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Spain trip report
Hola!
I’m recently back from my ten day trip to Spain. It was excellent. I’m appreciative of the Fodorites who made helpful comments on my pre-travel inquiry. For those interested in reading about my journey in Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Seville and Granada, I am writing up a little trip report. I departed October 20 via United Airlines. Flights were uneventful. Immigration line at MAD looked crazy, but it wasn’t as slow as I thought it would be. My plane touched down at 9 am and I was at my hotel, the Ibis Maravillas, by 10:30 am. Taxi, fixed rate, was 33 Euro. My room wasn’t ready, so I stored my bags with concierge and embarked on my day. It was warm and sunny. Way warmer than I expected or dressed for! I knew Madrid is a big, busy city, but it surpassed what I expected! Lots of honking cars to rival anything you’d hear in NYC. I got some cash from Deutsch bank nearby, but I don’t recall any place not taking cards. Last year when I was in the UK, I never got cash and tapped my way through my journey with my VISA card. I spent my afternoon walking around, checking out the exterior of the royal palace, visiting the interior of the cathedral adjacent and other random churches, rambled around the Plaza Mayor and Sol. I love the bear sculpture in Sol. I walked around the Mercado San Miguel. It’s a neat place, but wildly busy and chaotic. A snack I had eaten along the way didn’t agree with me so that was my cue to return to hotel to see if my room was ready. Thankfully, it was. I rested and recovered for a while. I had planned to go to the Thyssen Museum which is free on Mondays, but my stomach had not stabilized before it closed at 4 pm. Boo. Once I felt better, I went to the Metro, bought a ten journey card and proceeded to go to Retiro Park for a walk about. This is a large, lovely, pedestrian park. So many people were out enjoying the beautiful afternoon. A note about the Metro. It’s very reasonable! The card to load fares is 2.50 E and with ten journeys added to it, my total cost was 8.50 E ($9.35 USD on my credit card statement). I call that a bargain. The Metro network was clean and I felt safe regardless of the time of day I used it. I felt pretty safe throughout my time in Spain as a solo traveler. The Reina Sofia museum is free the last two hours of the day, at least on Monday. I went down there but the line was enormous. As I had not slept on the long plane journey, I decided to pass. I went back to my neighborhood and had dinner at Goiko. As a solo traveler, it was a perfect place as I didn’t feel out of place like some busier places would have felt. A Lidl was just a block from my hotel, so I stocked up water there and a couple of snacks. It had been a long day, so I turned in after dinner. Madrid is a beautiful city with stunning architecture and I was looking forward to the next day to explore more. |
Along for the ride!
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Hi Melnq8! I enjoyed reading some of your posts about Spain as I was researching my trip! Very helpful!
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On for the ride
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October 22
An unfortunate thing about my Ibis hotel is that a guest cannot lower the thermostat below 24 Celsius. My room was hot all night and I couldn’t cool down to get a quality sleep. The setting said 24, but I believe it was actually much warmer. I can sleep just fine in my own home at that temp, so I think the reading on the thermostat was not accurate. Given the poor sleep, I was a little slow moving. My timed entry at the palace was for 10:15. Thanks to Fodorites and Rick Steves recommendations, I bought all my important attraction tickets in advance. The line at the palace was very long. It wasn’t very clear about entry for ticket holders, so I just went straight to the front, showed my printed out ticket and I was waved through. One must go through security, fyi, with bags scanned. Price for ticket purchased online was 14.77 E ($16.56 USD). Once inside, it’s a self guided tour. The palace is huge but only a small number of rooms are open to the public. It is of course lavish and beautiful. The day before, I had tried to visit the Basilica de San Francisco el Grande but it had not been open. Luckily, this day it was open and I was able to visit it. It warrants a stop as it is very pretty inside. It’d be a wonderful place for a spiritual or classical music concert. I couldn’t get over how warm it was in mid October and was very glad I packed a skort and short sleeved shirt. Lots of people were in shorts. Madrid surprised me with how casual everyone, locals and tourists, dress. I wandered the city, stopping in churches along the way. The Iglesia de San Jose was one that was particularly pretty. Something I found very interesting in Spanish churches was that many of the figures of the Virgin Mary are adorned with glamorous earrings. I have never seen any kind of representation of Mary wearing earrings anywhere else in the world. She has quite a lovely collection! 😊 |
