First off, I need to say that we loved Spain and never felt unsafe or threatened. I've noticed some comments on this site about muggings and crime and, while I'm sure they do happen - like in all big cities, we never saw anything sinister at all. Second, although we had practiced some Spanish before going, we were surprised by how few people spoke any English. Luckily, we knew enough to do fine, but if you don't speak Spanish, a phrase book and/or dictionary really is a must. However, virtually everyone we encountered was extremely friendly and patient with our poor Spanish. They may not have spoken English, but they definitely wanted to help! Finally, I'm not going to clutter up this trip report with urls and phone numbers, but if anyone wants any contact info for anyhthing, feel free to ask or e-mail! <BR> <BR>Day 1 (Tuesday) <BR>----------------- <BR>Arrived in Madrid, where we had pre-booked AeroCity shuttle on their website. They were great: their stop is easy to find and they arrived right on schedule. Checked into Hotel Carlos V, which we found to be perfect! It is very centrally located, close walk to Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, and right across the street from El Corte Ingles (major department store). The room was lovely and immaculate with a sparkling bathroom, an air conditioner, and a stocked mini-bar. The mini-bar prices were posted and extremely reasonable, so we found it very useful to have waters, sodas, and snacks readily available in our room. The breakfast was great and included in the rate, which came to just under $100 US with tax. We would definitely stay at this hotel again. By the time we arrived and checked in it was about 5:00pm, so we walked over to Plaza Mayor for a snack. We sat at an outdoor café right in Plaza Mayor, and ordered an assortment of tapas. The experience of sitting and relaxing right in the square was great - but the price was NOT ($60!!). The food was good, but no better than the many places nearby where we could have had the same meal for about $20!! In retrospect, we'd enjoy a drink in Plaza Mayor, but take our dinner elsewhere! After eating, we strolled around the area, getting an evening tour of city hall, the royal palace, puerta del sol, and the little streets in between. On our way back to the hotel we wandered into a little bakery, where we had the most incredible Trufas (sort of like chocolate mousse balls covered in sprinkles). We had trufas at a few other bakeries over the next week, but nothing compared! And we went back for these before leaving, and they were as good as we remembered, so it's not like one of those built-up-in-our-head legends! The sun stays up pretty late (well, much later than in Florida, anyway), and it still was somewhat light at 10:30 when we decided to call it a night (not bad for our first day after flying all night!!). <BR>

Day 2 (Wednesday) <BR>------------------ <BR>Weather was beautiful and sunny, started off with a breeze (but was soon to get hot!). After breakfast at the hotel (potato tortilla, fruits, cheeses, meats, buns, juice & hot chocolate) we headed out to Palacio Real. This was definitely worth seeing: the rooms of the palace are beautifully designed (look up - almost every room has a gorgeous ceiling fresco), and the royal armory is full of authentic weapons and suits of armor. I never realized that the horses wore armor too - very cool. The palace took a few hours, definitely a whole morning's activity - but could be done much quicker if you're pressed for time. After a little strolling around the shops nearby, we decided to find the Iglesia de San Antonio de la Florida, where there was a fiesta going on (for single women looking for a boyfriend). There were lots of women there, lined up outside the church, some of them in traditional dress. And there were rows of carnival-style booths selling snacks and souvenirs. There was a stage in the middle where there were concerts scheduled for each night of the week. I can't say I'd really bother going to that again, but the neighborhood was actually pretty and we enjoyed lunch at an outdoor patio nearby (a LOT cheaper than dinner the night before!!). Afterwards we got a little lost and stumbled upon the Jardines de Santorini, a very simple, peaceful park where we really enjoyed sitting on a bench in front of the fountain and watching the people go by. Next we headed off to find the candy shop Violeta that we'd heard so much about. It was actually very easy to find, but we were not as enamored with the candy as many people are. Anyway, if anyone wants the candies and can't find the shop, we later noticed that they are available at many places around town, including Corte Ingles (in the grocery section, in the bakery) and at many other small bakeries. By then it was about 8:30 pm, so we decided to take a shower and change for dinner. Decided to just walk around and eat wherever we ended up…which turned out to be a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant with stone walls and lots of candles. Paella for 2 came to less than $10. Afterward we got ice cream cones and ate them while we explored some more city streets. <BR>

