Just back from Madrid and Santiago de Compostela
Mar 30th, 2009, 04:33 AM
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Just back from Madrid and Santiago de Compostela
Just wanted to say a quick hello , just got back yesterday from Madrid and Santiago de Compostela. I'll post more details after unpacking and getting rid of an unsual reverse jet lag!
In summary, it was a fantastic 10 days, with uninterupted warm days , with cloudless blue skies and cool ( sometimes cold) nights. The only rain we saw was a drizzle in our last night in Santiago and last night in Madrid.
In Madrid we stayed for 5 nights at an apt in Plaza de la Paja, rented through Spain Select. In Santiago we stayed four nights at the lovely Hotel Costa Vella. All the positive comments about this hotel on Tripadvisor and here are accurate and well deserved. The last night we spent it again in Madrid , at the Hotel Prado, The highlight that evening was meeting Maribel, who coincidentally was staying at the same hotel. It was a thrill to finally make her acquaintance!
I will post later more comments.
In summary, it was a fantastic 10 days, with uninterupted warm days , with cloudless blue skies and cool ( sometimes cold) nights. The only rain we saw was a drizzle in our last night in Santiago and last night in Madrid.
In Madrid we stayed for 5 nights at an apt in Plaza de la Paja, rented through Spain Select. In Santiago we stayed four nights at the lovely Hotel Costa Vella. All the positive comments about this hotel on Tripadvisor and here are accurate and well deserved. The last night we spent it again in Madrid , at the Hotel Prado, The highlight that evening was meeting Maribel, who coincidentally was staying at the same hotel. It was a thrill to finally make her acquaintance!
I will post later more comments.
Apr 4th, 2009, 03:56 PM
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Hi again,
Ana Maria, both DD and DS had a great time, thanks for asking. Lin, it would have been fun to meet that time in Valencia but with only 4 hrs it became imposible. However, Valencia is in my radar now, so sometime soon I hope!
I am not very good at writing detailed trip reports so I will comment mainly about where we stayed and restaurants we visited.
In Madrid we stayed for 5 nights at an apartment in Plaza de la Paja rented through Spain Select.The apartment was just like in the pictures in the website. However, the 2nd bedroom was even smaller that what it looked like in the picture! After my son arrived we moved the matress of one of the twin beds to the living room and my son and daughter took turns sleeping there.
Location wise it was very interesting. Plaza de la Paja is in Old Madrid, very near Plaza Mayor and streets such as Cava Baja and Cava Alta , which have many bars, cafes and restaurants. Plaza de la Paja was animated up to late at night but luckily it wasn't as animated as a nearby plaza we had to cross on our way to/from Cava Baja, Plaza de Puerta de Moros. There was a "botellón" there every night, young people meeting to drink until very late at night (actually, until early in the morning). I had never seen so many broken bottles, beer cans, etc. on a public square! But by next morning everything had been cleaned and you couldn't tell what had happened there. It would all start again later that night!
This was the first time we rented an apt for a vacation. Although the apt was fine and moneywise was the right thing to do for the four of us, it really isn't for me. I missed having a front desk at a hotel to ask questions and, more importantly, I missed having somebody to do my bed, tidy the bathroom and getting fresh towels everyday.
Because it was my daughter's first trip to Spain , we did the usual Madrid sightseeing. New for me was the Basilica San Francisco el Grande, where we attended mass on Sunday . It was located very close to the apt.
I found it to be beautiful, much more interesting that the Catedral de la Almudena.
Regarding restaurants, we visited several in the Cava Baja and Cava Alta area. Our favorite one was Posada de la Villa, which has a great roasted lamb. It also has a very warm and pretty setting. The others we visited were Orixe, Los Huevos de Lucio , Cava Blanca and Matritum (the last two on Cava Alta street). The day we visited Retiro Park we walked to calle Menorca and went to a sidreria called Carlos Tartiere, a Maribel recommendation. It did not disappoint! Very authentic.