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Long journey, no sleep. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0a17fb8e5.jpeg Busking bear! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...45e6da0c3.jpeg Catedral https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c94c231cf.jpeg Catedral https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f2a3119f0.jpeg Puerta del Sol bear! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0a248b71b.jpeg Neat architecture https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fb3b9de15.jpeg Crystal palace under renovation in Retiro Park, Madrid https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...152c112f6.jpeg Retiro Park |
October 23
SEGOVIA!!!! Segovia was the driving reason for my visit to Spain. Ever since I was in college and took Spanish and did a presentation on the Alcazar de Segovia, I wanted to go there. Additionally, after my father passed away a couple of years ago and I found a picture of him at an overlook of the Alcazar, I was determined that I should make a pilgrimage and try to stand in the same spot. I had booked my train tickets about a month in advance via the Renfe app. Using the app is key. I could not get a transaction to complete through the website but the app was a breeze and it was great to be able to show train tickets from my phone. Roundtrip was 22 Euro. I took an early (7:50 am) train out of Chamartin. The station is rather unremarkable and I really can’t even remember it now. Maybe I can’t remember it because it was early morning! I got there by way of an easy Metro ride from my Bilbao station. Segovia Guillomar is the arrival station and it’s about a 20 minute ride into the city. A bus is waiting for train arrivals and costs 2.25 E. It makes various stops, but for the tourist, the Aqueduct is the drop off location. And what a location, it’s right in front of the 2000 year old Roman aqueduct! It’s fantastic! I first went up a hill by way of some steps for one view and then went back down and up a whole bunch of more stairs to another view point. Really an impressive sight! The tourist office is right there and it didn’t open until 9:30. I had enough time to photograph and study the aqueduct and visit the devil taking a selfie. This is a funny little sculpture literally of a devil holding a cell phone taking a selfie. I love the sense of humor. Naturally, I took a selfie with the devil. Finally, it was 9:30 and the visitor center was open. I wanted to get a good map and get advice on how I could most easily get to the viewpoint where my dad had been so many years ago. I showed the attendant the pic of my dad and she marked on the map where I needed to go and how to get there. First things first though was the tour of the Alcazar. I had booked a timed entry for the castle and headed there. When you book, if you want to climb the tower, you get a slot an hour after your entry. I entered the castle at 10 am, explored it and then went to the meeting spot for the tower climb. It’s a workout to climb to the top, but it’s worth it. The views of the countryside, the town and in particular, the cathedral, are wonderful. The interior visit of the castle entails just a few rooms. Bathrooms are in the basement of the castle, free and clean. Lunch was a ham and cheese sandwich at Pasteleria Limon y Menta, right on the main cathedral plaza. The sandwich, and a baguette for later, was a bargain at less than $5 USD. I took my lunch to go, but there is a quaint little dining area. Everything looked great. I wandered around and found a nice little park and ate my lunch on a bench, resting my legs for the next installment of stair climbing. It was perfect. The Bishops’ palace is included with the cathedral ticket. I went to the palace first. It has some nice religious art and a few rooms with furniture. There was a lovely, sleek black cat in the courtyard that was a pleasant welcome. The bathrooms here are clean and free. You don’t need to pay museum admission to use the facilities. Enter the building, go up the stairs, enter the gift shop and take an immediate right. Restrooms are just a little down on the right. None of the churches I had hoped to visit were open mid afternoon. I proceeded to the cathedral. No lines to get in. As matter of fact, Segovia was a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively, from Madrid. While there were certainly tourists there, it’s a more calm place than Madrid, Sevilla and Granada. The cathedral is huge and beautiful. There is a lot to see here. I probably spent an hour and a half checking it out before going to the meeting spot for the tower climb. This is a vigorous climb to the stop. I recommend having water with you when you do these climbs. It was exhilarating to make it to the top and see the views of the cathedral spires, the town and the mountains. It was getting late in the afternoon and I had yet to make the hike to the view point of the castle. I was tired from all the steps and inclines of the