Spain Photos (lots) and trip report (a little) from July trip to central Spain

Madrid – According to conventional wisdom you either love it or hate it. Well I guess I’m the exception that proves the rule because I didn’t either love it or hate it. Definitely didn’t hate it. It has some absolutely beautiful architecture, especially along Gran Via and Calle Mayor/Calle de Alcala. Building after building with gorgeous detailing, roof sculptures, etc. Most built in the early 20th Century. Some fabulous fountains, one of the best city parks I’ve experienced. The three big art museums together have an incredible collection and one, the Thyssen has to be just about my favorite art museum anywhere. On the other hand, the “old” Madrid, the streets around Plaza Major were really disappointing. For the most part they were dirty, and architecturally they were only marginally interesting at best. No pretty churches or pleasant plazas. The “plazas” (on the maps) were in reality just tiny parking lots. Some guidebooks describe the area as “atmospheric”. I didn’t think so. I had no desire to wander or linger in that area. And in the middle, both literally and figuratively, is Plaza Major. It is a rather impressive large square, but no where near as beautiful as the Plaza of the same name in Salamanca. It has no greenery or fountains, very little seating and no real “stunner” architectural standout.

Madrid certainly has a nice city “buzz” – decent food and shopping at all price levels. The metro is very nice – that at least is on a par with, or better than, the metros in Paris and London, and way better than NYC. In terms of safety, I never felt unsafe at all, and I wandered around as late as midnight. The metro was so clean and bright it felt very safe there, though I was only there in the daytime. There were signs in places like Starbucks (near Plaza Sol) warning of “professional thieves” but I never saw anything. There was your usual assortment of homeless people/beggars but no worse than any other large city. The only time it felt even a little “eerie” was early in the morning, before 9-10 am when the streets are pretty deserted. If you are comfortable in any other large city, you’d be fine in Madrid

Overall I’m glad I saw Madrid, and 3-4 days felt like a good amount of time. But it is soooo not Paris (or London or Rome or Florence or Lisbon). Just doesn’t have the “feel”. I’ve just finished three trips (over 2 years) to Spain and Madrid was my last stop, and it was my least favorite (behind Barcelona, Andalusia, Salamanca, Segovia and Toledo). But I wouldn’t have felt I’d seen Spain without it and I’m definitely not sorry I went. And while I’d return to Madrid, it’s not at the top of my list like many places in Europe where I’d go back again and again

Hi Isabel, I was just in Madrid last week for the second time. The first was last summer with my friend and this time I went with my husband. Liked it a lot. Great nighttime atmosphere.

Glad you had a good trip. I'm looking forward to seeing your photos, but it won't be until I can get to a computer with a fast connection. Here on vacation in our house exchange in France, I have a verrrry slow one.

Hi Nikki, how was the weather when you were in Madrid, I just saw your other post about the weather in France. I was amazed at how nice the weather in central Spain in mid July was - most days highs in the upper 80s or low 90s but cooled down alot at night so the only time it was even a little uncomfortable was mid afternoon - and that's siesta time anyway. Of course I paid for it when I got to Scotland where the weather was awful. Hope you are enjoying France.

Absolutely wonderful photos! Thanks so much.

Weather in Madrid was fantastic. Eighties during the day, sixties at night, I'd guess. Sunny and beautiful. Paying for it now.

isabel,
Thank you so much for this trip report and the beautiful photos! I too don't love or hate Madrid, but like it and was glad I went there.

I looked through your photos of Lisbon and Portugal too--am thinking of going--and from your pixs, I think I'm sold on it now.

Thanks again!

Beautiful images Ann--as always.
I spent 10 days in centro Spain in 2002 during Semanta Santa in Segovia, Salamanca, Avila and Madrid and captured many of the same shots that your eye perceived. However, I have never seen any of them. On Easter Sunday in Madrid I had my trusty Canon SLR and 8 rolls of 36 each slide film stolen from me in broad daylight--I fell for the old diversion scam. I see your shots now and could cry. I guess I will have to go back in 2008, but I may never capture the Easter processions in Segovia and Salamanca again. What a shame.

Thanks for posting the report and the beautiful photos. Especially love the night scenes and the architectural detail shots!
We'll be in Spain next May and after seeing your photos I'm even more excited.

isabel, Awesome pictures and good report! Thanks.

Cool stuff. Maby I will appreciate them more after my trip to Madrid and Toledo this coming Nov..

Glad to know people are enjoying the photos. I use other people's photos to help decide what exactly I might want to see in any given place, or even if I want to go there, so I'm happy other people can make use of my photos.

Bob - that's so awful about loosing all those photos. I've been so paranoid that will happen to me that I've taken to putting my SD cards in my money belt (I made a little plastic sleve for them, and fortunately they are so tiny). I consider them a "valuable" right up there with the passport and credit cards. But at least now you have an excuse to have to go back.

I'm working on my hotel reviews and will post them soon.

isabel,

Was that picture of Santa Isabel taken from the window in your room in Toledo? I know I felt as if Santa Isabel was watching over me when I stayed in that room.

bobthenavigator: we were in that part of Spain in Semana Santa, 2002, as well. Saw processions in Salamanca on the Tuesday night, in Madrid on the Thursday night and the Good Friday daytime procession in Segovia. [We left for Granada on the Saturday.] Unfortunately our photos aren't digital but if any of these coincide with the ones you saw perhaps we could work out a way of letting you see them.

Thanks Sue, but I really get a kick from my own shots. I will just have to go back.

GBbabe - yes that photo was taken from my room. So we had the same room. Another fodorite had the same room, I remember when I was in the room thinking how cool it was that there was that connection. It's driving me crazy now cause I can't remember who it was - so I hope whoever it is sees this and replys. Anyway the Santa Isabel was a great little hotel, I'm working on my hotel reviews for the whole trip and will post in a little while.

