What dates in April?

Hi Amsdon
Anytime during the first Half

Easter will be in the first half of April so you should book your accommodation ASAP especially if you want somewhere specific.
You do not say how you intend to travel.. Note…the more information you post here the better.

Flamenco is a southern thing but you will find it in Madrid, nothing further north to my knowledge.
Bull fighting, the further north you are the less chance of finding an event, but it is not impossible. Personally hate bull fighting so hopefully someone will give you the dates for events
All the other things you will find in abundance all over Spain, but I have to say for Monasteries one of the best places in Spain is where I live The Ribeira Sacra.

You could think about including La Vera Valley to the Madrid/Pedraza trip--you could include the Monastery at Yuste in your plans..

I read that Easter in Zamora is worth seeing, extremely traditional, but less of a crazy mob than Sevilla.

Unless you had your heart set on Semana Santa somewhere, I would head to Madrid first, (where you would check out flamenco) then go north for Easter if that works for your schedule.

Scrunchy & I have done Maribel's recommended visit to Pedraza which is lovely and quiet. There is a very small castle in Pedraza too.
Maribel mentions a castle route including Coca which I have not seen & sounds right for you guys if yu want castles.

Ribiera Sacra is right flamenco is a southern thing. But you will see plenty in Madrid.

And I am still looking forward to someday spending a night at the Meson Gonzles in Sacramenia and a meal in their butcher shop/kitchen (also Maribel recommended)

LOl we also really enjoyed L a Granja & it's on the way to Segovia.


http://www.patrimonionacional.es/granja/granja.htm

Hi all,
ekscrunchy and Amsdon, where exactly is La Vera Valley and Mezon Gonzles? I tried to search the net but came out with nothing.
Thanks a lot

I have only been to Segovia and also Pedraza.

Sacramenia is a small town in Segovia province. Meson Gonzales does not have a web site yet, I have called them (Spanish only) http://www.midworld.net/?section=accInfo&cID=e70981fd305170c41a5632b2a24bbcaa

Hopefully Maribel will give better insight she has actually been to Meson Gonzales.

I am not sure about La Vera, ??
Scunchy might mean La Vera in Extramadura? Perhaps her trip reports reveal this..

Oh, that is what I meant...I did write about our visit in my report--I can bring it up for you if you don't find it..

Also, here is some info:


http://en.turismo.ayto-caceres.es/routes-from-caceres/historical-artistic/route-1

Hi lol,
From your description of your likes, I do think that Andalucía is just a very good fit, particularly since you liked Ronda and Sevilla (and have yet to see Córdoba-Granada),
but here are some considerations:

Since your dates of the first half of April coincide with Holy Week (April 5-12 and school holiday), as amsdon says, you'd need to book ASAP for lodging in Córdoba and Granada, as those cities will be quite busy -not as jam packed as Sevilla, but busy nontheless.
And you won't find bargains in your lodgings during this prime season.

Flamenco you'll have in abundance your two southern cities, but bullfighting is a different story. The season in Sevilla begins on Easter Sunday, but major ferias in Córdoba and Granada take place in May and June respectively.

If you have your heart set on the south (and warmer temps), you could take the AVE to Córdoba from Madrid, then rent a car for the drive to Granada, so as to catch part of Holy Week there so as to be there for the procession that begins at the Alhambra. But if you want a car for day trips from Granada, you should plan to stay on the Alhambra hill and park it in the lots there for easy access in and out of the city. A car and downtown Granada are a terrible combination!

But for any day trips from April 5-12, remember that during Holy Week there will be much more traffic on the highways and city streets closed off to traffic for the processions. Also, you may not want to do day trips then at all but rather simply stay in these cities to soak up the festive ambiance and enjoy the pageantry of the processions.

Since your husband doesn't mind driving, here are some possible day trips, or you can see some of these on the move from Córdoba to Granada.

From Córdoba:
Priego de Córdoba (with a highly picturesque Judería), Zuheros and Cabra, around the Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbéticas, plus Montilla for the wines.