town, so I decided to get a taxi to take me to the closest entrance to the trail I needed. Unlike Madrid and Seville, Segovia is not a good taxi town. I had to hoof it back to the aqueduct and it was a long wait for a taxi. I showed the driver where I wanted to go, which was just a drop off on the road closest to the trail entrance I needed. He clearly thought it was an unorthodox request, but complied without fuss. To my legs’ and feet’s dismay, it was a hike up a bunch more stairs, very steep and uneven. I would swear it took me thirty minutes, but when I looked at the timestamps on my phone, it was only about 10 -15 minutes before I reached the mirador. Hooray! I had found the very spot my dad had been 40 years ago. It’s a gorgeous view. It was a little creepy making the hike up with nobody around and then at the top there was a weird guy taking pictures. I knew there was a good chance nobody would be around to take my picture for me and I wasn’t going to ask the weird guy. I took a bunch of photos of the castle and then there was a small miracle. Two young women joggers came into view! I called out to them and asked if they could help me out by taking my picture. I explained that my dad had been in the same spot years ago and I was trying to replicate the photo I had of him. These wonderful girls kindly stopped their run and took a bunch of pictures of me with my iphone. I was so grateful for their appearance and photographic assistance. It was 6 pm by this time and I had a 7:20 pm train. I was a little nervous about getting back to town in time to catch the bus or take a taxi to the train station. I did stop in an interesting church that I found to be open. I wish I had spent a night in Segovia to have more time to take in this remarkable city. It seems like many of the churches open in the evening and I would have liked to have visited them all. Then, daunted by the long, uphill climb back to town and the advancing time, I went into a bar and asked the barista if she could call a taxi for me. She was most gracious and did. I made it to Segovia Guillomar station with plenty of time. My 35 minute AVE train back to Chamartin was uneventful. All the stairs and hill climbing made me think I deserved a treat. After a quick stop in my hotel, I went in search of churros con chocolate. I was obsessed with trying them, thinking they looked amazing. Well, the place I picked was a big thumbs down. The churros were not freshly made and the chocolate was not to my taste and consistency preferences. I thought I would be eating churros with chocolate throughout my trip, but I didn’t have any more after that. Too many other options to spend my calories and money! Next up, train to Seville! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...93ce9af52.jpeg Madrid Royal palace https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...543f61622.jpeg Madrid Royal palace https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...791cadf16.jpeg Royal palace https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b94e2f1e8.jpeg Underneath the chandelier. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e6a4e8fdb.jpeg Virgin Mary with glamorous earrings. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f1dd3eefb.jpeg Empanada lunch from El Corte Ingles https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0df25652e.jpeg Iglesia San Jose https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...087965e69.jpeg Palacio Cibeles https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f32803fa8.jpeg James Joyce Pub https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...71682e16c.jpeg Segovia! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f547cd71d.jpeg Segovia https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...350137962.jpeg Stairs of Torre Juan at the Alcazar https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a7d8f4727.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1a2b4ba8a.jpeg Catedral de Segovia https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f7c4fcc8b.jpeg View from cathedral tower https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5708dda2e.jpeg Alcazar de Segovia https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...45b9692ae.jpeg Alcazar de Segovia https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...deabfe633.jpeg The beautiful Alcazar https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ffebc19db.jpeg The mirador I was seeking https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f3e276a6d.jpeg My less than delectable churros. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4deef0fbc.jpeg View from Alcazar torre. |
October 24