Great pictures! And thank your for taking the time to label them all. So many pictures posts don't tell what the photo is of . . .

Ian

Hi Isabel - I'm posting this here and on my thread. Saw your question on my Spain trip thread about Room 107 at Santa Isabel in Toledo. No, I didn't stay in that room. I stayed up on the third floor in the room with the lovely medieval "prison bars" on the window. All I would have needed was a big old chastity belt with a nice rusty lock on it to complete the picture ohhh myyyyy. Anyway, very nice trip report - your pictures are just lovely!

isabel, I have been enjoying your photos, browsing almost all galleries. Some bring memories of my past travels, like Maine (a nibble at the Nubble) and Venice. I have seen in a reflection do not you use a pocket camera, but something bigger.
In your Madrid gallery I'd like to tell you that 347 is Iglesia de San Manuel y San Benito; The Egypt temple is Debod, and 422 is not the Victory Arch, but the Puerta de Hierro.
Regards.

josele - thanks for the information about those three photos, I'll fix the captions on those. You asked about the camera I use - I always have two, one a small point and shoot pocket size, and the other a larger camera - either an SLR or an SLR like camera. I switch back and forth so the photos on any gallery will have been taken with both cameras. Often the point and shoot gets just as good results as the larger more expensive camera.

ian - thanks, and you are right about the labeling. Since I use other people's photos to help me plan trips, I really appreciate it when you can know what you are looking at. Even when I sometimes get the labels a little wrong (as joselle pointed out). But I really try to know what I'm shooting.

Magellan - My room also had the bars, I guess they all did. Did add to the flavor of the place. So if you weren't the one in the room with Saint Isabel watching over you as you slept I wonder who it was, someone who gave great advice I remember (as did you). I also never ran into the "hissing" women, but I was watching out for them.

OK, here's my hotel reviews:

Booked all the hotels about 3 months ahead of time, on the internet. Although I often using booking sites, on this trip I went directly to the hotels sites. In all cases the hotel’s rooms, locations, etc were exactly as advertised. When booking hotels my highest priority is location – both for safety and ease of walking to things. On this trip I also wanted AC (obviously – Spain in July=hot) and I wanted a mini-bar/fridge so I could buy food at grocery stores for picnic type meals, have cold water, etc. Given those requirements meant I didn’t stay in extremely inexpensive places, kind of mid-range, which in Spain is still really pretty cheap. I would stay at any of them again.

Salamanca: Hotel Torre del Clavero was a very pleasant hotel in a great location for a very reasonable price. It was exactly as advertised – looked just like the photos on the web, had everything it was supposed to or needed: lift, AC, TV with CNN, mini bar, free internet on computer in lobby. Extremely clean and comfortable although it didn’t have tons of charm but I would definitely stay there again. Location was excellent – about 3 blocks, 5 minute walk from Plaza Mayor but on a quiet street so even with the window open a few nights it was not noisy. 53€ a night for a single but I actually had a double, tax included, breakfast extra, I didn’t take it.

Segovia: Hotel Acueducto, very nice modern hotel in excellent location right next to the aqueduct, about 10 minute easy walk from the bus station, close to all sites. The hotel looks like the photos on its web site and has everything you could need – TV with CNN, mini-fridge, AC, lift, great breakfast bar included in the price. I would stay here again in any room, but the room I had, 406 had to be the best room in the whole place. It has a huge private terrace (big enough for at least 20 people) with a breathtaking view of the aqueduct and the old town and the bell tower of the church so close you could almost touch it with storks nest on top. I was a single but it was a double room and it was absolutely huge. Everything was spotlessly clean. In case you don’t get that room, or one of the few other rooms with smaller terraces, there is a public terrace on the fifth floor with the same view. Staff spoke English €64/night including breakfast and tax. There are some photos of the room and the hotel and the terrace here:www.pbase.com/annforcier/image/84269986

Toledo: Hotel Santa Isabel is a “charming” little hotel deep in the center of Toledo. The room was just average and kind of dark but comfortable enough, and even as a single room, large enough. It had TV, AC, spotlessly clean bathroom, window that opened (and a statue of Saint Isabel just outside the window on the convent across the extremely narrow street) . The building is extremely old and has lots of charm even if the room didn’t really. The halls have beautiful tiling. The breakfast was pretty simple and a la carte so you only paid for what you ate – e.g. toast and coffee was €2.50. It was very quiet. Staff spoke English. The location was great for exploring Toledo, one minute from the cathedral, 5-10 minutes from Plaza Zocodover. But I would definitely take a taxi to get there as the streets in Toledo are quite confusing and you’d most likely get lost. Upon leaving I easily walked to Pz Zocodor and took the bus to the train station, but by then I knew where I was going. €33 a night – definitely a good deal.

Madrid: Hotel El Prado Very comfortable modern hotel in great location in center of Madrid. Everything looked like photos on web and it had everything you could need – TV with CNN, AC, lift, minibar, spotlessly clean. Free internet on computer in lobby. Staff spoke English. Breakfast was extra but you could just have coffee and a pastry for €3.50 or more extensive choices for more money. Two minute walk from Plaza Santa Ana, 5-10 from Plaza Mayor. Five to ten minutes in other direction is the Prado. Atocha train station about 15 minute walk, Several metro stops nearby. My only complaint was that my single room didn’t have a real window – the window opened onto a utility hallway, so no daylight. But I think there was only one room like this per floor and other than that it was perfectly fine and it certainly was quiet. The location felt very safe even at night. €67/night plus tax and breakfast.