From Granada:
certainly north to Ubeda and Baeza, two Renaissance gems worth an entire long day. These two aren't tiny, but they both have very moving Holy Week processions in their own right. In Baeza you can visit the churches where the floats (pasos) will all be displayed ahead of time.
And on the way up you will want to drive to the top of the hill above Jaén to the Parador and castle for spectacular views.

But...
as amsdon suggests, if you can do without the bullfights, or if you can see one on a Sunday in Madrid at Las Ventas along with flamenco before moving one, you could certainly travel NORTHWEST. This way you avoid the crowds and added cost of an Andalusian Holy Week, that is, if you don't mind the chilly weather. We saw Good Friday processions in Burgos last year, which we thoroughly enjoyed, but it was quite frosty!

Holy Week is magical in the south, but it also can be inspiring, somber and very moving in the Castilian cities, especially Segovia, Salamanca, Valladolid and Zamora, with its own Holy Week museum.

While I LOVE Segovia & Pedraza, those two bases are nearby and don't allow you to cover as much ground as you could moving on to another Castilian capital. (But since you're slow paced travelers, that may be just fine). As amsdon says, this Segovia province is all about doing the castle route-the driving route I have in my Segovia guide.

If you want to cover a larger area, you might choose another Castilian capital as a second base, such as Salamanca, which is quite beautiful (with day trips to Ciudad Rodrigo for the Charrada festival on Easter Sat. and La Alberca de Salamanca).
The area between Salamanca and Ciudad Rodrigo is black-hoofed pig (pata negra), cattle and fighting bull ranch country, the land of the dehesas, grazing land populated with holm oak, so look for the "toros de lidia" (fighting bulls) signs along the highway. You should pass a ganadería (bull raising ranch) or two.

Some noted monasteries in mid-Old Castile:
Las Huelgas Reales and
Cartuja de Miraflores
Santo Domingo de Silos
(Burgos province)

Santa María in Medina de Campo
Santa Clara in Tordesillas
(Valladolid province)

but they're very spread apart, not like the rich concentration in Galicia's Ribeira Sacra.
And they're not a quick drive from Segovia or Pedraza.

A third possibility would be Madrid then Extremadura with bases in La Vera valley and Cáceres, but it doesn't fit as well with the description of what you enjoy. I see this as a third trip for you, after finishing Andalucía or the jewels of Castilla León.

amsdon,
You really will enjoy the roast lamb Mesón González, which has a proper dining room but only open in high season. The rooms at the mesón are just basic and Sacramenia a true, dusty "blip in the road", so I wouldn't recommend it as a budget lodging alternative to Pedraza's Hospedería.
For that I'd choose El Zaguán in Turégano.

Hi amsdon,
www.el-zaguan.com

Or the charming Posada del Duratón in yes, another dusty, blip in the road, Sebúlcor, but it gets you very close to the truly spectacular Hoces del Duratón Park (gorge) and the Hermitage of San Frutos plus closer to Peñafiel, its castle, its asadores and the wineries of the Ribera del Duero.
(We've stayed here).
www.posadadelduraton.com

I think that Andalucia and Castile are very different one from the other. The people also are kind of opposites.
I love both.
Castile is less known to the American Tourist and certainly it is not the land of flamenco.
For monasteries, I belileve the Monasterio de las Huelgas in Burgos is fascinating.
Considered one of the richest in all Spain, it is a Cistercian convent founded by Alfonso VIII in 1187 at the behest of her British wife Eleanor. THe abbess of Las Huelgas ,like for instance the abess of Fontenvraud in France, enjoyed more power and influence that any other woman in Spain except the queen herself, until her power and influence were revoked in the XIX Century.
THe tours take you through the English Gothic church,
which also serves as a pantheon for Castilian Kings.
The tombs were by the French during Napoleon's invasion of Spain. Only one tomb was spare, by chance, and this tomb produced such an amazing and fine collection of goods as to form the nucleus of the Monastery's Museo de Ricas Telas, this museum has a fascinating collection of fabrics and medieval dress.
Near Burgos the Cartuja des las Miraflores is, Burgo's second great monastery. Recently remodeled it has the mosst amazing work of GIl de Siloe, the great sculptor who was commissioned by Queen Isabel of Castille to sculpt the tomb of her parents. This a fantastic piece worth the trip to Burgos.
Burgos itself is for me a charming city. Austere. Nothing of flamenco. But not many tourists, it has a magnificent cathedral with the tomb of EL Cid, himself, and many little churches worth visiting since Burgos was in the Camino a Santiago.
If you think you might enjoy Castille, so much more austere that Andalucia but so interesting there are many unique places like Covarubias I believe the oldest medieval town in Spain. Charming. Much , much more, whatever is your religious believe, if you believe in God, listening to the monks singing in the Monasterio de Santo DOming de Silos is very special.
No doubt many more places,that I do not know. Cuenca comes to my mind too, although it is a little far and I think it is located in Old Castile.
Cuenca is located is on a high rock between two valleys. It is an amazing city.