9:43 am train to Seville from Madrid Atocha station. Ticket had been purchased well in advance to secure desired time. I took a taxi to Atocha. I concluded before this trip that my days of trying to save a few dollars by taking the Metro with suitcase are over. It’s a better way to travel 😊 Luggage is screened but it’s very quick. I would like to point out to any future travelers to look at all screens showing departure track. My train had changed tracks and one of the screens was not up to date. It was a smooth, easy journey to Seville. There, I took a short taxi ride to my hotel, the Pension Cordoba. This is a small, family run place. Clean, no frills. Two sisters handle the interactions with guests and they are both friendly and helpful. My bedroom was a pleasant, simple space. The bathroom left much to be desired because of the poor configuration. The toilet was very close to the shower and one has to either straddle the toilet to sit down or shimmy carefully between the end of the commode and the wall of the shower. While the hotel entrance was in an alley with no vehicular traffic, pedestrian noise kept me awake very late every night (3 am). I wanted to love my pension because the sisters are so nice, but I didn’t because I was not well rested during my three nights. Well, anyways, forget about the hotel, time to explore Seville! The alcazar and cathedral are a short walk away. Seville is packed with tourists! Disney World crowds! I was a little shocked. I’m used to other European destinations being less crowded in late October, but Spain, I’ve learned, is pretty busy year round. The cathedral was my first stop and it’s magnificent. There is a lot to see here, including the tomb of Columbus. I enjoyed the architectural details and art. The retablo is a sight! Outside the cathedral exit is a gauntlet of Roma/Gitanas harassing tourists with sprigs of rosemary and trying to extort money from tourists. Move through them quickly and do not engage. I grabbed lunch from a pizza joint just across from the cathedral. It was quick and hit the spot. I meandered my way, taking in all the colors and sights, to the Colegial Salvador. Entrance to this church is included with the ticket from the Cathedral. The pink exterior is delightful, and the interior is beautiful. I had noticed on the walk to the Salvador church a delicious looking bakery, Chok. I made a beeline for it and got myself the most wonderful chocolate filled doughnut “bombalone”. It was so good. Look for this place if you are a sugar aficionado in Seville! Next was the Archivo de Indias. My interest in this building was primarily for the architectural magnificence. It’s free and beautiful. The staircase, ceilings, and the front gardens are wonderful. I wandered to the riverfront to see the Gold Tower. It’s a lovely sight. Next to the Fuente de Hispalis, a woman in costume was giving a flamenco performance, to the delight of many onlookers. I sat on a bench and enjoyed the show. This little area has a nice fountain and flowers. Nearby is the luxury hotel, Alfonso XIII. If you have money to spend, this is the place to stay. It’s gorgeous inside and out. I eventually made my way back to my hotel for a brief rest. I had reserved a tour of the roof of the cathedral at 8:30 pm. Seville is very lively and the restaurants, bars and streets are full all evening. I enjoyed taking in the sights as I made my way back to the cathedral. A group of about 20-25 people were escorted into the cathedral at the appointed time. The cathedral, so bustling with crowds earlier in the day, was dark, quiet and empty except for the roof tour group. We were each given headphones so we could listen to our guide as we made our journey through the stairwells and on the roof. Up, up, up! The stairs are spiral and there are a lot of them, but there was a break at one point inside to look at the interior from an elevated location. It was so cool! Eventually we made in on to the roof and walked around, including just outside the rose window. Then you go even higher. It was magical. I highly recommend the tour of the roof, particularly at night. If you have time, I recommend doing a daytime tour as well. Seville is a gorgeous city and it is amazing illuminated at night. I found the experience exhilarating. It was after 10 pm by the time I was back outside the cathedral. I stopped in a café across the street to get something to eat to bring back to the room. I had a relaxed walk back to my hotel and called it a night. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ae6644557.jpeg Gold Tower https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a52468719.jpeg Stairs at Archivo https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...04eca6317.jpeg Giralda https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ed77cb0a9.jpeg Tomb of Columbus https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e467d4f2a.jpeg Dark and quiet cathedral https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2bd51f798.jpeg Alcazar https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...810cb9f37.jpeg Up high! https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e5fca715e.jpeg View from first roof level of Cathedral https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...981605667.jpeg At highest level of roof tour https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...945ac8fb8.jpeg Up next, day two in Seville with Alcazar visit. |
Thx for posting. Lovely pics !
