Viajero2 and Graziella5b - glad you liked the pictures. The one mentioned as "spooky" is of a fresco in the castle in Segovia.

I agree that while Toledo would be a very easy day trip from Madrid, an overnight is better. I also did three nights there and loved it. I realize many people don't want to spend three nights in each of Salamanca, Segovia and Toledo as I did (Plus another 4 in Madrid) -but that trip remains one of my all time favorites. And I was there in July which many people advised against but while it was warm, it was not at all intolerable.

I agree with you, it is a sign of our times to have to do places, to spend such a short time in amazing places having to do it, and then it seems a compulsory duty do another and another..... For me is not the way to travel, at least I try not to do it. Sometimes because of a previous reservation or bad weather or something I have been forced to do this jumping and I always have regretted. It is only logical to have a blurred vision of places done in a short time. Philosophically : is it better to have such a vision versus not going at all?. I guess it all depends and we are so different from one another that a wide spectrum of replies would come up .

Bookmarking - thanks all

Bookmarking - thanks everyone