What I meant was the French desecrated the tombs in LAs Huelgas. During the XIX century when Napoleon invaded Spain.

AS always Maribel yuo have my mouth watering at the thought of asadores I must be ike Pavlov's dog....

Graziella,
I love your description!

lol,
Ditto to what Graziella has told you so eloquently, both to the difference between Andalucía and Old Castile and also regarding Burgos-a low key but very charming city, with those possible day trips to Covarrubias, Santo Domingo de Silos, Peñarranda de Duero to the south and...
Santo Domingo de la Calzada and Nájera (Santa María la Real) to the northeast.

But a trip to Castilla-León is more about soaking up its rich patrimony: castles, convents, monasteries, Romanesque churches, history (El Cid), the Road to St. James than it is about the rest of the things you enjoy doing.

I see your decision as whether to complete your explorations of Andalucía, which you really enjoyed, or to venture into a new, unexplored area, more somber, more austere, as Graziella points out, less "folkloric" (using that term in a very positive way).

A nice decision to have to make!

Hi Maribel,

We visited Covarrubias and the Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos thanks to your good advice!!!

You probably do not remember because you constantly provide so much of great guidance to all of Fodorites .... for you it must has been one of many suggestions, for us it was wonderful....

Thank you once more. Muchisimas gracias !

I am pleased that you agree with me. In turn I agree with you that lol is now facing an important personal decision.

Maribel writes: "... Or the charming Posada del Duratón in yes, another dusty, blip in the road, Sebúlcor, but it gets you very close to the truly spectacular Hoces del Duratón Park (gorge) and the Hermitage of San Frutos plus closer to Peñafiel, its castle, its asadores and the wineries of the Ribera del Duero. ..."
A relative described it to me as Spain's Gran Cañon del Duratón. Similarities are the Vultures that nest on the cliffs.

lol, if you're really into Corridas you can find some in Comunitat de Valencia where they continue after San José (Fallas de Valencia) down the coast to Benidorm & Alicante.

Also, as I recall, Toledo used to have a Corrida on Palm Sunday.

Hi all,
I am still processing all the great info that you all gave me, thanks a lot. I have read Maribel's guide on Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia which are great and very helpful.
We are going to stay for about 3-4 nights in Madrid in order to see the bullfight on sunday and catch a late flamenco show on friday or saturday. We have decided to stay a total of 8 nights.
About that decision, hmmm. I think I prefer exploring new territories.
So 4 nights madrid
2 nights in another area near madrid, please help me decide that
2 nights pedraza driving back to madrid airport for flight home

Thanks so much

If you are thinking flamenco, bulls and what is essentially the "true" Spain, I would have to recommend the Jerez area. It is the home of the flamenco arts, spanish sherry and the andalusian dancing horses. It is also very conveniently located for exploring the white villages of Arcos, Vejer, Lebrija et al. The beaches of Rota, Chipiona, El Puerto de Santa María and others are about 20 minutes away. It really has a lot to offer.

You can get more information on the city and attractions on one of the official websites, which is www.turismojerez.com For accomodations check out my website www.rentandaluz.com I have been living in Jerez with my spanish wife and son for about a year, and I can not talk the place up enough.

Well, good luck and enjoy your trip.

Just to let you know that Velázquez, Rodríguez, González and other similar spanish surnames end with a Z, and not an S.

