If you've stayed at a convent, would you recommend the experience? Thank you.

jane,<BR>Not in a convent, but I've stayed at the Real Monasterio de Santa Mar&iacute;a de Guadalupe in the Extremadura region. At the time, my travel budget didn't permit a splurge at the next door Parador, so 3 girlfriends and I opted for a quad room at the Monastery, which welcomes both men and women in 46 simple but comfortable rooms with private bath-linens provided. What I remember most about the stay besides the utter tranquility is the wonderful breakfast of &quot;picatostes&quot; and rich, thick hot chocolate the nuns prepared for us the next morning. I think doubles go for around 48 euros now. It's on the &quot;luxury&quot; end of monastery-convent stays.<BR>My husband and I also stayed at the Real Monasterio de Santa Maria de El Paular in Rascafr&iacute;a, in the Sierra de Guadarrama outside of Madrid, but it's actually a rather dated 4 star hotel (but we used a 50 euro bancotel coupon) and also the Hospeder&iacute;a de Leyre in Navarra, a modest 2 star hotel owned by the monks but run by lay personnel right next to the monastery (50 euros). We loved the peaceful and beautiful setting right above the Yesa reservoir and the chance to hear Gregorian chant at evensong. A great experience.<BR><BR>Some day we're going to schedule a stay at the Abad&iacute;a Nuestra Se&ntilde;ora de Valvanera, high atop the lush mountain reserve of the Sierra de Demanda, in the hinterlands of la Rioja, which we saw on our Nov. trip. The NY Times travel section even did an article about staying there quite a while back. <BR><BR>Have you seen the new guide to Lodging in Spain's Monasteries by Eileen Barish, same author as Lodging in Italy's Monasteries (Anacapa Press)? It's an indispensable tome to have if you're seriously thinking about the convent option. It lists around 160 options of religious sanctuaries, convents, abbeys, monasteries, offering rooms to paying guests with contact numbers or emails, pictures, lengthy descriptions, meals provided, other amenities, special rules, curfews, limit to length of stay, directions to find them. Most rooms are priced under 30 euros. I purchased my copy at my local B&amp;N.<BR>

We also visited the monastery of Valvanera in La Rioja on our fall trip. Did not stay there, but what a beautiful and peaceful location. The monastery and especially the church are important architectural sites in their own right as well. Also, the monasteries of San Millan de la Cogolla are failry closeby in la rioja region and are impressive, both for their architecture, as for the fact that they were the site of the the first extant written use of Castilian (Spanish) and Basque. Yuso, the newer of the two monasteries (ie, 16th century), has a new 4 star hotel attached, which, while not cheap, seems really great. Also a very beautiful, peaceful setting, although not as spectacular as Valvanera.<BR>

Yes, it was simple but clean and inexpensive. We had beds in little stalls that the monks must have used for bedrooms. It was nothing fancy, if that is what you are looking for.

Yes in Italy. Very safe and cheap.