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Agree with danon--wonderful photos, thank you for reporting back!
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Ooh, gorgoeus night photos, Amazing blue sky.
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I appreciate the kind words!
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a0610751f.jpeg Alcazar https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...24ae7423d.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...753a04bcd.jpeg Alcazar de Sevilla https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f7338645a.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fe18dbfa6.jpeg Bombalone from Chok! So good! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...221db07e3.jpeg Iglesia Santa Ana in Triana https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f37a76cf6.jpeg Alfonso XIII hotel https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...22c425427.jpeg Plaza de Espana https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7183d0353.jpeg Plaza de Espana https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f59e697ac.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f335dff19.jpeg October 25 I neglected to mention the church of Santa Maria la Blanca. I went into so many beautiful churches during my trip, I can’t mention them all, but Santa Maria la Blanca is special. It was just down the street from my hotel. It’s small but has a lot of wonderful, intricate features. It’s worth seeking out. I had a 10:30 am booking for the royal apartments of the Alcazar de Sevilla. I entered the property by 9:45 to start exploring the property for a few minutes before heading up to the apartment level. Please know that they tell you to be upstairs at the entrance to the apartments 15 minutes before your appointment time. They mean it. Everyone has to go through security and put purses and bags in lockers. You must have a 1 Euro coin to use the locker. It will be returned to you when you go back. Ten minutes before the appointment time, the tour commenced. Anyone arriving at the actual appointment time would have been out of luck. At first, I wasn’t impressed with the apartments but they got better further into the tour. Visitors are shepherded through each room by two guards. Nobody is going to be lagging behind. It was a short tour and then I was on to the rest of the palace. My favorite part was actually the large garden. There weren’t too many people back there and it was beautiful and peaceful. Even the peacocks were tranquil. It was siesta time for the male peacocks. The ladies were puttering around. After I was done, it was time for lunch. I couldn’t find the place I had planned on patronizing, so I went to Toby’s. It wasn’t very good. One thing about travel is that while you see wonderful things, you also realize that some things are better at home. In Spain, restaurants don’t seem to do very well if you want your meal altered in any way or have specific requests. Oh well. It had started raining while I was at lunch and it wasn’t very pleasant. I decided to go back to my hotel for siesta, but not before retracing yesterday’s steps and stopping by the bakery with the delicious bombalones. By 5 pm, the rain had stopped and I set out for the Triana neighborhood. I paid a visit to the Alfonso XIII hotel to see the interior. It has one of the prettiest lobbies I’ve ever seen. Triana is not packed with tourists like the other side of the river. Santa Ana church is beautiful. Very nice people were staffing the entrance. After exploring some of the area, I crossed the river and went to check out Maria Luisa park. It seems pretty large and well enjoyed by locals and tourists. Plaza de Espana is huge! The sun was getting lower in the sky by this point and it illuminated the building in a warm and lovely fashion. The plaza wasn’t packed but there were still plenty of people. At one location, there were dancers. Inside the beautiful stairway leading to the upper level, a man was playing pleasant music on his keyboard. At yet another location in the plaza, a man was singing along to some cha cha type music. |
TT, I love your final Plaza de Espana shot.
I am done. The end. |
Spanish laws restrict public spaces like reception, bars etc to ac above 27C.
Private room's AC is not controlled by the law but by individual energy and green objectives of the company |
Enjoying your report and photos. Interesting comment about Triana not being packed with tourists, as we thought it was the busiest place we'd visited in Seville. Maybe because we were there on a Saturday?