Lol

I am sure Maribel has been clear, Pedraza is very beautiful, but very very quiet during the week and what she accurately describes as sleepy.
We loved it that way but it is something you should know.

If indeed you go there in addition to Yantar which is the retaurant specializing in the roast lamb, we also drove the extra 7 minutes to a fantastic retaurant Codex Calixtinus, Juan Manuel is the owner http://www.restaurante-calixtinus.es/home.html

NED,
I describe the gorge of the Duratón to my friends the same way your relatives have described it to you-it's a truly spectacular sight to see, particularly from the dramatic vantage point of the Ermita de San Frutos. Just breathtaking with hundreds of griffon vultures circling above.
In April we introduced American friends to the site, and they were in awe. I never tire of walking down there. I was introduced to it by Maria H, a fellow Spain lover Fodorite. Here are some images:

http://tinyurl.com/95ctho

lol,
Since you've decided to explore new territory but close to Madrid, I suggest Segovia for your first base. It's a beautiful, charming small city. Just feast on isabel's gorgeous photos:

www.pbase.com/annforcier/spain___segovia_salamanca_toledo


From Segovia, you can easily explore Avila and walk atop its walls, take a guided bilingual tour of the Bourbon summer palace of La Granja and gardens, often called the Spanish Versailles, and other driving tours I explain in the Segovia guide. Since you've read the guide, you can pick out what most appeals to you and the pace you'd like to keep.

And since you enjoy fine food, certainly venture to Codex in Cañicosa during your Pedraza stay. It's the area's most elegant dining.
La Olma in Pedraza is also a lovely place to dine, and El Yantar is THE place for baby roast lamb, as amsdon and escrunchy know so well, plus
great roast lamb at Figón Zute el Mayor, (Tinín) in Sepúlveda, Mesón González in Sacramenia, José María in Segovia, La Portada del Mediodía and Posada de Javier in Torrecaballeros....all those places and more I've recommended in the Segovia file.

hi lol,

if you are spending 4 nights in Madrid and only have another 4 ngihts, with 2 spent on the way back to Madrid, IMHO you don't really have time to get to the south.

we loved salamanca, which would make a very good base for two or three nights; we also liked Burgos [despite having our car broken into].

have a great trip,

regards, ann

Hi guys,
Thanks for all the great advice, I have a lot of research to do.
Maribel, I have yet to hear your opinion on Salamanca. Should we consider it for those 2 nights instead of Segovia since many fodortites rave about it?
Also my husband does not eat lamb and we both don't eat pork. So are there any good dinning in Pedraza options for those into seafood and poultry?

Thanks a lot

Lol,

One of the interesting things about Spain in general is the fact that even inland they serve alot of fish, and it's very good.

In Segovia there is a restaurant called Narizotas (big nose) It is on the way from the plaza in Segovia towards the aqueduct, very short walk about 3 minutes.
It has a different menu than those heavy on lamb.
http://www.narizotas.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=37

just chirping in here and not sure if someone already addressed your last nigh tplans.

i do not recommend staying as far as pedraza from barajas unless you have an afternoon flight.

alcala de henares would be better, or do madrid at end of trip and leave from there.

lol,
Regarding lin's concerns about your last night plans:

We regularly stay in Pedraza the night before our transatlantic flight. But we do so because our flight leaves at 1 pm.
Our last trip from the door of our Pedraza inn, leaving at 8 am, to the car rental drop off at Terminal 1 took us 1 hr, 15 min., but we know the route well, having done this several times. We also have preferred status with our airline and use the first class check in counter, where we never encounter a line. If you have an afternoon flight, it's fine, but I wouldn't do this if my plane departed in the a.m.

Regarding Old Castile menus and the abundance of pork products:
Segovia is the land of roast lamb and roast suckling pig , and Salamanca, the land of the Iberian pig, their pork products being quite famous. In the Segovia province, their "cochinillo/tostón" (roast suckling pig) and "lechazo" (baby roast lamb) are two hugely popular specialties, so your dining will be more limited. That said, fish (of high quality) will be served at restaurants other than at the most traditional of the roasting taverns, the "hornos de asar" (like Tinín), so you will always find a very good fin or shell fish dish at a regular restaurant.

