OUR 2-WEEK SPANISH JOURNEY: MADRID, TOLEDO, AND ANDALUCIA!
Oct 4th, 2017, 05:19 PM
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OUR 2-WEEK SPANISH JOURNEY: MADRID, TOLEDO, AND ANDALUCIA!
My husband and I just returned from a spectacular 15-night journey through Madrid, Toledo, and Andalucia. I could not have planned such a wonderful trip without the advice from this forum. I always enjoy reading trip reports and find them very helpful in planning my trips, in addition to using guidebooks. What is always a dilemma to me is how many nights to spend in each destination, where to stay, and where to eat. And if we have to eliminate a destination because of time constraints, what should we eliminate. So I hope my trip report will help others as well.
First, a little bit about ourselves. I am 67 and my husband (Ed) is 70. We are in pretty good health, except that I do have some mobility issues caused by arthritis. I might have a slipped disc as well, and will hopefully find out exactly what my problem is next week after some testing. This means I am in pain every day, and I walk slowly. I had to take 3 Aleve each day in order to do all the necessary walking on this trip. I had to rest each day, usually late afternoon, before going out again, which is unusual for me while on vacation. (Our age might have something to do with this, too!
There were a few things we didn’t have time to do because of my slower pace, but that’s ok with me. We saw many beautiful sites, visited many beautiful places, so I have no regrets.
We also invited two close friends (Roger and Joanne) to join us on our trip. We don’t usually travel with other people (except our children), but when we found out our friends were going to be in Madrid the same time as us, we invited them to join us. We have spent weekends with them, and they are fun-loving and easy-going people to be with.
By the time we reached Madrid, all of us had been traveling for 2 weeks, so we were all away from home for a month by the end of our journey. We spent the first 2 weeks in France visiting our daughter, son-in-law, and two beautiful grandchildren. We took a mini vacation with them, and then generally spent the 2 weeks bonding with our grandchildren, chasing after a toddler, and changing diapers! Our friends had just finished a week in Barcelona and a river cruise on the Douro River before joining us in Madrid. So being on the go for the previous 2 weeks impacted our pace, too.
This is our itinerary:
Madrid – 4 nights
Toledo – 1 night
Cordoba – 2 nights
Granada – 2 nights
Malaga – 2 nights
Seville – 4 nights
DAY ONE – SEPTEMBER 18 - ARRIVAL IN MADRID
We flew from Marseille to Madrid via Ryan Air. This was our first time using Ryan Air, and we have no complaints. Everything went smoothly. The price was 35 euros per person for the ticket. After we added the seat selection and checked luggage, the price was 70 euros per person. Not a bad deal!
We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel. Taxis are inexpensive in Spain, so we used them whenever necessary.
Hotel:
Mercure Madrid Centro
Calle Lope de Vega 49
I want to thank KJA on this forum for recommending the Mercure. It is an excellent choice! The location is perfect, just a short walk from the Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen Museums. Also it’s within walking distance of Retiro Park, and a block away from Calle de Jesus with all its tapas restaurants. It’s a modern hotel; our room size was adequate; the bathroom is quite spacious. The room has hardwood floors, which I prefer to wall to wall carpeting. In fact, I don’t think any of our hotels had wall-to-wall carpeting.
We chose to have breakfast at the hotel every morning because we didn’t want to waste time looking for a breakfast place. There didn’t seem to be many nearby. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet, which consisted of different types of ham, chorizo, cheese, bread, pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, and fresh fruit. You could also ask to have your eggs cooked to order, such as omelets, fried eggs, etc. The price is 12 euros.
Our first night in Madrid we had dinner at TABERNA DE LA DANIELA MEDINACELI, Pl. de Jesus 7. We shared tapas, but I didn’t write down what we had, but I do remember enjoying our meal.
DAY TWO – SEPTEMBER 19 – ENJOYING THE PRADO MUSEUM & RETIRO PARK
After our delicious and filling breakfast, we walked over to the PRADO MUSEUM. We arrived at 10AM, and there was a short line that moved quickly. It took us about 15 minutes to wait in line, get our tickets, walk up the stairs, store my husband’s small backpack, and purchase our audioguides. Not bad at all!
HINT #1: I strongly recommend getting to each site when they open or even a half hour early, depending on the site. We hardly ever had to wait in line, and when we did, it was usually a short wait.
HINT #2: ATTENTION TO ALL SENIOR CITIZENS: Spain is kind to senior citizens. Many places give discounts or freebies to seniors. You just have to show an ID proving you are 65 and over. We paid half price at the Prado – 7.5 euros! Not a bad deal!
The Prado is huge and can be intimidating at first. You should have some kind of a plan as to how to visit the Prado. We generally like to use audioguides, so that is what we used, along with the floor plan of the museum. I know that we missed some of the masterpieces that are listed on the back of the brochure. Another plan of attack would be to use the list of masterpieces as a guide.
We spent 4.5 hours in the Prado, including a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria. Visiting the Prado was a wonderful learning experience for me. I never took an art history class, but I enjoy looking at art, and I am familiar with the American and French painters. However, I didn’t know anything about the Spanish painters or some of the other artists displayed in the museum.
Some of my favorites are Velazquez’s Feast of Bacchus, where the drinkers are ordinary-looking men, and Vulcan’s Forge, when Vulcan finds out his wife has been cheating on him. I love the realistic facial expressions on both paintings.
I had heard of Goya, but I admit I knew nothing about the Black Paintings until I started research for this trip. The bizarre Black Paintings are memorable, especially for being so creepy and frightening. I think the most frightening one is of Saturn devouring his offspring! I wouldn’t want to hang these paintings on my walls!
Interesting note: Goya painted the black paintings on the walls of his home in Madrid. These paintings were transferred to canvas. My husband and I wondered how this could possibly be done. We googled, and found out the paintings were painted on wallpaper, and had to be carefully removed from the walls.
The very strange Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch was another surprise for me. WOW!!! There is so much detail in this triptych. I listened to the commentary on the audioguide twice, and spent a lot of time viewing it. There is so much detail, so much going on, that it is impossible to see everything. Many people were standing very close to the painting and obviously studying it for a long time. For those of you who may not know about this painting, it consists of 3 panels: the left panel depicts Paradise; the larger middle panel depicts humans frolicking and enjoying their sins; and the right panel depicts hell.
Another favorite is the sculpture called “Isabel II, veiled” by Torreggiani. Another WOW!!! This is done in marble, and the veil is so thin that you can see her facial features behind the veil. The veil looks like cloth, but it’s marble. Remarkable!!!
As you can tell, I loved the Prado! I think I enjoyed it more than the Louvre because the Louvre is just too big and too crowded.
After spending so much time indoors on such a lovely, sunny day, we decided to walk to Retiro Park after we left the Prado. This is a 300 acre park, with flowers, shady walking paths, and a lake where you can rent rowboats. We needed to rest so we stopped at a café by the lake and spent an hour here drinking Sangria!! We had a lot of Sangria in Spain!! I notice that some of the Sangria is made with a spice, such as cinnamon or cardamom. Delicious!!! Then we walked some more, and stopped by the Crystal Palace, which was closed to the public because of a photo shoot. There was a lot of activity at the small pond by the palace, with people feeding the ducks. This was a very enjoyable afternoon. We continued walking to the other side of the park (opposite from where we entered), and made our way back to our hotel.
So, tonight my husband and I decided to go tapas bar hopping! Ha! Ha! For us old folks, this meant we went to two tapas bars and were ready for bed. First, we stopped at CERVECERIA CERVANTES on Calle de Jesus. This place is always busy, but we were fortunate to get a table. We enjoyed drinks and tapas, but I didn’t write down what we had, but I remember liking everything. Then we moved on to TABERNA MACIERAS, a small Galician restaurant just around the corner from Cerveceria Cervantes. It was very busy and obviously popular. I wasn’t too hungry at this point, but I was craving a salad, so that’s all I had, and my husband had a seafood soup. We sat on small wooden stools without backs, which wasn’t very comfortable. All in all, we enjoyed our experience here.
NOTE: Speaking of Sangria and drinks in general, we drank a lot of Sangria, white wine, Rose, and GIN TONICS!!! Thanks to MaiTaiTom, this is the first time I have had GT’s since the 1970’s. They are very refreshing!!!
DAY THREE – SEPTEMBER 20 – THE REINA SOFIA AND A WALK AROUND MADRID
After breakfast, our first stop of the day was the REINA SOFIA MUSEUM. We arrived when it opens at 10AM, and there wasn’t a line! YEAH!!! So far we have managed to avoid long lines. And it was FREE because we are 65 and over! I guess getting old isn’t so bad after all, right?
A WOW for this museum, too!!! The Reina focuses on 20th century Spanish artists, along with some others. We spent 3 hours here. I am not a huge fan of modern art, but I enjoy some Dali and some Picasso, and I’m always willing to broaden my knowledge. Now I have a better understanding (I think) of what cubism is.
Picasso’s Guernica is the highlight of the museum. WOW again!!! What a moving piece of art, especially the mother grieving for her dead child. This very large canvas captures the horror of war. According to my research, Guernica was touring internationally when Franco gained power, so Picasso chose New York City’s MOMA as the temporary home of his painting.
I enjoyed the Dali paintings, too, especially “The Great Masturbator”. This is Dali’s self-portrait, and I had to listen to the description on the audioguide before I was able to make out his facial features.