Might have to go back just for that Bombalone from Chok. I have the same photo of the girl with the book. |
October 26
I had another tour of the rooftop of the Catedral de Sevilla. I wanted a daytime perspective and I lucked out with a beautiful morning. The tour was conducted by a different guide and I learned new things not covered by the guide during my evening tour. It was a wonderful experience seeing the roof and the scenery in the daytime. I have to say, my stair fitness was getting better and better as my trip progressed from all the climbing I had been doing for days, yay! For anyone considering a roof tour and with limited time, I’d pick the evening tour but if possible, I would recommend both for the different perspectives and just in case weather issues impact tours. After returning to ground level, I went around the cathedral interior for a final look. I then climbed the Giralda tower. The climb is via ramps except for a short flight of stairs at the top. The ramps make for an easy climb and there is plenty of space and rest stops if needed. Lunch was at a café across the street. I wandered to Las Setas, a lively area with a modern structure that is an attraction with an elevated walkway and views of the city. I was happy enough admiring the structure from ground level and people watching. I spent much of the remainder of the day visiting churches. The Basilica of the Macarena was stunning inside. I was mesmerized by the alter figure of Mary and baby Jesus. There is a lot to see in this church. It is a bit of a walk from the cathedral/alcazar zone but it’s worth the walk. Another notable church was Santa Catalina. I didn’t have it on my radar, but I stumbled upon it and found it open. To my surprise, there was a lot of action inside. At the altar, one of the figures of a sad Virgin Mary was set up, heavy incense burning adjacent, and with an attendant looking on, people queued and took their turn standing before Mary to pray and touch her hand. The attendant would wipe Mary’s hand before the next person would approach. Walking back to my hotel, I discovered a cookie shop, Galletanos. Some chocolate chip cookies had just come out of the oven so I indulged in two of them for a delicious, if unhealthy dinner. After a brief rest, I went down the street to a piano bar located inside a very nice hotel, Las Casas de la Juderia. The rooms of the bar are beautiful. A pianist plays from 7-10 pm. It was so relaxing, a woman in the main room was asleep in her chair, snoring loudly while her companion enjoyed a drink. The snoring could be heard clear across the room and I made some new friends as we turned to each other and snickered a bit over the snoring lady. I recommend this bar if you love an elegant environment accompanied by soothing music. October 27 Onward to Granada! I took the 9:43 am train, arriving at 12:24. I took a cab to my hotel, Puertas de Granada. This hotel is located on the Cuesta de Gomerez which leads to the Alhambra. My room was available early and I appreciated being able to drop by bags and freshen up. I visited a couple of beautiful churches before settling in at Mamma Rosa for a pizza lunch. The Capilla de Adoracion Eucaristica Perpetua is free and much better than the catedral de Granada, in my opinion. There’s a gautlet of Roma women harassing people in the narrow passageway leading to the Royal Chapel. They are aggressive, so watch out. I literally turned my umbrella into a shield putting space between myself and one aggressive Gitana. I don’t know why the police allow this loitering and harassment. I spent the afternoon visiting the Monasterio de San Jeronimo and the Basilica de San Juan de Dios. The basilica is over the top, decadently decorated. I felt like I was on the set of Phantom of the Opera with all the gold, chandeliers and mirrors. There’s a lot to take in. I loved the gold clock. The monastery is beautiful, and I loved the cloisters. It was raining when I emerged and I walked back to the hotel. My plans to go to the mirador de San Nicholas for the view of the Alhambra were squashed as it was not pleasant outside. I went for an evening ride in one of the mini buses just to do some passive sightseeing. The minibuses, at 1.60 E are a great way to get around and have an informal tour. I took several bus rides in the short time I was in Granada, riding the whole loop. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c3a50a67b.jpeg Stairs to the cathedral roof https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f1042cfc3.jpeg On the roof of the cathedral of Sevilla! https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...94c416af9.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c9b86a5a8.jpeg Las Setas https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...44c395466.jpeg Piano bar! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7bffdd237.jpeg Opera or church? It’s the Basilica de San Juan de Dios in Granada https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d7424797f.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a8b024e05.jpeg San Jeronimo Monastery https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...24739a004.jpeg Rain, go away! |
The cow seems adequately protected from the rain!