My daughter loves fried calamari , so one day we went to this hole in the wall place, Bar La Campana, near Plaza Mayor that has the reputation for making some of the best in Madrid. They were delish!
Other places for tapas we went and liked were Cerveceria Alemana on Plaza Santa Ana and Cerveceria Cervantes, Plaza de Jesus 7 (gracias Maribel!) , also in the Barrio de las Letras. One tapas place that disappointed me this time was Vinoteca Barbechera, on Plaza Santa Ana. We ordered 3 or 4 different things and none were very good. In the past I have really liked it.
For churros we went to chocolateria San Gines, near Calle Mayor. They were so good I had to order some more!
I was disappointed that the Mercado San Miguel was not yet open. They were still working on it.
A new experience for me in Madrid was to ride the Metro. We made use of it several times and I found it very easy to use. Another unusual experience I had was to accompany my 14 years old daughter to the Palacio de los Deportes to a rock concert by the american band The Killers. I don't know how many people this venue holds but there were thousands of very excited fans. I was probably the oldest person there but it was a lot of fun.
As far as daytrips go, we went by fast train to Segovia. What a difference from the regional train I took some years ago! For lunch we went to Meson Duque. We had what in my experience is the best cochinillo ever! And the desserts (natilla and tocino del cielo) were to die for!
Following installment, our visit to Santiago de Compostela.
Ana Maria, both DD and DS had a great time, thanks for asking. Lin, it would have been fun to meet that time in Valencia but with only 4 hrs it became imposible. However, Valencia is in my radar now, so sometime soon I hope!
I am not very good at writing detailed trip reports so I will comment mainly about where we stayed and restaurants we visited.
In Madrid we stayed for 5 nights at an apartment in Plaza de la Paja rented through Spain Select.The apartment was just like in the pictures in the website. However, the 2nd bedroom was even smaller that what it looked like in the picture! After my son arrived we moved the matress of one of the twin beds to the living room and my son and daughter took turns sleeping there.
Location wise it was very interesting. Plaza de la Paja is in Old Madrid, very near Plaza Mayor and streets such as Cava Baja and Cava Alta , which have many bars, cafes and restaurants. Plaza de la Paja was animated up to late at night but luckily it wasn't as animated as a nearby plaza we had to cross on our way to/from Cava Baja, Plaza de Puerta de Moros. There was a "botellón" there every night, young people meeting to drink until very late at night (actually, until early in the morning). I had never seen so many broken bottles, beer cans, etc. on a public square! But by next morning everything had been cleaned and you couldn't tell what had happened there. It would all start again later that night!
This was the first time we rented an apt for a vacation. Although the apt was fine and moneywise was the right thing to do for the four of us, it really isn't for me. I missed having a front desk at a hotel to ask questions and, more importantly, I missed having somebody to do my bed, tidy the bathroom and getting fresh towels everyday.
Because it was my daughter's first trip to Spain , we did the usual Madrid sightseeing. New for me was the Basilica San Francisco el Grande, where we attended mass on Sunday . It was located very close to the apt.
I found it to be beautiful, much more interesting that the Catedral de la Almudena.
Regarding restaurants, we visited several in the Cava Baja and Cava Alta area. Our favorite one was Posada de la Villa, which has a great roasted lamb. It also has a very warm and pretty setting. The others we visited were Orixe, Los Huevos de Lucio , Cava Blanca and Matritum (the last two on Cava Alta street). The day we visited Retiro Park we walked to calle Menorca and went to a sidreria called Carlos Tartiere, a Maribel recommendation. It did not disappoint! Very authentic.
My daughter loves fried calamari , so one day we went to this hole in the wall place, Bar La Campana, near Plaza Mayor that has the reputation for making some of the best in Madrid. They were delish!
Other places for tapas we went and liked were Cerveceria Alemana on Plaza Santa Ana and Cerveceria Cervantes, Plaza de Jesus 7 (gracias Maribel!) , also in the Barrio de las Letras. One tapas place that disappointed me this time was Vinoteca Barbechera, on Plaza Santa Ana. We ordered 3 or 4 different things and none were very good. In the past I have really liked it.