I should note that the curator has combined his passion for art with his passion for cinema. There are short films throughout the museum paired with the paintings. There is so much history in these paintings and short films, and gives the viewer some insight into what inspired these artists.
After we left the Reina, we met up with our friends (who had arrived in the morning from Barcelona) who were joining us for the rest of the trip. Someone had recommended LA DOLORES AT PLAZA DE JESUS 4, for lunch, so that’s where we ate. We shared a mixture of small canapes; some with tuna, cod, duck, ham, etc. We have noticed that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of vegetable dishes in Spain, so we were happy to see tomatoes on the menu. We had delicious thick beefsteak tomatoes with a tasty dressing. Believe it or not, this was a highlight for us!!!!
After lunch the 4 of us took a nice long and slow walk; we walked through Plaza del Angel, and stopped at Plaza Santa Ana for guess what???? SANGRIA!!! We just love the Sangria!!! We then continued on to Puerta del Sol, which is very crowded and very noisy. We almost booked a hotel here, so I am so glad KJA told me about the Mercure. It was a much nicer location and more suited to us. We then continued on to the beautiful Plaza Mayor, and then to the MERCADO SAN MIGUEL.
My husband loves markets, so we decided to have dinner at San Miguel. This market is an upscale glass and iron structure, so it is filled with light. It is also filled with people! We were fortunate to find 4 stools next to a counter, so we plopped ourselves here for 1.5 hours and enjoyed lots of food, albeit pricey food. We sampled many dishes, such as cuttlefish with black ink, roasted green peppers, spicy shrimp, pork empanadas, and many more. It was a delicious meal, but as I said, it was not cheap.
After our dinner, we walked back to our hotel via Carr. De San Jeronimo. We were ready for bed after all this walking!
DAY FOUR – SEPTEMBER 21 – THE PALACIO REAL AND AN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE IN MADRID
After breakfast, we took a taxi to the PALACIO REAL (ROYAL PALACE). We arrived at 9:30AM for a 10:00AM opening. The line was already forming, and by 10AM it was very long!! We purchased audioguides for the tour of the Palace. The Palace is Europe’s 3rd largest palace, after Versailles and Vienna’s Schonbrunn. It is huge, with 2,800 rooms!!! When you enter the Palace, there is an imposing grand staircase that makes a big first impression. You will pass through many lavish rooms, such as the Porcelain Room and the Silver Room and the huge Gala Dining Hall, where the king entertains his guests. The current Royal Family doesn’t live here, but the Palace is used for ceremonies, state receptions, and royal weddings.
My husband LOVES military and weapons museums, but I am not that interested. Much to his delight, there is an armory attached to the Palace. When we finished the Palace tour, my husband and our friend Roger visited the Armory while Joanne and I sat in the park across the street from the Palace. They were gone for about an hour, and they loved the Armory!
Our next mission is to find a place for lunch since our stomachs are growling with hunger! We walked around the area, and my husband suggested a small cute restaurant named CERVECERIA CRUZ BLANCA AT CALLE MAYOR 68 IN PLAZA DE LA VILLA. This was a great find! It’s a cozy restaurant with a warm ambiance. We all ordered the Menu del Dia for 11 euros per person. This price includes not only the starter and main course, but a drink, bread, and dessert or coffee. How can you go wrong with this price??? For starters, Roger and I ordered the Salmorejo (tomato, bread and garlic cold soup with chopped egg and ham); my husband had the paella, and Joanne ordered the salad with egg and tuna. For the main course, I ordered the fried eggs with potatoes and smoked salmon; my husband had swordfish; Joanne had grilled pork; and Roger had roasted chicken. We all loved our dishes. Dessert was more simple; I had fruit and everyone else had ice cream.
After lunch, my husband suggested going to the TEMPLE OF DEBOD. He was in Madrid in the 1970’s for a few days, and he remembers visiting this Temple and the gorgeous views of Madrid from here. In 1968, the Egyptian government gave this temple to Spain as a gift because the Spanish government helped Egypt rescue monuments from the rising Nile River. The temple is situated in a lovely park with lots of shade, walkways and benches. You can also have a quick tour of the temple, which I didn’t think was all that interesting. The location is nice, though, and it was a hot afternoon, so it was pleasant sitting in the shade for awhile.
By this time, my legs were hurting, so we returned to our hotel for our siesta before going out for supper. I considered making a quick trip to see the Thyssen but decided against it. My husband was tired of museums at this point, and I didn’t want to push myself too much since we had 5 more destinations to go at this point.
We had dinner at La Fragua De Vulcano on Calle Alvarez Gato, 9 near Plaza Santa Ana. The tile work on the outside wall is of Velazquez’s painting, Vulcan’s Forge. The meal was average; some dishes were tasty, and some were a disappointment.
We now have to say farewell to Madrid! Tomorrow morning we have to catch an early morning train to Toledo!!
SOME IMPRESSIONS: I really enjoyed Madrid!! I love the museums, Retiro Park, and the Royal Palace. For the most part, I really liked the food we had. However, my husband and I (we were in Barcelona in 2010), and our friends who just returned from Barcelona, all agree the food in Barcelona was better. There seemed to be a larger variety of tapas. While the tapas we had at the restaurants on Calle de Jesus were delicious and good quality, and there was nothing bad about them, we thought the majority of the restaurants had almost the same menu.
MADRID VERSUS BARCELONA: I know there are often debates about which city is nicer/better. If a person only has time to visit one city, which one should it be? It is really a matter of taste and what your interests are. My husband and our friends prefer Barcelona over Madrid. I am on the fence. I feel I didn’t have quite enough time in Madrid to see everything, so it is the city I would return to. We saw everything we wanted to see in Barcelona, but we were there for a longer time. The museums in Barcelona didn’t interest me, but we spent our time visiting the Gaudi sites. I love the Madrid museums! I think Madrid is more elegant than Barcelona, but Barcelona has a more funky vibe because of the Gaudi architecture. You can’t go wrong with either city, IMO.
To be continued . . .
First, a little bit about ourselves. I am 67 and my husband (Ed) is 70. We are in pretty good health, except that I do have some mobility issues caused by arthritis. I might have a slipped disc as well, and will hopefully find out exactly what my problem is next week after some testing. This means I am in pain every day, and I walk slowly. I had to take 3 Aleve each day in order to do all the necessary walking on this trip. I had to rest each day, usually late afternoon, before going out again, which is unusual for me while on vacation. (Our age might have something to do with this, too!
There were a few things we didn’t have time to do because of my slower pace, but that’s ok with me. We saw many beautiful sites, visited many beautiful places, so I have no regrets.We also invited two close friends (Roger and Joanne) to join us on our trip. We don’t usually travel with other people (except our children), but when we found out our friends were going to be in Madrid the same time as us, we invited them to join us. We have spent weekends with them, and they are fun-loving and easy-going people to be with.
By the time we reached Madrid, all of us had been traveling for 2 weeks, so we were all away from home for a month by the end of our journey. We spent the first 2 weeks in France visiting our daughter, son-in-law, and two beautiful grandchildren. We took a mini vacation with them, and then generally spent the 2 weeks bonding with our grandchildren, chasing after a toddler, and changing diapers! Our friends had just finished a week in Barcelona and a river cruise on the Douro River before joining us in Madrid. So being on the go for the previous 2 weeks impacted our pace, too.
This is our itinerary:
Madrid – 4 nights
Toledo – 1 night
Cordoba – 2 nights
Granada – 2 nights
Malaga – 2 nights
Seville – 4 nights
DAY ONE – SEPTEMBER 18 - ARRIVAL IN MADRID
We flew from Marseille to Madrid via Ryan Air. This was our first time using Ryan Air, and we have no complaints. Everything went smoothly. The price was 35 euros per person for the ticket. After we added the seat selection and checked luggage, the price was 70 euros per person. Not a bad deal!
We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel. Taxis are inexpensive in Spain, so we used them whenever necessary.
Hotel:
Mercure Madrid Centro
Calle Lope de Vega 49
I want to thank KJA on this forum for recommending the Mercure. It is an excellent choice! The location is perfect, just a short walk from the Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen Museums. Also it’s within walking distance of Retiro Park, and a block away from Calle de Jesus with all its tapas restaurants. It’s a modern hotel; our room size was adequate; the bathroom is quite spacious. The room has hardwood floors, which I prefer to wall to wall carpeting. In fact, I don’t think any of our hotels had wall-to-wall carpeting.
We chose to have breakfast at the hotel every morning because we didn’t want to waste time looking for a breakfast place. There didn’t seem to be many nearby. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet, which consisted of different types of ham, chorizo, cheese, bread, pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, and fresh fruit. You could also ask to have your eggs cooked to order, such as omelets, fried eggs, etc. The price is 12 euros.
Our first night in Madrid we had dinner at TABERNA DE LA DANIELA MEDINACELI, Pl. de Jesus 7. We shared tapas, but I didn’t write down what we had, but I do remember enjoying our meal.
DAY TWO – SEPTEMBER 19 – ENJOYING THE PRADO MUSEUM & RETIRO PARK
After our delicious and filling breakfast, we walked over to the PRADO MUSEUM. We arrived at 10AM, and there was a short line that moved quickly. It took us about 15 minutes to wait in line, get our tickets, walk up the stairs, store my husband’s small backpack, and purchase our audioguides. Not bad at all!
HINT #1: I strongly recommend getting to each site when they open or even a half hour early, depending on the site. We hardly ever had to wait in line, and when we did, it was usually a short wait.