I also recommend Narizotas, Di-Vino and Villena (with a Michelin star) in Segovia for non-traditional fare.
In Pedraza, the menu at the very attractive La Olma is also more varied. A new restaurant, La Taberna de Antioquía, serves fish dishes including their special black rice with baby prawns and squid. And La Posada de don Mariano's restaurant, Enebro, will have a more varied menu than your typical "horno de asar", or "yantar" (roasting oven places).

I do love Salamanca, and I studied there as a teenager. My favorite Spanish cities all begin with S (with the exception of Pamplona):
Segovia, Salamanca, Sevilla, Santiago de Compostela, Santander, San Sebastián, in no particular order.

I haven't put my Salamanca guide up on my web page yet, but I plan to do so. Salamanca is just a lovely city with beautifully harmonious architecture-buildings of soft, warm local sandstone (piedra de Villamayor) which take on a beautiful glow at sunset. It boasts not one but two cathedrals, and it city is made for leisurely strolling. It's a lively university town as well, once once of Europe's most prestigious seats of higher learning, in its Golden Age called Spain's Oxford.

From Salamanca you could take a day trip either to La Alberca de Salamanca, a highly atmospheric medieval village nestled in the Sierra de Francia or to Ciudad Rodrigo, a small city near the Portuguese border, which celebrates the Fiesta de la Charrada, a folkloric music festival, on Easter Saturday at 5 pm in the square, if your dates were to coincide.

If you do have an afternoon flight and plan to stay somewhere within a 90 min. drive of the airport, you wouldn't want to try to access the airport from Salamanca, since it's too far a drive from Madrid. But you could certainly visit Salamanca first, then Madrid, as lin suggests, if need be.

So for your Old Castile provincial capital base, I see Segovia, Salamanca or Burgos (the latter two would be a 2 hr. 30 min. drive from Madrid) as strong contenders. Burgos has an exquisite Gothic cathedral and the other historical wealth that Graziella explained so well to you. Segovia and Salamanca are really two magical cities for me.

I think it just depends on how far afield you want to explore.

Hope this helps you a bit more to decide.

Hi all,
Maribel, I get so excited when I get a lengthy post from you, it means I am definitely closer to making up my mind. I am so looking forward to your Salamanca guide.
After reading this info I think the following.
4 nights in madrid then pick a rental car from downtown madrid for 5 days. Drive to either Salamanca or Burgos for 2 nights then head to Pedraza for 2 final nights. Our flight home is at 15:45 so I think if we leave Pedraza around 10:30 and allow 2 hours for the road and 3 more hours at the airport to drop off our car and catch our flight that would be ok, right?

Some thoughts
1-Since we are spending the last two nights in Pedraza, I think we can see Segovia from there, right?
2-how big is Burgos? Is it a town or a village. can we drive from there to see the chanting of the monks at Santo Domingo de Silos? Can anyone recommend some reading on the net on Burgos. The sites I found were not user friendly.

Thanks to all very much

lol,
Regarding the rental car pick up in Madrid, when we travel to the north, we pick up our vehicle at Estación de Nuevos Ministerios rather than at a downtown location. All the major car rental players are there. The agents will show you how to exit and get on your way to the north quickly.

After trying all different pick ups, we find the Nuevos Ministerios pick up much quicker and easier to get on our way to the north than from a car agency in the impossibly congested Plaza de España-Gran Vía area or Atocha station to the south. It saves us considerable time and stress.

Your questions:
1.
Yes, you can see Segovia from Pedraza. I would get an early start, though, and take the whole day. The drive takes about 40 minutes. I'd leave the car at the parking lot on Paseo Ezequiel González across from the bus station (follow the P signs), since most of the parking spots near the Aqueduct are blue zones, requiring meter feeding every 2 hrs. From there it's an easy walk to the tourist office and Aqueduct at Plaza Azoguejo, where you'll want to begin your touring.

