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I recently had the opportunity to spend one week in Spain before continuing on to Italy to visit friends. I thought I would post a few comments on the week that I spent there. First, however, it is probably important for you to know that I am a 29 year old male who was not looking for luxurious hotel rooms with posh restaurants, but rather a charming, clean, quiet place to sleep that is accessible to many authentic restaurants and attractions. I speak Spanish and Italian, but it was my first trip to Spain.<BR><BR>DAY ONE - I arrived in Madrid in the late morning and took a bus from the airport to the Plaza de Col&oacute;n, from which I took a 10-minute taxi ride to my hotel, the Hotel Santo Domingo. For my purposes, the hotel was ideal, since it was comfortable, right next to the metro stop, and about a 10 to 15 minute walk to the Palacio Real and the Plaza Mayor, among other sights. I spent about US $95 on a single room, which included breakfast. I had an excellent lunch at Bolo (which is a 5-minute walk from the hotel), whose house specialty is cocido, which some of you may know is a stew served in at least two courses that includes, chick peas, tripe, sausages, and other meats. The meal was excellent, and with a half liter of wine, a bottle of water and coffee came to less than US $25. There was a bustling crowd in the restaurant when I arrived at 2:30 on a Thursday, and just in case anyone needs proof that the locals eat a later than usual lunch, a woman who was also waiting for a table remarked to me that she was told that if she wanted to avoid the wait she should arrive for lunch early—around 2 PM! By the time I left the restaurant at 3:45, there were still crowds of people. The afternoon was spent getting oriented to the city and relaxing in the Plaza Mayor and seeing the Puerta del Sol area. At night, despite my jetlag, I took the metro several stops to see the Cibeles fountain and the postal building in lights--a very picturesque moment, although the fountain itself is being renovated and is partially covered.<BR><BR>DAY TWO - Madrid's royal palace is not to be missed. It is an extremely large structure, and the rooms that are open to the public manage to give a thought-provoking overview of what life in the palace must have resembled. As of early November, there was an interesting exhibition in one section of the palace that focused on the life of Philip V, the Bourbon who came from France to rule Spain in the 18th century. Definitely get to the palace early, as I was one of the first ones there at 9 AM, but you might want to check to see when the English (or other) language tour begins. Keep in mind that I was there on a national holiday, the first of November.<BR><BR>From there, I walked to several churches that are well known for their mud&eacute;jar architecture, and came across several other baroque churches that don't seem to be on any tourist itineraries.<BR><BR>I had lunch at the delicious &quot;Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas&quot; right off of the Plaza Mayor. I ate in the upstairs area, which I think is significantly less touristy and does not have a tapas bar as does the lower part of the restaurant. A lunch of mushrooms in oil with garlic, roasted lamb, wine, water, and coffee came to just under US $30. This is a great place to enjoy a leisurely meal, although it seems that the lower part of the restaurant that inlcudes the tapas bar can tend to be somewhat touristy (not that this is necessarily bad!).<BR><BR>In the evening, I attended a November 1 holiday mass at one of the baroque churches (called Parroquia de San Miguel) a short walk from the Plaza Mayor. You can tell from the moment you approach the church that it must be baroque, and the interior does not disappoint. Both this church and the nearby church of San Francisco attest to the fact that the baroque is alive and well in Madrid.<BR><BR>M<BR><BR>

Selena

Did you go to Seville?<BR>I would like to hear about that city if you did.<BR> Thank you

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mary

in what ???

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(continued from top of thread)<BR><BR>DAY THREE - Today, Itook a day trip to Toledo. This town is austere and challenging to explore without a good map, but that is the whole point. Toledo seems to say as soonyou get there, &quot;Here I am; if you can figure me out, you've won the game!&quot; Indeed, the walk from the train station to the town itself allows you to view the walls of the town