HINT #2: ATTENTION TO ALL SENIOR CITIZENS: Spain is kind to senior citizens. Many places give discounts or freebies to seniors. You just have to show an ID proving you are 65 and over. We paid half price at the Prado – 7.5 euros! Not a bad deal!
The Prado is huge and can be intimidating at first. You should have some kind of a plan as to how to visit the Prado. We generally like to use audioguides, so that is what we used, along with the floor plan of the museum. I know that we missed some of the masterpieces that are listed on the back of the brochure. Another plan of attack would be to use the list of masterpieces as a guide.
We spent 4.5 hours in the Prado, including a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria. Visiting the Prado was a wonderful learning experience for me. I never took an art history class, but I enjoy looking at art, and I am familiar with the American and French painters. However, I didn’t know anything about the Spanish painters or some of the other artists displayed in the museum.
Some of my favorites are Velazquez’s Feast of Bacchus, where the drinkers are ordinary-looking men, and Vulcan’s Forge, when Vulcan finds out his wife has been cheating on him. I love the realistic facial expressions on both paintings.
I had heard of Goya, but I admit I knew nothing about the Black Paintings until I started research for this trip. The bizarre Black Paintings are memorable, especially for being so creepy and frightening. I think the most frightening one is of Saturn devouring his offspring! I wouldn’t want to hang these paintings on my walls!
Interesting note: Goya painted the black paintings on the walls of his home in Madrid. These paintings were transferred to canvas. My husband and I wondered how this could possibly be done. We googled, and found out the paintings were painted on wallpaper, and had to be carefully removed from the walls.
The very strange Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch was another surprise for me. WOW!!! There is so much detail in this triptych. I listened to the commentary on the audioguide twice, and spent a lot of time viewing it. There is so much detail, so much going on, that it is impossible to see everything. Many people were standing very close to the painting and obviously studying it for a long time. For those of you who may not know about this painting, it consists of 3 panels: the left panel depicts Paradise; the larger middle panel depicts humans frolicking and enjoying their sins; and the right panel depicts hell.
Another favorite is the sculpture called “Isabel II, veiled” by Torreggiani. Another WOW!!! This is done in marble, and the veil is so thin that you can see her facial features behind the veil. The veil looks like cloth, but it’s marble. Remarkable!!!
As you can tell, I loved the Prado! I think I enjoyed it more than the Louvre because the Louvre is just too big and too crowded.
After spending so much time indoors on such a lovely, sunny day, we decided to walk to Retiro Park after we left the Prado. This is a 300 acre park, with flowers, shady walking paths, and a lake where you can rent rowboats. We needed to rest so we stopped at a café by the lake and spent an hour here drinking Sangria!! We had a lot of Sangria in Spain!! I notice that some of the Sangria is made with a spice, such as cinnamon or cardamom. Delicious!!! Then we walked some more, and stopped by the Crystal Palace, which was closed to the public because of a photo shoot. There was a lot of activity at the small pond by the palace, with people feeding the ducks. This was a very enjoyable afternoon. We continued walking to the other side of the park (opposite from where we entered), and made our way back to our hotel.
So, tonight my husband and I decided to go tapas bar hopping! Ha! Ha! For us old folks, this meant we went to two tapas bars and were ready for bed. First, we stopped at CERVECERIA CERVANTES on Calle de Jesus. This place is always busy, but we were fortunate to get a table. We enjoyed drinks and tapas, but I didn’t write down what we had, but I remember liking everything. Then we moved on to TABERNA MACIERAS, a small Galician restaurant just around the corner from Cerveceria Cervantes. It was very busy and obviously popular. I wasn’t too hungry at this point, but I was craving a salad, so that’s all I had, and my husband had a seafood soup. We sat on small wooden stools without backs, which wasn’t very comfortable. All in all, we enjoyed our experience here.
NOTE: Speaking of Sangria and drinks in general, we drank a lot of Sangria, white wine, Rose, and GIN TONICS!!! Thanks to MaiTaiTom, this is the first time I have had GT’s since the 1970’s. They are very refreshing!!!
DAY THREE – SEPTEMBER 20 – THE REINA SOFIA AND A WALK AROUND MADRID
After breakfast, our first stop of the day was the REINA SOFIA MUSEUM. We arrived when it opens at 10AM, and there wasn’t a line! YEAH!!! So far we have managed to avoid long lines. And it was FREE because we are 65 and over! I guess getting old isn’t so bad after all, right?
A WOW for this museum, too!!! The Reina focuses on 20th century Spanish artists, along with some others. We spent 3 hours here. I am not a huge fan of modern art, but I enjoy some Dali and some Picasso, and I’m always willing to broaden my knowledge. Now I have a better understanding (I think) of what cubism is.
Picasso’s Guernica is the highlight of the museum. WOW again!!! What a moving piece of art, especially the mother grieving for her dead child. This very large canvas captures the horror of war. According to my research, Guernica was touring internationally when Franco gained power, so Picasso chose New York City’s MOMA as the temporary home of his painting.
I enjoyed the Dali paintings, too, especially “The Great Masturbator”. This is Dali’s self-portrait, and I had to listen to the description on the audioguide before I was able to make out his facial features.
I should note that the curator has combined his passion for art with his passion for cinema. There are short films throughout the museum paired with the paintings. There is so much history in these paintings and short films, and gives the viewer some insight into what inspired these artists.
After we left the Reina, we met up with our friends (who had arrived in the morning from Barcelona) who were joining us for the rest of the trip. Someone had recommended LA DOLORES AT PLAZA DE JESUS 4, for lunch, so that’s where we ate. We shared a mixture of small canapes; some with tuna, cod, duck, ham, etc. We have noticed that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of vegetable dishes in Spain, so we were happy to see tomatoes on the menu. We had delicious thick beefsteak tomatoes with a tasty dressing. Believe it or not, this was a highlight for us!!!!
After lunch the 4 of us took a nice long and slow walk; we walked through Plaza del Angel, and stopped at Plaza Santa Ana for guess what???? SANGRIA!!! We just love the Sangria!!! We then continued on to Puerta del Sol, which is very crowded and very noisy. We almost booked a hotel here, so I am so glad KJA told me about the Mercure. It was a much nicer location and more suited to us. We then continued on to the beautiful Plaza Mayor, and then to the MERCADO SAN MIGUEL.
My husband loves markets, so we decided to have dinner at San Miguel. This market is an upscale glass and iron structure, so it is filled with light. It is also filled with people! We were fortunate to find 4 stools next to a counter, so we plopped ourselves here for 1.5 hours and enjoyed lots of food, albeit pricey food. We sampled many dishes, such as cuttlefish with black ink, roasted green peppers, spicy shrimp, pork empanadas, and many more. It was a delicious meal, but as I said, it was not cheap.
After our dinner, we walked back to our hotel via Carr. De San Jeronimo. We were ready for bed after all this walking!
DAY FOUR – SEPTEMBER 21 – THE PALACIO REAL AND AN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE IN MADRID
After breakfast, we took a taxi to the PALACIO REAL (ROYAL PALACE). We arrived at 9:30AM for a 10:00AM opening. The line was already forming, and by 10AM it was very long!! We purchased audioguides for the tour of the Palace. The Palace is Europe’s 3rd largest palace, after Versailles and Vienna’s Schonbrunn. It is huge, with 2,800 rooms!!! When you enter the Palace, there is an imposing grand staircase that makes a big first impression. You will pass through many lavish rooms, such as the Porcelain Room and the Silver Room and the huge Gala Dining Hall, where the king entertains his guests. The current Royal Family doesn’t live here, but the Palace is used for ceremonies, state receptions, and royal weddings.
My husband LOVES military and weapons museums, but I am not that interested. Much to his delight, there is an armory attached to the Palace. When we finished the Palace tour, my husband and our friend Roger visited the Armory while Joanne and I sat in the park across the street from the Palace. They were gone for about an hour, and they loved the Armory!
Our next mission is to find a place for lunch since our stomachs are growling with hunger! We walked around the area, and my husband suggested a small cute restaurant named CERVECERIA CRUZ BLANCA AT CALLE MAYOR 68 IN PLAZA DE LA VILLA. This was a great find! It’s a cozy restaurant with a warm ambiance. We all ordered the Menu del Dia for 11 euros per person. This price includes not only the starter and main course, but a drink, bread, and dessert or coffee. How can you go wrong with this price??? For starters, Roger and I ordered the Salmorejo (tomato, bread and garlic cold soup with chopped egg and ham); my husband had the paella, and Joanne ordered the salad with egg and tuna. For the main course, I ordered the fried eggs with potatoes and smoked salmon; my husband had swordfish; Joanne had grilled pork; and Roger had roasted chicken. We all loved our dishes. Dessert was more simple; I had fruit and everyone else had ice cream.
After lunch, my husband suggested going to the TEMPLE OF DEBOD. He was in Madrid in the 1970’s for a few days, and he remembers visiting this Temple and the gorgeous views of Madrid from here. In 1968, the Egyptian government gave this temple to Spain as a gift because the Spanish government helped Egypt rescue monuments from the rising Nile River. The temple is situated in a lovely park with lots of shade, walkways and benches. You can also have a quick tour of the temple, which I didn’t think was all that interesting. The location is nice, though, and it was a hot afternoon, so it was pleasant sitting in the shade for awhile.