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October 28
Alhambra day! My ticket had been booked months in advance. Feeling lazy, I chose to walk downhill to Plaza Nueva to take a cab to la Puerta de Justicia where ticketholders can enter. I was very lucky to awake to nice weather and my entire day at the complex was fantastic. My timed entry to Nasrid Palace was 9:30. I wandered around the grounds for half an hour, taking exterior photos of various structures before making my way to the palace entrance. The palace is very intricate. And very crowded! I marveled at everything before moving on to Generalife, Alcazaba, Carlos palace and the extensive grounds of the site. I really enjoyed the gardens and climbing to the top of the Alcazaba. What else was nice about the Alhambra? The cats! There are a lot of cats on the property. They keep to themselves, but they are a pleasant visual enhancement to the grounds. Only one cat, a tortie, was amenable to being petted. I have a special fondness for tortoiseshell cats and it was no surprise that of all the cats there, it would be the tortie who would have the confidence and tolerance for tourists. Lunch was a baguette I had saved from breakfast and was consumed in the picnic area outside Alcazaba. Random tip: there is a good restroom by the Teatro del Generalife. No crowds and clean. I was done with the site around 1 pm and walked back to my hotel, passing the Washington Irving statue along the way. He lived for a time at the Alhambra and is quite likely a major reason the Alhambra gained the attention needed to preserve it. I have downloaded the book he wrote about the place but it’s still in my queue waiting to be read. For my afternoon outing, I chose the Monasterio de la Cartuja. I took a cab from Plaza Nueva to get there. The building is beautiful inside and out and is worth the visit. From there, I walked to the Jardines del Triunfo. This is a great plaza with fountains that are stunning when running and especially at night. Sadly, when I visited this particular afternoon, the fountains were not on. While clouds were rolling in, the rain was holding off, so I took a mini bus to the mirador San Nicolas to join the crowds to admire the sun setting over the Alhambra. Musicians were there entertaining the crowds and it was a fun, but chilly experience. When I was done, I waited a long time for a minibus, but one finally came. October 29 My train back to Madrid was not until 3:30 pm. I was kind of done with Granada and wished I had booked a morning train. It was a dreary, rainy day. I visited the church of St. Gil and St. Ana. Of course, it was beautiful. All the churches are amazing. I also visited the Royal Chapel which holds the coffins of Ferdinand and Isabel and their children. I visited some shops but didn’t buy anything. I really liked the wooden religious figurines, but they were expensive. I still had a lot of time to kill and the weather was crummy, so I hopped on a mini bus and took an informal tour of Sacramonte area. The bus route drove by the caves and shanties in which some people still reside. For anyone visiting Granada, I highly recommend hopping on a mini bus for a cheap tour as a way to rest the feet, get out of the rain, etc. There are several routes to choose from. By the time I was at the train station to head back to Madrid, the weather had turned severe. The rain was coming down hard and it was thundering and lightening. This is the same system that was devastating other parts of southern Spain. I was glad to get out of the area. Happily, the train was only a little bit late and the ride was uneventful. What was not so nice was the long, long, long line and wait for a taxi at Atocha station in Madrid. Yikes. Some of my ideas for evening activities were eliminated due to the amount of time it took me to get to my hotel. I stayed at the same Ibis hotel I was at for the first three nights of my trip. I was very comfortable with the location and it was convenient. My evening was just some shopping for candy to bring back to family. I got back to hotel in time to beat some heavy rain. October 30 To my dismay, the hotel did not have hot water. I was not willing to endure a very cold shower, so my day trip to Toledo would entail me going grunge. No selfies that day! Toledo is a quick, 30 minute journey from Madrid Atocha Station. Rick Steves’ book referencing which buses would take people to Plaza Zocodover was wrong. The first bus driver told me and others his route wouldn’t