For churros we went to chocolateria San Gines, near Calle Mayor. They were so good I had to order some more!
I was disappointed that the Mercado San Miguel was not yet open. They were still working on it.
A new experience for me in Madrid was to ride the Metro. We made use of it several times and I found it very easy to use. Another unusual experience I had was to accompany my 14 years old daughter to the Palacio de los Deportes to a rock concert by the american band The Killers. I don't know how many people this venue holds but there were thousands of very excited fans. I was probably the oldest person there but it was a lot of fun.
As far as daytrips go, we went by fast train to Segovia. What a difference from the regional train I took some years ago! For lunch we went to Meson Duque. We had what in my experience is the best cochinillo ever! And the desserts (natilla and tocino del cielo) were to die for!
Following installment, our visit to Santiago de Compostela.
Apr 4th, 2009, 06:57 PM
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Hurray! I love this. Wow you dined in some great places too.
Did you have breakfast in the apartment & did you like that?
Glad your kids liked Spain. This botellon thing is kind of scary sounding....what did your kids say about that? Was it major heavy drinking?
Bummer about the mercado, but the San Francisco el Grande, wasn't that just re-opened recently?
Loving the report so far Cruise.
Did you have breakfast in the apartment & did you like that?
Glad your kids liked Spain. This botellon thing is kind of scary sounding....what did your kids say about that? Was it major heavy drinking?
Bummer about the mercado, but the San Francisco el Grande, wasn't that just re-opened recently?
Loving the report so far Cruise.
Apr 4th, 2009, 11:15 PM
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Cruiseluv, you weren´t the oldest people at the Killers concert. A friend of mine was near the VIP section, and he told me that there were some of the "stuffiest" people in Madrid there, looking bewildered and not knowing what to do except posing for pictures. I am so sorry I couldn´t get tickets 
The list of places you went to sound quite good. You are right about Vinoteca Barbechera, they are becoming more and more like a chain. Well, they are a chain !
Ann, botellon can be scary or not. Kids do it because they are not allowed in bars, but there are thirty-somethings who also do it because in that way they can control the quality of their drinks (not the first one who charges you prices of scotch whisky or russian vodka and serve you bad quality ones). Been there, done that
Bye, Cova
The list of places you went to sound quite good. You are right about Vinoteca Barbechera, they are becoming more and more like a chain. Well, they are a chain !
Ann, botellon can be scary or not. Kids do it because they are not allowed in bars, but there are thirty-somethings who also do it because in that way they can control the quality of their drinks (not the first one who charges you prices of scotch whisky or russian vodka and serve you bad quality ones). Been there, done that
Bye, Cova
Apr 9th, 2009, 07:58 PM
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We stayed in Santiago for 4 nights at the hotel Costa Vella. I must say that the positive reputation and comments about this hotel are well deserved. It is a family run hotel and the employees are very dedicated and hard workers. We had two rooms facing the garden in the back, with an enclosed porch (which they refer to as "galería") with celing to floor windows. From the windows we could see the tower of San Francisco Church. The room wasn't very big, but with the connecting "galería" was more than adequate. Bathroom was also fine but small. Everything was kept super clean. We were very fortunate to have fantastic weather the 4 days we were in Santiago(cloudless blue skies), so every afternoon , after walking or touring the area , it was a treat to seat in the hotel garden and have a drink (or two!). They were very generous with their pours! The only reason maybe I wouldn't stay here again is if I come in the summer, as they don't have A/C.
This was my third visit to Santiago and I still can't get enough of this place. It is such a magical place, especially at night. More that once my family and I were the only people in the vast Plaza do Obradoiro, looking up at the spires of the Cathedral, illuminated by spotlights against the dark sky. My daughter pointed out that it looked like they were painted on the sky.
