Madrid Easy Overnight Trips
Sep 28th, 2006, 07:32 AM
#21
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could be. they are favorites of mine on the outskirts, besides, of course, the other more famous ones!
ther are a number of spanish movies that have been filmed in chinchon's famous plaza. if going on a sunday, go early and book restaurant. the madrid crowds are unbelievable.
cuenca is another nice daytrip or overnight. at least walk over to the parador for the view, and a walk inside it, and stay for a lovely drink or meal.
ther are a number of spanish movies that have been filmed in chinchon's famous plaza. if going on a sunday, go early and book restaurant. the madrid crowds are unbelievable.
cuenca is another nice daytrip or overnight. at least walk over to the parador for the view, and a walk inside it, and stay for a lovely drink or meal.
Sep 28th, 2006, 09:34 AM
#23
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josele,
Thanks for the Lagartera lace rec. We went on a Sunday, and the shop I mentioned was one of the few open. I have it at the top of my list, as we "need" to get back to Talavera, Puente de Arzobispo and Lagartera for more serious shopping and an overnight at the Parador in Oropesa. We stayed in the enormous room right above the entrance on that Sun. night and had the splendid public rooms on the 2nd floor entirely to ourselves. It was heaven!
For anyone heading to Aranjuez (really pretty in the spring), when visiting the Royal Palace, make sure to take a walk in the beautiful palace gardens-no entrance fee to walk the grounds.
And in Chinchón the bakeries are quite famous as well as the anís distilleries. There's a wonderful bakery behind the Plaza, down an alleyway, near the Mesón de la Virreina (a great place for tapas or for dining on the balcony with view of square), Just follow the signs to panadería behind the arcaded shops along the square. Their breads are truly elaborous works of art. We took many pictures. And they're noted for their pastries spiked with anís and their hornazo, which is a sweet bread with egg in center.
And right off the square you'll find a tasteful shop, Cosas de Casa (or something similar), which sells pottery and other local wares.
If you find yourself in Chinchón on Easter Saturday, they hold a very famous Passion Play in the Plaza, with 250 locals taking part and on July 25, a bullfight is held-that tradition goes back 350 yrs. -again in Oct.
The easy way to get to Chinchón via public transportation is by bus. La Veloz bus #337 (it might say “Valdelaguna” on the front) from Avenida del Mediterráneo, 49. These are green buses on left side of street when coming out of metro stop Conde de Casal, grey circular line #6. Busses leaves every hour on the hour Monday through Saturday. There are two stops for village; get off at the second stop. It's a short walk to the Plaza Mayor.
See the bus schedule at: www.ciudad-chinchon.com
And in '07 they'll be opening a Parador in Alcalá de Henares, which would be a nice place to spend one's last night before a transatlantic flight, as the city is very close to the Barajas airport.
An addition to a Segovia-Pedraza excursion would be a visit to the exquisite "mini" Versailles, the Bourbon dynasty Palace at La Granja de San Ildefonso. The gardens are wonderful, as is the guided 1 hr. tour of the palace itself. But the Tapestry Museum is still closed. They're also building a Parador at La Granja which should open in the spring of next year.
You can read info on opening hrs. of the Royal Palaces at Aranjuez and La Granja and how to reach them by public transport at
www.patrimonionacional.es
Thanks for the Lagartera lace rec. We went on a Sunday, and the shop I mentioned was one of the few open. I have it at the top of my list, as we "need" to get back to Talavera, Puente de Arzobispo and Lagartera for more serious shopping and an overnight at the Parador in Oropesa. We stayed in the enormous room right above the entrance on that Sun. night and had the splendid public rooms on the 2nd floor entirely to ourselves. It was heaven!
For anyone heading to Aranjuez (really pretty in the spring), when visiting the Royal Palace, make sure to take a walk in the beautiful palace gardens-no entrance fee to walk the grounds.
And in Chinchón the bakeries are quite famous as well as the anís distilleries. There's a wonderful bakery behind the Plaza, down an alleyway, near the Mesón de la Virreina (a great place for tapas or for dining on the balcony with view of square), Just follow the signs to panadería behind the arcaded shops along the square. Their breads are truly elaborous works of art. We took many pictures. And they're noted for their pastries spiked with anís and their hornazo, which is a sweet bread with egg in center.
And right off the square you'll find a tasteful shop, Cosas de Casa (or something similar), which sells pottery and other local wares.
If you find yourself in Chinchón on Easter Saturday, they hold a very famous Passion Play in the Plaza, with 250 locals taking part and on July 25, a bullfight is held-that tradition goes back 350 yrs. -again in Oct.
The easy way to get to Chinchón via public transportation is by bus. La Veloz bus #337 (it might say “Valdelaguna” on the front) from Avenida del Mediterráneo, 49. These are green buses on left side of street when coming out of metro stop Conde de Casal, grey circular line #6. Busses leaves every hour on the hour Monday through Saturday. There are two stops for village; get off at the second stop. It's a short walk to the Plaza Mayor.
See the bus schedule at: www.ciudad-chinchon.com
And in '07 they'll be opening a Parador in Alcalá de Henares, which would be a nice place to spend one's last night before a transatlantic flight, as the city is very close to the Barajas airport.
An addition to a Segovia-Pedraza excursion would be a visit to the exquisite "mini" Versailles, the Bourbon dynasty Palace at La Granja de San Ildefonso. The gardens are wonderful, as is the guided 1 hr. tour of the palace itself. But the Tapestry Museum is still closed. They're also building a Parador at La Granja which should open in the spring of next year.
You can read info on opening hrs. of the Royal Palaces at Aranjuez and La Granja and how to reach them by public transport at
www.patrimonionacional.es