Day 3 (Thursday) <BR>--------------- <BR>Prado day! Once again, the weather was gorgeous as we headed off to the Prado. The museum is very nice; it happens that the art is not among my personal favorites, but still many beautiful pieces with a lot of historical significance. We wanted to understand what we were looking at, but were having some difficulty translating the Spanish-only signage, so we purchased a museum guide book in the gift shop. Unfortunately, that too was hard to follow, because it was not organized in a way that corresponded to the layout of the museum. Finally, about halfway through, we figured out that each section of the museum contains a little "vending-machine" type thing where you can buy a really cool little book explaining each piece in that section. They are available in about 5 languages, and work out much cheaper than the guidebook we bought - even if you buy one in every single section. Would definitely recommend those booklets!! We were done at the Prado by about 5:30 and decided to try a little eatery nearby that we'd read about in one of our guidebooks. It turned out to be a great choice: La Plateria, right across the street from the Prado. There is a large outdoor terrace with umbrella tables, extremely friendly staff, and truly terrific food. We asked the waiter to just bring whatever he thought was good, which turned out to be ham with tomato-seasoned bread, duck with potatoes, and a fresh salad with tuna. Everything was unusually delicious, and the waiter even insisted on providing wine (free of charge) because he felt it would enhance the food! After our meal we explored the neighborhoods around the Prado, where there are lots of quaint buildings with flowers spilling off the balconies. Before we know it, it was almost 9pm, so we headed back to change. Headed back out to Cinema Ideal for the 10:00pm showing of "El Diaro de Bridget Jones". You might be thinking: "Why bother going to a movie in Spain!?". Well, we loved the experience. First of all, none of the staff spoke any English and there was a strangely enjoyable novelty about doing mundane things like ordering movie tickets and popcorn in Spanish. Second, the movie experience was very different there: much more formal than at home. Everybody was so quiet and "well-behaved", the room was completely pitch dark, and nobody moved a muscle until the last credit had rolled. But the best thing about going to the movie was how much it helped with our Spanish. The movie was actually shown in English with Spanish subtitles, so while we could understand what they were saying, we could read the translation at the same time. We actually picked up a lot of words and phrases. OK, so if we had only 3 nights in Madrid, we wouldn't spend one at a movie theater. But, considering that we had 9 nights, we thought it was a really fun time! After the show, we headed over to Plaza Santa Ana for a late dinner at one of the many sidewalk restaurants there. Very lively and fun, and the asparagus with heart of palm salad was delicious. <BR>

Day 4, Friday <BR>--------------- <BR>Day trip to Toledo. The metro system in Madrid really user-friendly, and it is only 4 stops from Peurta del Sol (Carlos V Hotel) to the train station. Since Toledo is so close (about 1 hour), it is accessible by commuter train, so it is really quick and easy to buy tickets. Toledo is absolutely breathtaking. Every way you turn, you see another vista of mountains and hills dotted with tiled rooftops. We just spent the whole day walking up and down the hills exploring all the streets and shops and buildings. Ended our tour by walking up to the Alcazar, where there are fantastic views of the city. We found that one full day was plenty in Toledo, but it would also probably be a pretty place to stay overnight. When we arrived back in Madrid, we took a short nap in preparation for Friday night OUT in Madrid! We got ready and dressed nicely (me in a sexy/feminine dress and strappy heels, him in black pants and top with leather shoes). Step 1 (10:30pm) was dinner at Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas off Plaza Mayor. It is a very old, historic type of restaurant with a large menu and good food. Dinner for 2 , with an appetizer came to about $50. Step 2 (midnight) was Puerta del Sol where we decided to have a few drinks in a cozy bar. Step 3 (2:00am) was dancing at Palacio Gaviria. We'd heard that the clubs don't get going until late, and it is really true: the club was just barely starting to move at 2:00am. Palacio Gaviria is a great club - housed in a former palace with many different rooms and several different dance floors (each with different type of music). There was a room with American dance music - but we didn't need to go to Spain to hear that, so we stayed in one of the Spanish music rooms. At first there were just a few couples on the dance floor, but then one of the gorgeous girls grabbed the dj's mike and cheered everyone onto the dance floor for a "line dance" type of thing (except Spanish-style). She taught everyone the moves, and before you knew it the dance floor was packed. Once it got going, it didn’t stop!! At around 4:00am, waiters came around with complimentary sandwiches. We left around 5:00 (even though things still seemed to be going strong) and went around the corner to Chocolateria San Gines, where people go for "chocolate con churros" at the end of the party night! What a great time… <BR>