By this time, my legs were hurting, so we returned to our hotel for our siesta before going out for supper. I considered making a quick trip to see the Thyssen but decided against it. My husband was tired of museums at this point, and I didn’t want to push myself too much since we had 5 more destinations to go at this point.
We had dinner at La Fragua De Vulcano on Calle Alvarez Gato, 9 near Plaza Santa Ana. The tile work on the outside wall is of Velazquez’s painting, Vulcan’s Forge. The meal was average; some dishes were tasty, and some were a disappointment.
We now have to say farewell to Madrid! Tomorrow morning we have to catch an early morning train to Toledo!!
SOME IMPRESSIONS: I really enjoyed Madrid!! I love the museums, Retiro Park, and the Royal Palace. For the most part, I really liked the food we had. However, my husband and I (we were in Barcelona in 2010), and our friends who just returned from Barcelona, all agree the food in Barcelona was better. There seemed to be a larger variety of tapas. While the tapas we had at the restaurants on Calle de Jesus were delicious and good quality, and there was nothing bad about them, we thought the majority of the restaurants had almost the same menu.
MADRID VERSUS BARCELONA: I know there are often debates about which city is nicer/better. If a person only has time to visit one city, which one should it be? It is really a matter of taste and what your interests are. My husband and our friends prefer Barcelona over Madrid. I am on the fence. I feel I didn’t have quite enough time in Madrid to see everything, so it is the city I would return to. We saw everything we wanted to see in Barcelona, but we were there for a longer time. The museums in Barcelona didn’t interest me, but we spent our time visiting the Gaudi sites. I love the Madrid museums! I think Madrid is more elegant than Barcelona, but Barcelona has a more funky vibe because of the Gaudi architecture. You can’t go wrong with either city, IMO.
To be continued . . .
Oct 4th, 2017, 05:27 PM
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Sounds like your time in Spain got off to a great start! I'm very glad to know that the Mercure worked well for you -- I thought the location perfect for my needs, but was initially hesitant to recommend it because of the change in management since I was there. Nice to know it's still worth considering! Thanks for letting me know.
Oct 4th, 2017, 05:29 PM
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oh Karen, I just happened to sign on and saw your first installment, I remember when we were planning our trips together last spring. So glad you got off to a great start. Can't wait to hear what you thought of Cordoba and Granada. I'm curious whether there was a lot of talk about the Catalunyan Independence vote. I suspect it was a "hot" topic.
Oct 4th, 2017, 05:41 PM
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lauramsgarden,
I can't believe I forgot to mention this in my report. When we walked back to our hotel after having dinner at the Mercado San Miguel, there was a peaceful demonstration in Puerta del Sol. There were lots of police and emergency personnel around, which made us nervous. We walked towards the back of the crowd to get to San Geronimo. As far as I know, there wasn't any violence. This was on September 21.
I can't believe I forgot to mention this in my report. When we walked back to our hotel after having dinner at the Mercado San Miguel, there was a peaceful demonstration in Puerta del Sol. There were lots of police and emergency personnel around, which made us nervous. We walked towards the back of the crowd to get to San Geronimo. As far as I know, there wasn't any violence. This was on September 21.
Oct 4th, 2017, 06:42 PM
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I am reading your impressions of Madrid with interest.
We will be in Madrid next week - my thenth visit . Needless to say Madrid is one of my favourite cities in Europe.
It is a pity many travellers never venture north of Retiro into the most elegant
part of Madrid - a non touristy Salamanca .
Salamanca is often referred to as " barrio de lujo" because ot its well off inhabitants,
many art galleries, upscale restaurant, designer stores and beautiful buildings .
We will be in Madrid next week - my thenth visit . Needless to say Madrid is one of my favourite cities in Europe.
It is a pity many travellers never venture north of Retiro into the most elegant
part of Madrid - a non touristy Salamanca .
Salamanca is often referred to as " barrio de lujo" because ot its well off inhabitants,
many art galleries, upscale restaurant, designer stores and beautiful buildings .
Oct 4th, 2017, 09:35 PM
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Great start to your trip report KarenWoo, I am looking forward to hearing more. We have a similar trip planned next year and it is always to read about others experiences.
We visited both Barcelona and Madrid last year, and enjoyed both destinations, but for me our 6 night stay in Madrid was more enjoyable. We also visited the wonderful Toledo from Madrid as a day trip and it was definitely a highlight of the whole trip.
We visited both Barcelona and Madrid last year, and enjoyed both destinations, but for me our 6 night stay in Madrid was more enjoyable. We also visited the wonderful Toledo from Madrid as a day trip and it was definitely a highlight of the whole trip.
Oct 5th, 2017, 01:04 AM
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Danon, I understand what you are saying. I read about Salamanca, and would have liked to visit it and also the Thyssen. 4 nights was not enough; 5 or 6 nights would have been better.
Andee01, what month is your trip next year? Weather and temperature is an important factor. We had temps in the low 80's in Madrid and Toledo, but it got much hotter as we traveled south.
Andee01, what month is your trip next year? Weather and temperature is an important factor. We had temps in the low 80's in Madrid and Toledo, but it got much hotter as we traveled south.
Oct 5th, 2017, 04:47 AM
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Wonderful start, Karen, and thanks for the tips around opening times. I'm currently in our hotel room in Granada, after having twisted my ankle at the Alhambra, and hoping it feels better before we head to Madrid tomorrow.
Oct 5th, 2017, 11:14 AM
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DAY FIVE – SEPTEMBER 22 – TERRIFIC TOLEDO
We had reservations for the 9:20AM train to Toledo. Before we left for our trip, I had posted questions about the train station because I wasn’t sure how early we should be there, and I was a little nervous about navigating a big city train station. I appreciate everyone’s advice and reassurances that we would be fine, and we were! I worried too much. We made sure we were at Atocha about 45 minutes before departure. We took the escalator downstairs. As someone had mentioned, the escalator does not have stairs; it is flat, so I had to brace my suitcase with my leg so it wouldn’t roll away. No problem! We got in line for security, and the person checking tickets informed us we were on the wrong level! So we took another escalator downstairs to the bottom level, then got in line for security, and we were all set. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before our platform was announced. This gave us time to use restrooms, so the whole process was not rushed or stressful. We really enjoyed the train ride. It was comfortable and so easy. No hassles with trying to park cars and navigate the narrow streets. I am sold on train travel!
HINT #3: I strongly recommend using trains and/or buses in this part of Spain instead of renting cars. I can’t imagine trying to drive a car through the narrow streets, finding parking, and most likely paying to park. Take a train or bus, and then a taxi to your hotel. Much easier!
We arrived in Toledo around 10AM and took a taxi to our hotel.
Hotel:
Abad Toledo
Real del Arrabal 1
This is a small hotel at the bottom of the old town’s hill located a block inside the Bisagra Gate. Our rooms were not available, but they were able to store our luggage in a locked room while we went sightseeing. We walked up the hill towards Plaza Zocodover. The walk afforded us great views of the city, and I knew I would love Toledo. However, we were all dismayed as we got closer to Plaza Zocodover (the main square) and saw all the crowds! There were hordes of people exiting from the top of the escalator and tour buses pouring into the Plaza. I then knew we made the right decision to stay overnight in Toledo!
We made our way to the Cathedral, our first Cathedral of 4 on this trip! The cathedral is primarily Gothic and took 250 years to build, and was built on the spot where a mosque once stood. We purchased audioguides to visit the Cathedral, which we always find very helpful, in addition to getting information from our guidebooks. What I remember the most is the stunning High Altar with real gold on wood, and the choir for its rich carvings. Because we visited 4 cathedrals, I admit I am getting them a little confused, so I have to refer to my photos & notes, which are not always detailed. I think we spent 1.5 to 2 hours here.
Off to find a place for lunch! We found a nice restaurant near the cathedral, but I didn’t write down the name or what we had, but I do remember enjoying our food.
Then we slowly wandered around the old city, admiring the architecture and taking photos. We made our way to the Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca, which was originally a synagogue and is now a church. It is a small structure, very simple, with Moorish arches. I really enjoyed this place because it is small, simple, and not crowded. It felt very peaceful here. What a contrast to the Cathedral. There are so many layers of history in Toledo and all of Andalucia. What I find amazing (because of modern wars and turmoil) is that for hundreds of years Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived together in peace in Toledo until the Reconquista when Muslims and Jews were expelled. So sad.
One of the things I really wanted to do in Toledo is take the tourist train from Zocodover Plaza. My husband at first balked at this suggestion, calling it a Disney Train! However, I convinced him it would be a fun and relaxing way to see Toledo and the Tajo River Gorge. The train is inexpensive, about $6, I think. It is a 45 minute ride, and departs every 30 minutes from the Plaza. It was a beautiful ride along the river, and the train stops at a photo viewpoint, where you can get out and take photos of the gorgeous view of Toledo sitting on the hill across the river! I think it’s well worth it especially if you aren’t driving because this is the only way you will see this magnificent view!
After the train ride, we returned to our hotel to check in. The style is contemporary rustic. One wall of our room was made of brick, and the other 3 walls were painted a light color. There are wooden rafters on the ceiling, and contemporary furniture. We had a front room with a gorgeous view overlooking the city (downhill) which was nice, but we did hear noise from the street. People were out late! My only other complaint is that we didn’t have any counter space in the bathroom for toiletries, which was common in many of our hotels on this trip.