2.
Burgos is a city, population: 174,000

The Monastery of Santo Doming de Silos is an easy drive from Burgos, but to hear the monks' chants, timing is EVERYTHING. Here's their web page, only in Spanish:
www.abadiadesilos.es

Click on "visitas", then "horario de oficios" for the mass times. You'll then see the times that the chants are sung, from lunes (Mon.) to domingo (Sun.) to
festivos (holidays).
At the 13:45 mass there is only partial singing (not much), so I would try for vespers (vísperas) at 7 pm
during the week because...
you'll also want to visit the gorgeous cloister, the art museum and the pharmacy during your visit. These are "must sees" as well.
So click on "visitas al claustro".
You'll see that the complex is CLOSED on Mon., Sun. and holidays in the am (mañanas)
but OPEN from 16:30-18:00 every day but Mon.
with TWO exceptions:
Maundy Thursday (jueves santo) and Good Friday (viernes santo).
So, you'll need to plan your excursion to Santo Domingo de Silos carefully, particularly during Holy Week so as not to be disappointed.

When we visit Santo Domingo de Silos, we make a loop. We drive down the quick A 1 to Lerma, then go east on the BU-V 9021 to charming
Covarrubias,
then south to Santo Doming de Silos
then down the BU 923 past the gorge of Yecla down to
Peñarranda del Duero
to visit its wonderful Renaissance Palacio de Avellaneda (with impressive coffered ceilings) and the second oldest pharmacy in Europe,
then back west on the BU 925 to Aranda de Duero where we catch the A 1 back to Burgos.

But to hit vespers at Santo Domingo de Silos, you'd need to do this itinerary in reverse, but after vespers, skipping Covarrubias (see it at another time), since you don't want to visit it in the dark!

For a shorter excursion, go straight to Covarrubias then to Silos and back to Burgos and forget the southern portion.

lol,
Regarding web sites, have you tried the pages of
the Castilla y León tourist board?

http://tinyurl.com/9acufk

Or this one:

http://tinyurl.com/a2eyx5

or
www.turismoburgos.org/index.php?L=2

Hi Lol,

AS mentioned here by the experts it's much better leaving Pedraza when you have an afternoon flight. FWIW, we did have a morning flight and allowed plenty of time, traffic was fine. But we were stressing a bit. Afternoon is much better plus you get breakfast again this way and more time with the storks.

amsdon,
LOL. Yes, definitely more time with the storkies whose nest was right outside our balconies at the Hospedería!

Bookmarking. . . I hope that's OK. This is great information!

enzian,
Bookmark away¡

amsdon,
Speaking of stress,
We gave poor Belén, the manager at the Hospedería quite a workout when we forgot to set our clocks ahead for DST the night before! She assumed we knew, got up early to prepare a paired down version of the full buffet breakfast for us (she's done that for us twice now), and when we didn't appear at 7:30 (our alarms hadn't even gone off), she saved the day by calling our rooms. I

ve never dressed so quickly in my life! Our friends were depending on us to get them to Barajas with plenty of time to spare (we were staying on in Madrid), and we were all stressed to the max. We downed our breakfast and coffee in under 10 min., packed up the car and out the door, luckily with plenty of time to spare, since their flight didn't depart until 12:50. Belén is a true gem!

Thanks, Maribel! My husband says Spain is next, and we've been studying Spanish diligently. I received my free Fodors's on Spain (for being quoted in the Alaska book) yesterday.

But the information here is the best of all. So I'll just sit back and read. . .

enzian,
When you decide on an itinerary, post away! In the meantime, enjoy your reading!

lol,
Just a logistics point to consider when deciding on a Old Castile provincial capital base prior to Pedraza-

Salamanca lies northwest of Madrid. To reach it you'll go through Avila.
To drive then from Salamanca to Pedraza requires going down southeast again to Avila, then through Segovia and up, northeast to Pedraza, which is a longer drive.
But it would give you a chance to stop in Avila for lunch and to walk atop its beautifully preserved walls.

Burgos, logistically, is a better "fit", since it lies due north of Pedraza.
But going up to Burgos from Madrid, then back down to Pedraza takes you on the same route, the A-1, which doesn't give you a change of scenery, other than your day trip to Santo Domingo de Silos.