Day 5, Saturday <BR>----------------- <BR>We indulged in a bit of a sleep-in to recover from last night. At about noon we left the hotel for Retiro - definitely a lovely park and a great place to spend a relaxing afternoon. We had heard rumors of drug dealers at the park, and in fact we did see a few as we entered, but once we were inside the park, everything was very clean and nice. We strolled over to the lake (pond?) which is so pretty with a large sculpture/waterfall thing at one end. Rowboats are for rent, and we took one for an hour and a half. The weather was sunny and beautiful, and there were many rowboats out on the water. It was a very simple afternoon, but one of my very best Madrid memories. After leaving the park, we went to Corte Ingles (across the street from the hotel) and bought a whole assortment of foods form their grocery department (paella, tortilla, etc…) and had a "picnic" dinner back at our hotel room. Then time to get ready, because we had tickets to Teatro Lope de Vega to see "La Bella y La Bestia" (Beauty & the Beast)!!! When we had purchased our tickets, we asked for the best seats they had. They were about $50US each, and they were great seats. The show was spectacular!! We didn’t catch much of the Spanish, but it really didn’t matter: most of the story was really conveyed by the acting and dancing and performing. The sets and costumes were the best I've ever seen and every minute of the show was fabulous. I think this show is a must-see in Madrid!! <BR>

Day 6, Sunday <BR>-------------- <BR>After breakfast, went off in search of the Rastro. This outdoor market happens every Sunday and is really like nothing I've ever seen. The booths spill over into all the side streets and sell almost everything and anything imaginable (mostly junk - but still fun to walk around). Many of the booths are arranged in categories: there is one row of art supplies, one of photography equipment, and several streets of antiques. I bought an oil painting by a local artist - a very pretty souvenir, and a nice piece of art. The Rastro lasts until about 2pm, when we decided to get some lunch and take a break before heading out to Las Ventas (the bullring). Before I go any further, I need to say that the bullfight is barbaric and tragic, but is also an incredible experience. If I had it to do over, I would still go to the bullfight…but it also made me cry. There are many different price-levels of tickets, depending on sun or shade, and distance from the ring. We couldn't figure out the pricing scheme, so we just bought the best seats. They turned out to be ringside, but it probably isn't necessary to be quite that close. <BR>

Day 7, Monday <BR>Departed for an overnight trip to Seville. We kept our room at the Carlos V, so we brought only a small knapsack. The high speed trains in Spain are really nice, but require a bit more preparation than the commuter train, so it's necessary to allow for a bit of extra time at the station. If you are purchasing a round trip ticket you will need to know specifically which return train you want, and you will need to pick which class ticket you want (neither of these are relevant on the commuter train). Also, boarding on the high speed train closes at ten minutes before departure, so it is necessary to be a bit early. The train ride was extremely comfortable, and didn't really feel like 3 hours. As soon as we arrived, we caught a taxi to Hotel Dona Maria. We had debated whether to stay in the older section of Seville (Santa Cruz) or the city part - I would definitely say that we made the right decision to stay in the old part. I think it is that area of the city that really sets Seville apart from other cities - in my opinion it is like the Venice of Spain (without the canals), full of endless winding narrow streets where you get hopelessly lost, but don’t care because each wrong turn leads to a more beautiful sight than the last. Although we were extremely pleased with our location, we're not completely sure if that particular hotel was worth the money. There were other, cheaper hotels nearby, but we'd opted for this one because we thought it would make our one night in Seville more memorable. It was pretty, and each room is decorated differently with antiques, but it didn't really seem much nicer than the less expensive hotels nearby. <BR> <BR>We had sent away for the pamphlets offered by Spain's office of tourism, one of which was a booklet of walking tours in Seville. Because Hotel Dona Maria is directly beside the cathedral, we decided to start with the tour that began there. We followed all the sights on the walking tour, but also made many diversions to explore other streets and buildings we came across. It was the most beautiful area we'd seen in Spain so far and was an incredible day. It ended up taking hours because we left no stone unturned, but we loved every minute. We also included lunch right next to the Alcazar at a place called "restaurante El Alcazar". The patio was secluded and pretty, and the food was outstanding. By the time we arrived back at the cathedral we were exhausted, so we decided to take one of the horse and carriage rides. It seemed really "touristy" but, then again, that's what we were. Ultimately, we were really glad we did it, because it was much more fun than we thought. Our driver gave us a commentary of everything, and took us to many places, including through the park and to the governmental buildings. It was a really fun way to see a bit more of the city. By the time the ride was over we realized we were really warm (it was over 100 degrees) so we decided to take a break by the rooftop pool at the hotel, overlooking the cathedral. Very nice and relaxing. After showering and dressing we went to explore the second Santa Cruz walking tour, before our 11:00 reservation at El Arenal Flamenco. The show was great in a small, intimate setting. There are options to see just the show, or have dinner and the show. We had selected dinner, but the food really wasn't very good and was expensive. I'd definitely recommend eating elsewhere before. Otherwise, the flamenco was very entertaining and a lot of fun. <BR>

