Hi Maribel...we are heading to Segovia tomorrow morning in the AVE...just one question...I was reading your guide for Segovia and it has a place where one could drive up to see the postcard shot of Segovia with Alcazar in the view... Can you please tell me how to get there if we don't have a car or what the place is called so that I can tell the taxi cab person to take us there? Thanks!

Hi vibhav,
Nice to hear from you!
Yes, that place for your panoramic view, "vista panorámica" of the Alcázar below is this:

Tell him to you want to go to:
"La vista panorámica- desde el merendero (picnic area), en la confluencia de los ríos Clamores y Eresma" (where the two rivers come together).
The taxi driver will recognize this and will take you down to this picnic area, where school kids on nice days are out playing soccer (but it may be in the upper 30s tomorrow). The Alcázar will be looming above you, and it's THE shot for a photographer.

The driver can take you as well to the amazing little 13th century church across the road on the Carretera de Zamarramala,
la Iglesia de la Vera Cruz,
founded by the Knights Templar and which follows the floor plan of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
The church is open from 10:30-1:30 and 4-6 pm.

Hope it doesn't snow for you in Segovia tomorrow. Bundle up, just in case! And enjoy this beautiful city.

There are better shots of Segovia on this site---especially by Isabel---but here are the shots you may want, albeit in the rain. Yours will be better. good luck.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4290

vibhav,
Here are Isabel's exquisite photos of Segovia:

http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/spai...lamanca_toledo

Thanks Maribel!! Your advise worked perfectly...the taxi cab driver was able to take us there and bring us back to the Aquaduct too after we showed him what you had written!

One question for tomorrow...We are heading to Toledo...How do we get to the place where we get the postcard view of Toledo from outside the city to see the full city? Do we go to the Parador for this? If yes, where in Parador can we go? Thanks so much... your advise is incredibly helpful!!

Also, today Segovia was bitterly cold...though it did not snow, it was cloudy and winds were howling at around 30km/hr... so we did the best we could... could not stay for the sunset since it was just too cold but still got to enjoy the town very much...we loved it very much... I agree with your recommendation in your guide that it may be good to stay the night there...very charming town...

Thanks again!

Hi vibhav,
Was thinking of you this am when turning on the computer and wondering about the weather!

About the panoramic view of Toledo,
For that same view of the city that El Greco immortalized, from the AVE station across the river (or from the Plaza del Zocodover in town), you can ask the taxi driver to take you up to the "Parador de Turismo"
The cabbie will drive up the Carretera de Circunvalación past the AC hotel and on up the Carretera de Cobisa to the very top, at the Cerro del Emperador where the Parador sits alone.
It's a distance of 4 km. and I'd count on a taxi fare of at least 8 euros. All taxi drivers know where the "Parador de Turismo" is.

Lots of non-guests come up here in their own cars or via taxi solely for the view. You can go inside and have a coffee at the bar and then stroll out to the terrace where you can snap your photos.
Then when you're ready to depart the Parador, ask the desk staff to call you a taxi for the return down to town.

If you visit first, after arriving in the am, tell the taxi driver to take you down to the Plaza del Zocodover to start your city touring.
If you do it last before catching the return AVANT train to Madrid, tell your driver to take you to the Estación de Renfe.

You could also go up the hill just half that distance to the AC hotel for that view, but.... there you don't have quite enough distance for it to be so impressive. It's not quite THE "post card view". The best panoramic, picture postcard perfect view of the entire city is from the Parador. And the Parador has just been fully renovated.

I would do this photo op either first after arriving at the train station (which is neo-mudéjar and a striking monument in its own right), before starting your city touring, or last, for a sunset shot, depending on when your AVANT train arrives from Madrid, the weather, how much time you plan to dedicate to the city....
You know best what kind of light you want.
And again, bundle up and have a wonderful day in Toledo!

Maribel; Suggest to 'vibhav' the name of the small church/museum in Toledo with all the 'El Greco' paintings hanging on the walls. ENJOY Iris

vibhav,
The famous canvas of El Greco, "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" is found in the church, Iglesia de Santo Tomé, but you already know that from my Toledo file.
www.santotome.org

And you'll find more El Greco canvasas in the downstairs rooms of the Museo de Santa Cruz, installed in the Antiguo Hospital de Santa Cruz, just meters below the Plaza del Zocodover. Entrance is still free.

The El Greco house/museum is still closed for renovation as is the Alcázar (fortress) which will *soon* become Spain's military museum, "soon" being a relative term because it's been closed for renovation for quite a while now!

At the Real Fundación de Toledo, they have a special exhibit on Islamic Art from the Aga Kahn museum, running until Jan. 12.
www.realfundaciontoledo.es

For those contemplating a visit to Toledo, the tourist web page has changed and been improved.
It's now
www.toledo-turismo.com

Hi Maribel...thanks again...your advise worked perfectly for us...we were able to get to the Parador without any problem...we even got the Taxi to stop on a couple of viewpoints along the way to take some pictures...

The only problem was that Toledo was very cloudy and gloomy so not great for photography but since there was not much wind, we were able to enjoy the town a whole lot more!

Sadly, tomorrow is our last day in Madrid and then we return back to the US...we have had great time on our vacation here in Spain...

Sakshi, my wife, has been writing notes about our vacation so she will post it in form of trip reports once we get back for others to benefit...

Our report will not be very long but should benefit people traveling with little kids to help provide that point of view...

Anyway, tomorrow will be a leisure day and binge again on sweet treats like nepolitana and chocolate con churros!

Thanks again to everyone, especially Maribel, to provide excellent support before and during the trip...

vibhav,
So glad the directions to both worked out well for you, and I wish you three a "perfect" last day in Spain and a safe and uneventful trip home!

And enjoy that final chocolate con churros binge!