It depends on the amount of driving you wish to do.
Hope this helps you more to decide.

Hi Maribel, I checked out the links to Burgos, I like it very much.
We don't mind driving, but we don't want to spend our time on the road instead of exploring a certain place.
Can you please tell me how long the drive form Salmanca-Pedraza/Burgos-Pedraza be.
Also do you recommend
1-We substitute pedraza with another place still close to madrid
2-do pedraza as soon as we land in madrid, pick a car at the airport drive to pedraza
3-do Burgos and salamanca and skip pedraza
4-ask for a GPS when we book the car to avoid getting lost.
Feel free to recommend another place altogether that would make a better fit. We are not set on anything yet.

I love quaint, relaxing, picturesque villages and my husband wants to hear the chants at silos but we also want to get a taste of Salamanca. We are too greedy I know.

Thanks so much

hi again lol,

in all things spanish, I msut of course defer to Maribel and the other spanish experts on this forum.

and looking at the map, I can only agree with Maribel that Burgos will require quite a lot more driving than your other options.

the following looks like a workable route to me -

day 1 - head north out of Madrid to segovia, spending lunch-time at el escorial.

overnight in segovia.

Day 2 - north again to Valladolid, see the polychromatic museum [see recent thread] head south-west for Salamanca. Overnight there.

Day 3 - Salamanca. overnight here.

Day 4 - Back to Madrid via avila [realy grusome remains of st. teresa, as well as the walls, as I recall] as suggested by Maribel.

if you have another night, you might spend it in Toledo.

i don't see why this wouldn't work in reverse, but others might.

if it has to be Burgos, I would head there straight away, spend 2 nights, then return via Salamanca, 1-2 nights. IMO that would give you the most sightseeing for the least travel.

have a great trip,

regards, ann

lol,
It sounds like you have your heart set on Pedraza, it fits your description of what you like (quaint, relaxing, picturesque *villages*), you can spend an entire day in Segovia from your base there (a 40 min. drive), and you have an afternoon flight so can certainly make it to the airport from there.

I wouldn't skip it. I don't think there's a Castilian medieval town quite as picture perfect with such nice lodging options (the Hospedería de Santo Domingo is sophisticated, supremely comfortable, relaxed, well priced and utterly memorable). Amsdon, escrunchy and I have all extolled its virtues.
And I certainly wouldn't omit a day in Segovia in an Old Castile itinerary.

We sometimes do Pedraza first, driving straight from the airport, but I don't know how long your international flight is and if your husband is bothered by jet lag upon arrival or if he enjoys driving that first day. (We have a self-imposed 2 hr. limit to our first day drives from the airport).

I would keep Pedraza on your itinerary, particularly since it has appealed to you from the very start.
But for your provincial capital 2 night base, I'd choose between Salamanca to the northwest and Burgos to the north and not try to fit both of them into this---Either or.
(or add more days)


In your original post, you mentioned that your husband refuses to do a series of one nighters (we don't like them either!), so I don't see a Segovia (or Avila), Salamanca, Burgos, Pedraza series for you with one night in each. Doing so wouldn't be the relaxing, slow paced exploring that you wanted, covering little but doing it well. And it wouldn't allow for the day trips to see other charming, picturesque villages like La Alberca (Salamanca province) or Covarrubias (Burgos province).

A Madrid-Avila-Salamanca-Valladolid-Burgos-Silos detour-Pedraza detour-Madrid loop (with day trip to Segovia from Pedraza) would be possible-it looks on the map somewhat like a triangle- but it would require more days so as to be nicely paced, not a marathon.

And remember that timing is of essence to hear the Gregorian chant in Silos. I've ventured down to Silos several times at the wrong time of day only to be disappointed (missed mass, cloister closed, etc.)

I wouldn't cut a day from your stay in Madrid to fit all of the above in either, since you want to attend the Sunday afternoon bullfight and a flamenco performance one night.

Just some thoughts...

lol,
Sorry I forgot your driving times/distance questions!

From Pedraza to Salamanca:
2 hrs. 40 min.-225 km.

From Pedraza to Burgos
1 hr. 50 min. -169 km.