We had dinner at EL TREBOL located on a side street about a block away from Plaza de Zocodover. We ate outside; the food was delicious and reasonably priced. Then we walked to Zocodover, where we stopped for gelato! (We had a lot of gelato on this trip!) The plaza is so much nicer at night than during the day time. It wasn’t as crowded and most of the people hanging out in the plaza were families with their little children riding their bikes. Sitting there watching everyone was such a pleasant experience!
IMPRESSIONS/ADVICE: If at all possible, I strongly recommend that people should spend at least one night in Toledo. It really does make a difference. At night it was beautiful all lit up and less crowded. If we had only come for the day, I really don’t think I would have appreciated and liked Toledo as much. For us, one night was sufficient. I know some people have spent 2 or 3 nights in Toledo, but we don’t feel the need to see every church and museum. We like to balance our time with indoor historical and cultural sights and exploring the streets and neighborhoods. Also, after awhile, if I see too many churches and museums, they become a blur.
DAY SIX – SEPTEMBER 23 – LEAVING TOLEDO AND WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO CORDOBA
We ate breakfast at our hotel because the price was right! 7 euros for a nice breakfast buffet that included a variety of meats, cheese, fresh fruit, pastries, hard boiled eggs, coffee and juices. The desk clerk called a cab for us, and we waited outside. After 10 minutes, when the cab didn’t appear, we asked the desk clerk to call again. About 10 minutes later, the cab finally appeared. This means we arrived at the train station later than planned. There were 2 trains waiting at the station, so we had to walk very, very fast to get to our train and then to our coach. Once we boarded, the train left about 2 minutes later. A little too close for me! We had ½ hour at Atocha before our train to Cordoba departed, which was enough time. The train stopped at Cordoba for 2 minutes. We were waiting at the door with our luggage in hand, as instructed by Fodorites, and had no difficulty getting off the train as there weren’t any people getting on. Thanks to everyone for giving me advice on how to manage the train stations and trains in Spain! Everything was easy.
We took a taxi to our hotel for the next two nights:
Las Casas de la Juderia
Tomas Conde, 10-12
Candace on this forum recommended this hotel to me. It consists of 5 homes attached together with courtyards. There is a pool, which we did not use but I did see guests using the pool. Our room was spacious, and we had a good-sized marble bathroom. This was our favorite hotel! On the street level, there is a lovely courtyard where the hotel provided an honor bar. We met our friends there for drinks each night before we went out to dinner. The courtyard is lovely, and it was nice to have a pleasant place to socialize before heading out for the evening. The hotel is also in a very convenient location, in Juderia (old Jewish quarter), and a few minutes’ walk from the Mezquita and the Alcazar.
We had lunch at a nearby café, sitting in its lovely patio. After lunch, we decided to visit the MEZQUITA. We were there about 3:30PM on a Saturday, and there weren’t any lines!! I can’t believe I am here! For years I have wanted to visit the Mezquita and the Alhambra, and I am finally doing it. The Mezquita surpassed our expectations. Again, we rented the audioguides, and were on our way exploring this magnificent building. The Mezquita was first built as a Mosque; following the Reconquest, Christians built a Gothic cathedral in the center of the mosque. I always wondered how this could be done and what it would look like. While this must be a controversial piece of history, I think the architect did a wonderful job incorporating the church into the mosque. The mosque is stunning in its simplicity, with hundreds of beautiful arches and pillars, while the high altar and choir of the church are very ornate and rich with detail. It’s interesting to see these two very different places of worship side by side. When you are finished, you exit the side door into the Patio of Orange Trees, a nice shady spot.
After our cocktail hour at the hotel, we had dinner at REGADERA, located at Ronda de Isada 10, on the river bank. I had made reservations about a week before. People on this forum recommended Regadera, and it was one of the best meals of our trip. My dessert was violet ice cream with lime crumble, lemon foam and strawberries! My husband had lemon foam, lemon ice cream, sponge cake and leaves. DELICIOUS AND UNIQUE!!! Our friends shared a rich brownie with peanut butter ice cream. I didn’t record our meals, but we loved everything!
After dinner, we had one of the most memorable moments of our trip, and it was completely free! We walked across the Roman Bridge, all lit up, and then turned to see the Mezquita lit up as well. A stunning view!!! It was Saturday night, and there were many Spanish families strolling along the bridge with their children riding their bikes. A family event – the Saturday evening stroll on the Roman Bridge.
DAY SEVEN – SEPTEMBER 24 – THE ALCAZAR AND THE PALACIO DE VIANA
The breakfast offered at the hotel was expensive, so we decided to eat at a nearby café, having coffee, juice and pastry. Cordoba was so quiet this Sunday morning; we assume everyone was at church or sleeping. It was so nice to be out and about with nearly empty streets.
Because it was going to be a warm day, near 90F, I think, we decided to visit the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos first while it was still somewhat comfortable. The Alcazar surpassed our expectations because it doesn’t get a lot of recognition in the guidebooks. There are some interesting exhibits in the building, and a room with nice mosaics. We walked up to the top of the tower for lovely views of the gardens. The highlight of the Alcazar is the beautiful extensive gardens, with pools, fountains, lush greenery, and beautiful flowers.
After the Alcazar, we took a taxi to visit the Palacio de Viana. This is a small palace with 12 wonderful patios, and each one is different. We took a guided tour of the upstairs, and visited the patios using the audioguides. Then we had lunch at a restaurant next door, and then took a taxi back to our hotel. I think we took a siesta at this point!
After an early cocktail hour in our hotel’s courtyard, we took our time walking through the Juderia, stopping in stores and artisan galleries to shop and take photos. We walked through the Almodovar Gate out of the Juderia. The area along the outside of the walls is very pretty with terraced pools, lush greenery, and pretty flowers. We really like the newer part of Cordoba. The main road has a wide stretch of greenery running down its middle, with fountains and pretty lampposts. We followed this route to MERCADO VICTORIA, where we stopped for dinner. Did I tell you my husband likes markets? We really enjoyed this market because it is much quieter and less crowded than San Miguel in Madrid. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. We purchased some Arabian food from a stall operated by a Syrian refugee who told us the Spanish people have been very nice to him. I had the best tabouli I’ve ever had (very fresh), and we shared lamb tagine with apricots and almonds, and a chicken pastrela with cinnamon sprinkled on top. We also tried some Japanese food as well and some meat skewers. On our way home, we treated ourselves to gelato, of course.
IMPRESSIONS: We love, love, love Cordoba!!! The 4 of us agree Cordoba is our favorite city for overall experience. We loved our hotel with its lovely courtyard for having some drinks. Cordoba was the least crowded of all the cities we visited, and the smallest, so we felt very comfortable and relaxed here. I love the city! I love the white-washed buildings which give off a sunny and happy ambiance; I love the narrow lanes, pretty stores, artisan galleries, and flower pots attached to the walls. I have a SIL who didn’t like Cordoba, and I wonder if she only came for a day trip. If you have the time, I recommend staying 1 or 2 nights. If you cannot stay overnight, definitely come to see the Mezquita, one of the highlights of our trip. But you might not understand why we like Cordoba so much. People really need to stay a night or two to fully appreciate this charming city.
Tomorrow we leave by bus for Granada!!!
We had reservations for the 9:20AM train to Toledo. Before we left for our trip, I had posted questions about the train station because I wasn’t sure how early we should be there, and I was a little nervous about navigating a big city train station. I appreciate everyone’s advice and reassurances that we would be fine, and we were! I worried too much. We made sure we were at Atocha about 45 minutes before departure. We took the escalator downstairs. As someone had mentioned, the escalator does not have stairs; it is flat, so I had to brace my suitcase with my leg so it wouldn’t roll away. No problem! We got in line for security, and the person checking tickets informed us we were on the wrong level! So we took another escalator downstairs to the bottom level, then got in line for security, and we were all set. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before our platform was announced. This gave us time to use restrooms, so the whole process was not rushed or stressful. We really enjoyed the train ride. It was comfortable and so easy. No hassles with trying to park cars and navigate the narrow streets. I am sold on train travel!
HINT #3: I strongly recommend using trains and/or buses in this part of Spain instead of renting cars. I can’t imagine trying to drive a car through the narrow streets, finding parking, and most likely paying to park. Take a train or bus, and then a taxi to your hotel. Much easier!
We arrived in Toledo around 10AM and took a taxi to our hotel.
Hotel:
Abad Toledo
Real del Arrabal 1
This is a small hotel at the bottom of the old town’s hill located a block inside the Bisagra Gate. Our rooms were not available, but they were able to store our luggage in a locked room while we went sightseeing. We walked up the hill towards Plaza Zocodover. The walk afforded us great views of the city, and I knew I would love Toledo. However, we were all dismayed as we got closer to Plaza Zocodover (the main square) and saw all the crowds! There were hordes of people exiting from the top of the escalator and tour buses pouring into the Plaza. I then knew we made the right decision to stay overnight in Toledo!
We made our way to the Cathedral, our first Cathedral of 4 on this trip! The cathedral is primarily Gothic and took 250 years to build, and was built on the spot where a mosque once stood. We purchased audioguides to visit the Cathedral, which we always find very helpful, in addition to getting information from our guidebooks. What I remember the most is the stunning High Altar with real gold on wood, and the choir for its rich carvings. Because we visited 4 cathedrals, I admit I am getting them a little confused, so I have to refer to my photos & notes, which are not always detailed. I think we spent 1.5 to 2 hours here.
Off to find a place for lunch! We found a nice restaurant near the cathedral, but I didn’t write down the name or what we had, but I do remember enjoying our food.