We did a daytrip to Pontevedra by train. It was very enjoyable. Had a nice lunch at one of their lovely squares, Plaza de la Leña.
Back in Santiago, in addition to the Cathedral, I am in awe of the Church of San Martin Pinairo. The main altarpiece is something to behold! And they also have two sets of magnificent choirstalls, one of them used to belong to the Cathedral. I don't think too many people visit this Church. The two times I have been there , there have only been a handful of people.
We ate fairly well in Santiago. Special mention go to Casa Felisa, a couple doors down from the Costa Vella. We had lunch there twice in their lovely garden restaurant. We also liked Bierzo Enxebre, a little further down on that street, and O Desazeis. A huge disappointment was Casa Elisa on Rua Franco. I had been twice to this restaurant on my last visit to Santiago on 2005 and really liked it. This time the food was good but the service was appalling. The place was almost empty, but they still treated us as unwelcome guests. I was tempted to get up and leave (before we ordered), but my daughter said she felt bad for the owner!
Once again, we didn't see the Botafumeiro in action. On the last morning we were there, before we left for the airport, my husband took a quick peek inside the Cathedral and he saw it hanging there! This was just before the noon Pilgrims' mass , so probably they were planning to swing it then.
The owner of the Costa Vella told me that if I wanted to be assured to see the Botafumeiro in action I should come back next year, which is a Xacobeo year (the Feast of Santiago falls on a Sunday), when they will swing it every day during the noon Pilgrims' mass. Maybe I'll have to do just that!
This was my third visit to Santiago and I still can't get enough of this place. It is such a magical place, especially at night. More that once my family and I were the only people in the vast Plaza do Obradoiro, looking up at the spires of the Cathedral, illuminated by spotlights against the dark sky. My daughter pointed out that it looked like they were painted on the sky.
We did a daytrip to Pontevedra by train. It was very enjoyable. Had a nice lunch at one of their lovely squares, Plaza de la Leña.
Back in Santiago, in addition to the Cathedral, I am in awe of the Church of San Martin Pinairo. The main altarpiece is something to behold! And they also have two sets of magnificent choirstalls, one of them used to belong to the Cathedral. I don't think too many people visit this Church. The two times I have been there , there have only been a handful of people.
We ate fairly well in Santiago. Special mention go to Casa Felisa, a couple doors down from the Costa Vella. We had lunch there twice in their lovely garden restaurant. We also liked Bierzo Enxebre, a little further down on that street, and O Desazeis. A huge disappointment was Casa Elisa on Rua Franco. I had been twice to this restaurant on my last visit to Santiago on 2005 and really liked it. This time the food was good but the service was appalling. The place was almost empty, but they still treated us as unwelcome guests. I was tempted to get up and leave (before we ordered), but my daughter said she felt bad for the owner!
Once again, we didn't see the Botafumeiro in action. On the last morning we were there, before we left for the airport, my husband took a quick peek inside the Cathedral and he saw it hanging there! This was just before the noon Pilgrims' mass , so probably they were planning to swing it then.
The owner of the Costa Vella told me that if I wanted to be assured to see the Botafumeiro in action I should come back next year, which is a Xacobeo year (the Feast of Santiago falls on a Sunday), when they will swing it every day during the noon Pilgrims' mass. Maybe I'll have to do just that!
Apr 10th, 2009, 05:40 AM
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Great report. Having finally stayed in an apartment (in Barcelona on our New Years trip there,) I can say that I share your feeling that hotels are a better fit, at least for me. Appreciate your great recs for hotel in Santiago and dining in Madrid and Santiago. Glad you got to have cochinillo in Segovia. Did you see the statue of the mayor cutting the pig with a plate? These people are serious about their cochinillo.
Apr 10th, 2009, 05:52 AM
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Visitors may not see the Botafumeiro swing very often as it now costs €240.
http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/socieda...7697325589.htm
I like Pontevedra too.
http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/socieda...7697325589.htm
I like Pontevedra too.
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