Day 8, Tuesday <BR>--------------- <BR>Second day in Seville. Breakfast at Hotel Dona Maria is served room-service style, so we began our day with a relaxing breakfast in bed. Then spent the morning on 2 more walking tours: around the bullring, and the Guadalquivir. Both nice, but nothing compared to the Santa Cruz area. After lunch, we walked around the shopping district, and then went to the Alcazar to tour the inside. Finally, there was time for dinner at an outdoor café before our 8:00 train back to Madrid. After getting "home" to Madrid we walked over to a bakery for some pastries and strolled around the Puerta del Sol. <BR> <BR>Day 9, Wednesday <BR>------------------ <BR>Pretty much designated as a shopping/wallking day. Wandered into shops all around Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Grand Via, and spent a little while in Corte Ingles. We'd wanted to end our stay in Madrid with a really nice dinner, so we made reservations at l'Hardy. We picked it specifically because it was the nicest restaurant that didn't require a jacket and tie, but despite its casual dress requirements, the décor and service were incredibly refined. The interior is decorated in a very traditional, regal style with lots of red velvet and gilt. The service was impeccable and the food delicious (mostly). We asked for the waiter's recommendation for an appetizer, and he brought partridge pate, which we did not like at all. He then replaced it with their "special salad" which was really great. For entrees we had rabbit and pheasant, both very good. For dessert we ordered the "souflee surprise". The surprise was that it wasn't souflee, just cake, but it was actually very good. Dinner came to around $100 and was a great way to end our stay. Then back to the hotel to pack up - off to London the next morning! <BR>

What a lovely and informative report! Thank you very much for posting it.

Kimberley, great report. Excellent writing. Reminded me of our trip to Spain last year. It sounds like you had a great time.

Kimberley, thank you for your post on Spain. I am so glad to hear you had a great time. Spain is one of my favorite countries. I look forward to visiting again this fall.

Wonderful report. Just a comment, not all muggings, thefts etc. happen in large cities. I think that cities get a really bad rap, and these situations happen everywhere.

Thanks Kimberley for an awesome report on Madrid. I can hardly wait for my trip in October!

Kimberley: <BR> <BR>BRAVO! Thank You for a wonderful and very well written travel report. <BR> <BR>I loved your travel fashion range of getting "dressed" and going casual. <BR>So nice to get accounts of travelers who do both. <BR>In that same thought it is GREAT to read reports from travelers who eat expensively and otherwise. <BR> <BR>Your trip had something for ALL especially for those of us who do "dress up" and "spend freely" on meals! <BR> <BR>Spain is a great place! <BR> <BR>Happy Travels <BR>Oaktown

This is exactly the kind of trip report that I love -- lots of details! Spain is on my "to do" list so I appreciate this very much.

This is a great travelogue. It inspires travel and has me all excited about our upcoming trip to Spain.

Hi Kimberley, thank you for a lovely report, one question:<BR>How did you reserved the Aero city Shuttle, and how much did it cost?<BR>Thank you.