylish,vibrant city. I love it here! Always have. Its become home to an amazing food and wine scene, too. To drink Ribera del Duero tempranillo alongside tapas of jamon serrano, manchego, sepia ala plancha…on a daily basis…love it! love it!

Despite all this, I come here for FLAMENCO. And there is flamenco to see and hear most every night of the week. Sometimes, it is grand and theatrical, sometimes it is intimate and modest. Most often the level is very high. I’ll try to write brief reviews of at least some of the shows I am seeing.