Then we slowly wandered around the old city, admiring the architecture and taking photos. We made our way to the Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca, which was originally a synagogue and is now a church. It is a small structure, very simple, with Moorish arches. I really enjoyed this place because it is small, simple, and not crowded. It felt very peaceful here. What a contrast to the Cathedral. There are so many layers of history in Toledo and all of Andalucia. What I find amazing (because of modern wars and turmoil) is that for hundreds of years Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived together in peace in Toledo until the Reconquista when Muslims and Jews were expelled. So sad.
One of the things I really wanted to do in Toledo is take the tourist train from Zocodover Plaza. My husband at first balked at this suggestion, calling it a Disney Train! However, I convinced him it would be a fun and relaxing way to see Toledo and the Tajo River Gorge. The train is inexpensive, about $6, I think. It is a 45 minute ride, and departs every 30 minutes from the Plaza. It was a beautiful ride along the river, and the train stops at a photo viewpoint, where you can get out and take photos of the gorgeous view of Toledo sitting on the hill across the river! I think it’s well worth it especially if you aren’t driving because this is the only way you will see this magnificent view!
After the train ride, we returned to our hotel to check in. The style is contemporary rustic. One wall of our room was made of brick, and the other 3 walls were painted a light color. There are wooden rafters on the ceiling, and contemporary furniture. We had a front room with a gorgeous view overlooking the city (downhill) which was nice, but we did hear noise from the street. People were out late! My only other complaint is that we didn’t have any counter space in the bathroom for toiletries, which was common in many of our hotels on this trip.
We had dinner at EL TREBOL located on a side street about a block away from Plaza de Zocodover. We ate outside; the food was delicious and reasonably priced. Then we walked to Zocodover, where we stopped for gelato! (We had a lot of gelato on this trip!) The plaza is so much nicer at night than during the day time. It wasn’t as crowded and most of the people hanging out in the plaza were families with their little children riding their bikes. Sitting there watching everyone was such a pleasant experience!
IMPRESSIONS/ADVICE: If at all possible, I strongly recommend that people should spend at least one night in Toledo. It really does make a difference. At night it was beautiful all lit up and less crowded. If we had only come for the day, I really don’t think I would have appreciated and liked Toledo as much. For us, one night was sufficient. I know some people have spent 2 or 3 nights in Toledo, but we don’t feel the need to see every church and museum. We like to balance our time with indoor historical and cultural sights and exploring the streets and neighborhoods. Also, after awhile, if I see too many churches and museums, they become a blur.
DAY SIX – SEPTEMBER 23 – LEAVING TOLEDO AND WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO CORDOBA
We ate breakfast at our hotel because the price was right! 7 euros for a nice breakfast buffet that included a variety of meats, cheese, fresh fruit, pastries, hard boiled eggs, coffee and juices. The desk clerk called a cab for us, and we waited outside. After 10 minutes, when the cab didn’t appear, we asked the desk clerk to call again. About 10 minutes later, the cab finally appeared. This means we arrived at the train station later than planned. There were 2 trains waiting at the station, so we had to walk very, very fast to get to our train and then to our coach. Once we boarded, the train left about 2 minutes later. A little too close for me! We had ½ hour at Atocha before our train to Cordoba departed, which was enough time. The train stopped at Cordoba for 2 minutes. We were waiting at the door with our luggage in hand, as instructed by Fodorites, and had no difficulty getting off the train as there weren’t any people getting on. Thanks to everyone for giving me advice on how to manage the train stations and trains in Spain! Everything was easy.
We took a taxi to our hotel for the next two nights:
Las Casas de la Juderia
Tomas Conde, 10-12
Candace on this forum recommended this hotel to me. It consists of 5 homes attached together with courtyards. There is a pool, which we did not use but I did see guests using the pool. Our room was spacious, and we had a good-sized marble bathroom. This was our favorite hotel! On the street level, there is a lovely courtyard where the hotel provided an honor bar. We met our friends there for drinks each night before we went out to dinner. The courtyard is lovely, and it was nice to have a pleasant place to socialize before heading out for the evening. The hotel is also in a very convenient location, in Juderia (old Jewish quarter), and a few minutes’ walk from the Mezquita and the Alcazar.
We had lunch at a nearby café, sitting in its lovely patio. After lunch, we decided to visit the MEZQUITA. We were there about 3:30PM on a Saturday, and there weren’t any lines!! I can’t believe I am here! For years I have wanted to visit the Mezquita and the Alhambra, and I am finally doing it. The Mezquita surpassed our expectations. Again, we rented the audioguides, and were on our way exploring this magnificent building. The Mezquita was first built as a Mosque; following the Reconquest, Christians built a Gothic cathedral in the center of the mosque. I always wondered how this could be done and what it would look like. While this must be a controversial piece of history, I think the architect did a wonderful job incorporating the church into the mosque. The mosque is stunning in its simplicity, with hundreds of beautiful arches and pillars, while the high altar and choir of the church are very ornate and rich with detail. It’s interesting to see these two very different places of worship side by side. When you are finished, you exit the side door into the Patio of Orange Trees, a nice shady spot.
After our cocktail hour at the hotel, we had dinner at REGADERA, located at Ronda de Isada 10, on the river bank. I had made reservations about a week before. People on this forum recommended Regadera, and it was one of the best meals of our trip. My dessert was violet ice cream with lime crumble, lemon foam and strawberries! My husband had lemon foam, lemon ice cream, sponge cake and leaves. DELICIOUS AND UNIQUE!!! Our friends shared a rich brownie with peanut butter ice cream. I didn’t record our meals, but we loved everything!
After dinner, we had one of the most memorable moments of our trip, and it was completely free! We walked across the Roman Bridge, all lit up, and then turned to see the Mezquita lit up as well. A stunning view!!! It was Saturday night, and there were many Spanish families strolling along the bridge with their children riding their bikes. A family event – the Saturday evening stroll on the Roman Bridge.
DAY SEVEN – SEPTEMBER 24 – THE ALCAZAR AND THE PALACIO DE VIANA
The breakfast offered at the hotel was expensive, so we decided to eat at a nearby café, having coffee, juice and pastry. Cordoba was so quiet this Sunday morning; we assume everyone was at church or sleeping. It was so nice to be out and about with nearly empty streets.
Because it was going to be a warm day, near 90F, I think, we decided to visit the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos first while it was still somewhat comfortable. The Alcazar surpassed our expectations because it doesn’t get a lot of recognition in the guidebooks. There are some interesting exhibits in the building, and a room with nice mosaics. We walked up to the top of the tower for lovely views of the gardens. The highlight of the Alcazar is the beautiful extensive gardens, with pools, fountains, lush greenery, and beautiful flowers.
After the Alcazar, we took a taxi to visit the Palacio de Viana. This is a small palace with 12 wonderful patios, and each one is different. We took a guided tour of the upstairs, and visited the patios using the audioguides. Then we had lunch at a restaurant next door, and then took a taxi back to our hotel. I think we took a siesta at this point!
After an early cocktail hour in our hotel’s courtyard, we took our time walking through the Juderia, stopping in stores and artisan galleries to shop and take photos. We walked through the Almodovar Gate out of the Juderia. The area along the outside of the walls is very pretty with terraced pools, lush greenery, and pretty flowers. We really like the newer part of Cordoba. The main road has a wide stretch of greenery running down its middle, with fountains and pretty lampposts. We followed this route to MERCADO VICTORIA, where we stopped for dinner. Did I tell you my husband likes markets? We really enjoyed this market because it is much quieter and less crowded than San Miguel in Madrid. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. We purchased some Arabian food from a stall operated by a Syrian refugee who told us the Spanish people have been very nice to him. I had the best tabouli I’ve ever had (very fresh), and we shared lamb tagine with apricots and almonds, and a chicken pastrela with cinnamon sprinkled on top. We also tried some Japanese food as well and some meat skewers. On our way home, we treated ourselves to gelato, of course.
IMPRESSIONS: We love, love, love Cordoba!!! The 4 of us agree Cordoba is our favorite city for overall experience. We loved our hotel with its lovely courtyard for having some drinks. Cordoba was the least crowded of all the cities we visited, and the smallest, so we felt very comfortable and relaxed here. I love the city! I love the white-washed buildings which give off a sunny and happy ambiance; I love the narrow lanes, pretty stores, artisan galleries, and flower pots attached to the walls. I have a SIL who didn’t like Cordoba, and I wonder if she only came for a day trip. If you have the time, I recommend staying 1 or 2 nights. If you cannot stay overnight, definitely come to see the Mezquita, one of the highlights of our trip. But you might not understand why we like Cordoba so much. People really need to stay a night or two to fully appreciate this charming city.
Tomorrow we leave by bus for Granada!!!
Oct 5th, 2017, 11:19 AM
#11
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Join Date: Mar 2014
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PegS, I am so sorry to hear that you twisted your ankle at the Alhambra. I was afraid of the very same thing because I have fallen 3 times in the last 10 years and have fractured my ankles. I hope you will be able to walk tomorrow. How are you getting to Madrid? Are you traveling with someone?
Where else have you been on your trip?
Karen
Where else have you been on your trip?
Karen
Oct 5th, 2017, 08:47 PM
#12
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Another great instalment, and now you have me thinking maybe a planned day trip to Córdoba from Seville, should be turned into a 2 night stay!