go there. The next bus I tried, the driver didn’t say it wouldn’t go to the plaza but we all found it that it didn’t. It dropped people slightly downhill from the escalators that take people up to the plaza. I loved the city of Toledo. If I could redo my trip, I’d remove the second night I spent in Granada and spend it here. There’s plenty of good wandering to be done here and has a very comfortable vibe that Granada doesn’t have. My priorities for my limited time in this wonderful city were the cathedral and the monastery of San Juan de los Reyes. There is a lot to see at the cathedral and I found it far superior to the cathedral in Granada. The monastery was also fantastic. I also visited the church of Santo Tome and saw the El Greco painting “Burial of the Count of Orgaz”. This is a pretty quick visit as the church is not very big. In the afternoon, I took the little tourist “train” (not really a train). This is a nice rest for the feet and takes you outside the walls of the city for some fantastic views. If you take it, be sure to sit on the right side of the carriage and make sure you select a row that has an open window. While I was on the right side, I didn’t realize until the carriages filled up that my window was not one that would be open. The train makes one stop for passengers to get out and photograph the city from a great overlook. I puttered about, window shopping, getting snacks, etc. before time to get back to the train station. A side note about Toledo. I had read reports from other travelers that indicated Spanish public restrooms were notorious for not being clean and not having toilet paper. I didn’t have any issues until Toledo. Pathetically, the public WC right by the tourist office and cathedral didn’t have TP nor did the McDonald’s in the Plaza Zocodover. Luckily, I had Kleenex! 😊 I grabbed a cab to take me back to the train station and I asked the driver to take me by the Puente de Alcantara for a brief stop to take a couple of pictures. I didn’t get great shots because I felt compelled to make it quick. I really should have just had that be my taxi exit so I could have leisurely taken photos and then walk the rest of the way to the station, but oh well. The Toledo train station is beautiful and the journey back to Madrid was easy. I used the Metro to get back to my hotel, freshened up and dashed back to the Metro to head to the Prado. The Prado is free the last two hours of the day. I power walked from the station to the Prado, got my free ticket at 7 pm and proceeded to blitz around the museum. It’s a marvelous facility worthy of many hours. I only had one hour, but I did my very best to see as much as possible. It’s quite busy with many other budget oriented people taking advantage of the free hours. I went to dinner at Goiko by my hotel. This was my first dinner place in Madrid 9 days prior and the bartender who took care of me that first day remembered me. He had been courteous the first time, but seeing me again opened him up to being very engaging and friendly. It was late by the time I got home and my packing situation required some serious attention. To my relief on my final morning, the hotel had restored hot water. I took a cab to the airport and had my first chatty cabbie. I had spoken Spanish 95% of my time in Spain, but the conversations were very limited. With a 30 minute drive, this conversation really challenged me which was hard early in the morning with poor sleep! I was proud of myself though and figured my old Spanish teachers from high school and college would be proud of my success in communicating throughout my journey. It was a great trip and I’m very happy that I got to see so many amazing sights. I’m sorry it took so long to wrap up this report! Thanks for following along! |
Beautiful pictures!! Just a couple of comments: no need to buy any water in Madrid (and most of Spain) for your apartment or hotel, tap water is just great. Lunch for us is never a baguette or a quick snack, you have probably missed our 2pm lunches, offering the "menú del día", a very good homemade meal to be enjoyed Mo-Fri for lunch at a very reasonable price. Goiko is a hamburger place, so not very much part of our gastronomic culture (although the number of new burger places is just overwhelming!). And churros with chocolate are normally had for breakfast, rarely for dinner. I´m glad you enjoyed these parts of Spain, despite the rain, thanks again for the pics!
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