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...negotiate the steep steps that threaten to exhust you before you even manage to see what lies WITHIN the town walls. The facades of the buildings are brownish and some are a combination of stone and brick (brick being the preferred material of the mud&eacute;jar builders). Once you do manage to get to the town center, however, you are treated to a relaxing plaza (Plaza de Zocod&oacute;ver) where you can enjoy coffee and some local sweets (marzipan or other almond based desserts). Your first encounter with the cathedral might be a plain looking wall that you will follow until you come to the cathedral entrance. The inside proportions are huge, as is the impressive altarpiece in various colored materials. Don't miss the sacristy ceiling by Luca Giordano (whom visitors to Naples and Madrid's Palacio Real will recognize), the painting of the Espolio, and, if you can, the Mozarabic chapel, which I believe is the only place in world where it is permitted to perform the very old Mozarabic rite of Catholic worship. I did not arrive early enough to see this chapel, and it was closed. I believe it is only open for those attending mass at about 9 or 9:30 AM. The choir of the church, as in many Spanish churches, is located in the center, so that from the back of the church you cannot see the main altar. The choir is itself a work of art, and it is worthwhile to make time to look at the carvings on the wooden choir stalls, most of which depict scenes from the history of Andalusia.<BR><BR>I continued on to one of Toledo’s synagogues (Santa Mar&iacute;a la Blanca), in which you can roam freely around the small structure that had been converted to a Catholic church. The architecture provides a contrast to some of Toledo’s mud&eacute;jar architecture, but you can almost see how one style depends on the other to some extent. I made a quick visit to the church in which El Greco’s masterpiece is kept (The Burial of the count of Orgaz); since there were no crowds on this day, I was able to view the painting from up close. The figure of the count of Orgaz is clearly representing a deceased human being: in contrast to the complexion of the other figures in the painting, most of whom have rosy cheeks, the figure of the count is a morbid, pale white.<BR><BR>The chapel of Cristo de la Luz was closed, but I was able to view this chapel from the outside. Consistent with the brickwork of many mud&eacute;jar buildings, this chapel is supposedly one of the best preserved examples of mud&eacute;jar architecture.<BR><BR>My final stop was the church of San Juan de los Reyes, a glorious example of Gothic architecture with plateresque design. A wedding was just ending while I was there, so after the crowds cleared out of the church, a visit to the front revealed intricate carvings on either side of the front altar. Much of these carvings are insignia related to Ferdinand and Isabella. I will be clear that you are in a church that was built (or at least begun) under the reign of these monarchs, as you can even spot shields with the letters “F” and “I” respectively decorating the upper walls around the church.<BR><BR>My lunch consisted of a local specialty, perdiz (partridge) at Restaurante Pl&aacute;cido. The portion was not large but was tasty and served with a small side of carrots. I opted for a light Spanish omelette as an appetizer. With a half litre of red wine, water, and dessert, the bill came to about 27 euro.<BR><BR>I continued on to Seville for three nights, and I will continue the trip report a bit later for those who are interested.<BR><BR>M<BR>

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DAY FOUR - Seville<BR><BR>Seville is a city very much alive with feeling, expression, and people. It is as much a tourist city as it is a real, living city, and that should be remembered by all who visit Seville. I arrived in Seville from Madrid via the excellent AVE train and took a cab to the barrio where my hotel was (Las Casas de la Juder&iacute;a). I had a single for approximately 83 Euro a night, including breakfast, and it is one of the best hotel deals I have ever had. The room was spotless, decorated nicely, had a large, marble bathroom, and extremely quiet. I cannot recommened this hotel more highly.<BR><BR>From the moment you set foot in Seville, your sense of smell is awakened; the most potent smell in the air for me was citrus fruit. It seemed that no matter where I was--in a garden, in an alleyway, or crossing the street--I managed to catch a whiff of sweet-smelling orange.<BR><BR>It is worthwhile to get a good map and stroll the Barrio de Santa Cruz--a quaint, though touristy area of Seville. Once you manage to get lost in the maze of streets at least three times, you will have completed your &quot;initiation&quot; into Seville and will probably discover that the route that you had previously mapped out to point A is three times as long as if you had taken a shortcut down a small alleyway. The cathedral was my first stop, since it seemed convenient to reach on foot and was near some casual eateries that I had wanted to try. <BR><BR>The first thought that crosses your mind is that the builders of this structure were SERIOUS about creating a grand scale. Even as you walk around the oustide, you cannot really &quot;see&quot; the churches domes, arches or other architectural supports unless you look from a distance, because the church is so spacious. Everything about the cathedral is BIG and VERTICAL--from the gothic vaults to the intricately splendid altarpiece to the silver sculpted monstrance in the treasury that seemed to be reaching to the sky. This cathedral is no mere &quot;big church,&quot; but really something more. Do make time to peak into the side chapels, some of which contain reliquaries in which bones of saints are kept on display. Outside the cathedral, on the Patio de los Naranjos, you can again savor the smell of oranges, as the courtyard is lined with orange trees. You enter this courtyard by passes through a mud&eacute;jar arch and the place just screams Muslim-Catholic fusion.<BR><BR>The giralda was most impressive from the outside, although those who savor a good view would enjoy reaching the top after a climb up the many flights of &quot;ramps.&quot;<BR><BR>I enjoyed the mid-day meal at Bar Gonzalo, near the cathedral. I had gazpacho, an Andalusian fish fry, a bottle of water, coffee, and a half litre of house wine for about 23 Euro.<BR><BR>Back in the barrio, I visited several smaller churches, several of which were baroque/rococo in style.<BR><BR>M