We will be travelling in June/July, I know it will be very hot, so not as pleasant in Seville/Granada etc. It is the only time we can get away next year, and it is my 50th birthday present to myself.
Looking forward to more.
Andee
We will be travelling in June/July, I know it will be very hot, so not as pleasant in Seville/Granada etc. It is the only time we can get away next year, and it is my 50th birthday present to myself.
Looking forward to more.
Andee
Oct 6th, 2017, 01:33 AM
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Great report Karen
We also enjoyed our 3 night stay in Cordoba but actually preferred Granada and Seville. We had some cloudy days in Cordoba so maybe that is why. We were also there during the day where all the monuments were open free to the public so Alcazar was horrendously busy and we did not enjoy it at all!
Keep the report coming!
We also enjoyed our 3 night stay in Cordoba but actually preferred Granada and Seville. We had some cloudy days in Cordoba so maybe that is why. We were also there during the day where all the monuments were open free to the public so Alcazar was horrendously busy and we did not enjoy it at all!
Keep the report coming!
Oct 6th, 2017, 02:42 AM
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Thank you everyone for your nice comments.
Kja, yes I did see your comment about the Mercure. we really liked the hotel and the location was perfect for us.
Jamikins,
I agree that weather and crowds affects a person's enjoyment of a place. We didn't have to wait in line for anything in Córdoba. Seville is probably the most beautiful of all the cities we visited, but it took us a few days to fall in love with it because of the crowds. It was the most crowded city on our trip.
Kja, yes I did see your comment about the Mercure. we really liked the hotel and the location was perfect for us.
Jamikins,
I agree that weather and crowds affects a person's enjoyment of a place. We didn't have to wait in line for anything in Córdoba. Seville is probably the most beautiful of all the cities we visited, but it took us a few days to fall in love with it because of the crowds. It was the most crowded city on our trip.
Oct 6th, 2017, 07:46 AM
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KarenWoo - it sounds like such an ideal trip. So glad you have enjoyed it. I can imagine you with a smile on your face as you type this and relive some of your moments.
I leave late October and do the trip in reverse (at least from Granada onwards). I have an apartment near your Madrid hotel, so glad I made that choice for proximity of what I wanted to see most - the Museums!!The last 4 days after Madrid are up in the air right now, but time will tell.
I have enjoyed the details on your report. Thanks so much for taking the time and making the effort.
I leave late October and do the trip in reverse (at least from Granada onwards). I have an apartment near your Madrid hotel, so glad I made that choice for proximity of what I wanted to see most - the Museums!!The last 4 days after Madrid are up in the air right now, but time will tell.
I have enjoyed the details on your report. Thanks so much for taking the time and making the effort.
Oct 6th, 2017, 08:07 AM
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Karen - So glad you enjoyed Cordoba so much. A couple of things you may have missed at the Mezquita:- in the Patio of Orange Trees there is an ancient, ancient olive tree. It may have been there since the time of the Moors. Also, in the outer walls of the edifice there are some absolutely fabulous doors. Whenever I'm there, I always make yet more photos of both. If you haven't seen these, now you have a good reason to return !!
Oct 6th, 2017, 11:55 AM
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Nice continuation, Karen. I'd type more but I just can't do it that well on a tablet! My foot and opposite knee are all sorts of pretty colors, but after sending my husband out for some ibuprofen and ice packs I was able to carefully hobble to dinner. Today was mostly a travel day to Madrid. Luckily I can walk without limping, but I'm being careful not to overdo it!
Regardera was great, huh? I could have wandered around the Mezquita for a much longer time. We were there about 4pm and it was just quiet enough (even after another tour group came in) that we didn't feel the need to come back during that free morning as originally planned, I'm afraid I didn't like Cordoba as much as you did. I found the Juderia area hopelessly touristy! I actually wished we'd stayed a bit closer to the Roman columns area--which seemed much less so--so I regret not venturing more outside the old wall the way you did.
Regardera was great, huh? I could have wandered around the Mezquita for a much longer time. We were there about 4pm and it was just quiet enough (even after another tour group came in) that we didn't feel the need to come back during that free morning as originally planned, I'm afraid I didn't like Cordoba as much as you did. I found the Juderia area hopelessly touristy! I actually wished we'd stayed a bit closer to the Roman columns area--which seemed much less so--so I regret not venturing more outside the old wall the way you did.
Oct 6th, 2017, 07:41 PM
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DAY EIGHT – SEPTEMBER 25 – WE SAY GOOD-BYE TO CORDOBA AND HOLA! TO GRANADA
We had breakfast at the same café as yesterday, probably around 8:30AM, and were surprised to see the streets were quiet again. I guess people sleep later because they stay up later at night!
We had tickets for the 11:00AM ALSA bus to Granada. I chose to travel by bus to Granada since the train tracks are not completed. It didn’t make sense to me to take the train from Cordoba to Antequera, and then transfer to the bus to Granada. The bus trip worked out perfectly for us. The bus is modern, has comfortable seats, and is air-conditioned. It does not have a bathroom so we made sure to use the bathroom at our hotel before we checked out. We arrived in Granada about 1:30PM.
Along the way, we passed miles and miles and miles of olive groves! I have never seen so many olive trees. We rode through some towns that did not look that interesting. We have rented cars on previous trips because we like to stop when we see something interesting, but on this route, I never felt like we were missing anything by not having a car.
We took a taxi to our hotel, our home for the next 2 nights:
El Ladron D’Agua
Carrera del Darro, 13
Progol from this forum recommened this hotel. It is in a perfect location, at the bottom of the Albayzin. Carrera del Darro is a very narrow one-way street that parallels the narrow Rio Darro. It is just a few minutes’ walk from Plaza Nueva. The reception area and center room/courtyard is contemporary in design. There is a fountain made out of a rock in the indoor courtyard. This courtyard/room has a marble floor and a retractable roof over it, so it looks more like a room. Our room was comfortable with white walls and a dark wood ceiling. The staff were very helpful and accommodated us by opening up breakfast 30 minutes early due to our schedule both mornings.
The first order of business after we checked in was to find a place for lunch! We were starving! The desk clerk recommended a nearby restaurant attached to a hotel. I don’t remember the name but we had a delicious lunch and a nice introduction to Granada.
Then the next order of business was to pick up our Alhambra tickets at Corral del Carbon!!! Coming from our hotel, we walked through Plaza Nueva, past Gran Via which was on the right, (the street now changes name to Calle Reyes Catolicos) and the Corral del Carbon is shortly after the Gran Via on the left. There is a sign for it. There is a tourist office in the Corral del Carbon, and a nice young man working there inserted my credit card into the ticket machine, and out came our tickets for both the day visit and the night visit!!! YEAH!!! I am so excited about seeing the Alhambra!!! It was so easy getting the tickets. I had read one report where someone’s ticket got stuck in the machine, but we didn’t have any problems at all. As most people probably know, you must use the credit card that you used to reserve and pay for the tickets.
We then explored the area a little bit, and then decided to visit the CATHEDRAL OF GRANADA. We rented our audioguides and took our time wandering around. The cathedral is impressive; construction began in 1518 and it took 200 years to build!
When we returned to our hotel, we asked the desk clerk for suggestions for dinner. She recommended EL TRILLO RESTAURANTE at Calleon Aljibe de Trillo.
http://www.restaurante-eltrillo.com/el-restaurante/
It is located in the Albayzin, above and behind our hotel. It was quite a walk, steadily climbing uphill, with views of the Alhambra along the way, and it was worth it. The El Trillo is one of our favorite restaurants of our trip. We sat outside in a very pretty garden with glimpses of the Alhambra. They made one of the best Gin Tonics!!! I had pork roll with ham and my husband had pig knuckles. I forgot what our friends had but everything was delicious!!
DAY NINE – SEPTEMBER 26 – THE MAGNIFICENT AND AMAZING ALHAMBRA!!!
We had timed tickets for the NASRID PALACES for 9:30AM, and when I purchased the tickets I was told we should be there an hour before. So right after breakfast, we hailed a taxi going past our hotel. Carrera del Darro is a one-way street, so this meant the driver had to take us on a longer route to get to the Alhambra. So we saw more of the Albaycin quarter, and the ride cost a little more, but we didn’t mind because I considered it a short tour! The desk clerk confirmed this is the best route if we get a cab out front, so we are confident the cab driver didn’t cheat us.
I told the cab driver to drop us off at the Puerta de la Justicia, and he did. Because we had our tickets in hand, we did not want to be dropped off at the main gate near the Generalife Gardens. So it was an easy and short walk to the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces. We rented audioguides from the vendor who is in front of the Charles V Palace, and very close to the walkway to the Nasrid Palaces. So you can’t miss him! Getting here was so easy.
YEAH!!! I can’t believe I am finally here at the Alhambra!!! I have wanted to visit the Alhambra for years, and I made it!!! The Nasrid Palaces are stunning, with gorgeous tile work, Arabic script, and elaborate carvings on the ceilings and walls that look like lace from a distance. The Palace is very rich with ornamentation and decorative elements! There are beautiful views of Granada throughout. There are columns and arches, and something beautiful wherever you look. I especially love the Patio of the Lions with its center fountain surrounded by 12 stone lions, and the Myrtle Courtyard with its long, narrow pool. When we exited the Nasrid Palaces, we were in the terraced Partal Gardens, which are gorgeous with a pool and a lot of greenery. We noticed benches, so we decided this would be the perfect spot for lunch!! The night before we purchased meat pies, sweet pastry, and bottled water, and had a picnic lunch surrounded by beauty.