I use www.viamichelin.com as my source for driving directions. It's a great resouce used by many here.

Hi all, thanks Ann for your help.
Maribel, thanks for the thoughts they are very useful.
I think we are going to go with Salamanca. I have a degree in Literature so I was wondering if there are particular places that might interest me. Also my husband and I are both interested in seeing sites particularly influenced by moorish/muslim heritage.
I will use the viamichelin site a lot, it is very useful. Thanks for telling me about that.

lol,
If you'd like to read (or have read) works by Miguel de Unamuno, the Basque existencialist author-philosopher, member of the Generation of '98, the following works have been translated into English:
"The Tragic Sense of Life", "Mist", "Three Exemplary Novels" (Two Mothers, Nothing Less than a Man, Marquis of Lumbria).

Unamuno's house-museum is in Salamanca on Calle de los Libreros. He was a former rector of the University.

Hi Maribel,
I haven't read any of his work yet. I'll be sure to do so before I go to Salamnaca since I am a great admirer of existentialist thought. Thanks a lot, you really helped me enormously.

The above tomes by Unamuno were once on my curriculum, as I used to teach his works. My favorite is Niebla, "Mist", so I hope you can find a copy in English.

Another you would enjoy is the short novel "San Manuel bueno, mártir". It's also been translated into English.

lol,
On the web site developed by Spain's Tourist Board,
www.spain.info

Under Multimedia Highlights, to the right on the home page, there is some helpful planning info.

Under Videos, you can watch videos of Segovia, Salamanca and Cuenca. (But my mac doesn't have the correct plug in, so I can't see them!).

Under Guides, you can download their complete guide to Castilla-León

Under Features, articles on Segovia and its Aqueduct plus the Old City of Avila are available for download in pdf.

These might be useful in your planning.

Maribel, you are full of surprises. Does that mean you are a lit. professor (don't mean to pry). I'll make a note of these readings, they are now on my to read list.
The site is great, I already downloaded those guides and will read them tonight. I haven't checked the videos yet because my Mac too won't play them but I'll check at my husbands laptop later. Thanks a lot.

Hi Maribel and lol,

I have a PC with Windows and also couldn't load the videos, I just get a black screen that says "done"! That's too bad.
I have most of the guides they offer. If you don't want to download and print you can write to any of their tourism offices in the US and request them ( I write to the one in New York). You will get them within a couple of weeks. I find them very useful

Hi lol,
Yes, I'm retired from the teaching profession. I retired really, really early

Speaking of Spanish literature and Salamanca,
The first picaresque novel "El Lazarillo de Tormes" began in Salamanca. It was published anonymously in 1554 in Alcalá de Henares. Its protagonist, the pícaro (a resourceful "rogue or rascal"), Lazarillo, was born in a mill on the Tormes river and was raised in Salamanca by his widowed mother who ran a student boarding house. There is an episode in the novel when Lazarillo leaves the city as an apprentice to his first "master", a very wily blind beggar, and they cross the Roman bridge together. He's given a "hard knock" life lesson on that bridge, having to do with a stone bull. There is now a statue of Lázaro and the blind man at the entrance to the Roman bridge, which itself is amazingly well preserved.

In English the novel is called The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes (and of his Good Fortunes and Adversities) and is available on Amazon.

Since you're interested in bullfighting, Salamanca does have a bullfighting museum, located on Calle Doctor Piñuela 5, near the gorgeous main square, the Plaza Mayor.
It's open Tues.-Sat. from 11:30-1:30, then 6-8 and on Sun. from 11:30-1:30.
Salamanca has a noted taurine tradition that I learned about as a student when I lived with my hosts, the Galache family, who owned a prestigious bull raising ranch.
www.museotaurinosalamanca.es

I wish that those videos on the www.spain.info site would work with a mac.
If you'd like more specific brochures of the cities you'll be visiting, just click on Contact and send them an email giving them your itinerary. We work with the Beverly Hills office now, and they send us brochures and maps all the time. Your materials will be sent from the closest Spain tourist office to your location, I think.

Bookmarking - I'm going in April for about 10 days ... thanks lol