After our quick lunch, we took the long path that goes through some gardens and past the towers to the Generalife Gardens (about a 15-minute walk). These terraced gardens are beautiful with running water and a very long pool lined with water jets. A lot of flowers were still in bloom. I saw the largest red salvia I’ve ever seen! They looked like bushes! We took our time, admiring the gardens, and taking photos.
After the gardens, we took a different path back (passed the Medina), heading towards the Alcazaba, and when we saw Hotel America, we decided we were thirsty, tired, and a bit hungry, so we stopped in to have a drink and share some tapas.
Then we continued on to the Alcazaba, which was my least favorite part of the Alhambra. It was hot and sunny, and there isn’t any shade in the Alcazaba, except for a shady garden near the exit. We probably spent about 30-45 minutes at the Alcazaba. I really enjoyed the views of Granada and the mountains.
When we were finished, it was almost 4:30PM!!! WOW!!! We spent the whole day at the Alhambra, and enjoyed every minute!
We also had tickets for the night tour, which starts at 10PM, and we had to be there around 9:30PM. We had dinner at a restaurant in Plaza Nueva, and then hailed a cab from there, which was a shorter and cheaper ride to the Alhambra. I am very happy we decided to do the night tour. There are fewer people; it is quiet and you can hear the running water. The focus is not only on the water, but also on the ornate ceilings because of the uplighting, which makes the ceilings stand out and gives them a soft glow. It really is magical, as other people have said.
IMPRESSIONS: We really like Granada! It is very different from Cordoba visually and architecturally, and it is larger than Cordoba. The buildings in our area are painted with earth tones, tans, ochres, etc. Granada is very hilly, whereas Cordoba is flat. I remember reading somewhere that some people consider Granada “gritty” but I didn’t see that at all. Maybe I would call Granada “serious” and Cordoba “happy” or “lighthearted”. I do wish we had another day to explore the Albaycin more thoroughly and visit the Royal Chapel, which we missed.
The next day we leave for Malaga!
We had breakfast at the same café as yesterday, probably around 8:30AM, and were surprised to see the streets were quiet again. I guess people sleep later because they stay up later at night!
We had tickets for the 11:00AM ALSA bus to Granada. I chose to travel by bus to Granada since the train tracks are not completed. It didn’t make sense to me to take the train from Cordoba to Antequera, and then transfer to the bus to Granada. The bus trip worked out perfectly for us. The bus is modern, has comfortable seats, and is air-conditioned. It does not have a bathroom so we made sure to use the bathroom at our hotel before we checked out. We arrived in Granada about 1:30PM.
Along the way, we passed miles and miles and miles of olive groves! I have never seen so many olive trees. We rode through some towns that did not look that interesting. We have rented cars on previous trips because we like to stop when we see something interesting, but on this route, I never felt like we were missing anything by not having a car.
We took a taxi to our hotel, our home for the next 2 nights:
El Ladron D’Agua
Carrera del Darro, 13
Progol from this forum recommened this hotel. It is in a perfect location, at the bottom of the Albayzin. Carrera del Darro is a very narrow one-way street that parallels the narrow Rio Darro. It is just a few minutes’ walk from Plaza Nueva. The reception area and center room/courtyard is contemporary in design. There is a fountain made out of a rock in the indoor courtyard. This courtyard/room has a marble floor and a retractable roof over it, so it looks more like a room. Our room was comfortable with white walls and a dark wood ceiling. The staff were very helpful and accommodated us by opening up breakfast 30 minutes early due to our schedule both mornings.
The first order of business after we checked in was to find a place for lunch! We were starving! The desk clerk recommended a nearby restaurant attached to a hotel. I don’t remember the name but we had a delicious lunch and a nice introduction to Granada.
Then the next order of business was to pick up our Alhambra tickets at Corral del Carbon!!! Coming from our hotel, we walked through Plaza Nueva, past Gran Via which was on the right, (the street now changes name to Calle Reyes Catolicos) and the Corral del Carbon is shortly after the Gran Via on the left. There is a sign for it. There is a tourist office in the Corral del Carbon, and a nice young man working there inserted my credit card into the ticket machine, and out came our tickets for both the day visit and the night visit!!! YEAH!!! I am so excited about seeing the Alhambra!!! It was so easy getting the tickets. I had read one report where someone’s ticket got stuck in the machine, but we didn’t have any problems at all. As most people probably know, you must use the credit card that you used to reserve and pay for the tickets.
We then explored the area a little bit, and then decided to visit the CATHEDRAL OF GRANADA. We rented our audioguides and took our time wandering around. The cathedral is impressive; construction began in 1518 and it took 200 years to build!
When we returned to our hotel, we asked the desk clerk for suggestions for dinner. She recommended EL TRILLO RESTAURANTE at Calleon Aljibe de Trillo.
http://www.restaurante-eltrillo.com/el-restaurante/
It is located in the Albayzin, above and behind our hotel. It was quite a walk, steadily climbing uphill, with views of the Alhambra along the way, and it was worth it. The El Trillo is one of our favorite restaurants of our trip. We sat outside in a very pretty garden with glimpses of the Alhambra. They made one of the best Gin Tonics!!! I had pork roll with ham and my husband had pig knuckles. I forgot what our friends had but everything was delicious!!
DAY NINE – SEPTEMBER 26 – THE MAGNIFICENT AND AMAZING ALHAMBRA!!!
We had timed tickets for the NASRID PALACES for 9:30AM, and when I purchased the tickets I was told we should be there an hour before. So right after breakfast, we hailed a taxi going past our hotel. Carrera del Darro is a one-way street, so this meant the driver had to take us on a longer route to get to the Alhambra. So we saw more of the Albaycin quarter, and the ride cost a little more, but we didn’t mind because I considered it a short tour! The desk clerk confirmed this is the best route if we get a cab out front, so we are confident the cab driver didn’t cheat us.
I told the cab driver to drop us off at the Puerta de la Justicia, and he did. Because we had our tickets in hand, we did not want to be dropped off at the main gate near the Generalife Gardens. So it was an easy and short walk to the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces. We rented audioguides from the vendor who is in front of the Charles V Palace, and very close to the walkway to the Nasrid Palaces. So you can’t miss him! Getting here was so easy.
YEAH!!! I can’t believe I am finally here at the Alhambra!!! I have wanted to visit the Alhambra for years, and I made it!!! The Nasrid Palaces are stunning, with gorgeous tile work, Arabic script, and elaborate carvings on the ceilings and walls that look like lace from a distance. The Palace is very rich with ornamentation and decorative elements! There are beautiful views of Granada throughout. There are columns and arches, and something beautiful wherever you look. I especially love the Patio of the Lions with its center fountain surrounded by 12 stone lions, and the Myrtle Courtyard with its long, narrow pool. When we exited the Nasrid Palaces, we were in the terraced Partal Gardens, which are gorgeous with a pool and a lot of greenery. We noticed benches, so we decided this would be the perfect spot for lunch!! The night before we purchased meat pies, sweet pastry, and bottled water, and had a picnic lunch surrounded by beauty.
After our quick lunch, we took the long path that goes through some gardens and past the towers to the Generalife Gardens (about a 15-minute walk). These terraced gardens are beautiful with running water and a very long pool lined with water jets. A lot of flowers were still in bloom. I saw the largest red salvia I’ve ever seen! They looked like bushes! We took our time, admiring the gardens, and taking photos.
After the gardens, we took a different path back (passed the Medina), heading towards the Alcazaba, and when we saw Hotel America, we decided we were thirsty, tired, and a bit hungry, so we stopped in to have a drink and share some tapas.
Then we continued on to the Alcazaba, which was my least favorite part of the Alhambra. It was hot and sunny, and there isn’t any shade in the Alcazaba, except for a shady garden near the exit. We probably spent about 30-45 minutes at the Alcazaba. I really enjoyed the views of Granada and the mountains.
When we were finished, it was almost 4:30PM!!! WOW!!! We spent the whole day at the Alhambra, and enjoyed every minute!
We also had tickets for the night tour, which starts at 10PM, and we had to be there around 9:30PM. We had dinner at a restaurant in Plaza Nueva, and then hailed a cab from there, which was a shorter and cheaper ride to the Alhambra. I am very happy we decided to do the night tour. There are fewer people; it is quiet and you can hear the running water. The focus is not only on the water, but also on the ornate ceilings because of the uplighting, which makes the ceilings stand out and gives them a soft glow. It really is magical, as other people have said.
IMPRESSIONS: We really like Granada! It is very different from Cordoba visually and architecturally, and it is larger than Cordoba. The buildings in our area are painted with earth tones, tans, ochres, etc. Granada is very hilly, whereas Cordoba is flat. I remember reading somewhere that some people consider Granada “gritty” but I didn’t see that at all. Maybe I would call Granada “serious” and Cordoba “happy” or “lighthearted”. I do wish we had another day to explore the Albaycin more thoroughly and visit the Royal Chapel, which we missed.
The next day we leave for Malaga!
Oct 6th, 2017, 08:28 PM
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Glad to hear your experience in Granada was so positive and you enjoyed the Alhambra. I am really looking forward to our visit next year.
I do have one question, did you book the ALSA bus before arriving in Spain, and did you book direct with ALSA or through another booking agent?. Thanks
I do have one question, did you book the ALSA bus before arriving in Spain, and did you book direct with ALSA or through another booking agent?. Thanks
