Visit to Castilla and Leon.

Old Sep 7th, 2006, 03:32 PM
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Visit to Castilla and Leon.

Hi ....We are considering for next year a visit to Castilla and Leon. I would love to hear the opinion of Maribel and so many other Fodorites that know Spain so well.
Arriving to Madrid from US, we plan to stay there for one or two days and then get a train to Burgos. Spend in Burgos three days and then rent a car for 1 week and drive South to Lerma, staying at the Parador.(for 2 or 3 days)
From there we plan to visit 1) St Domingo de Silos 2) here comes my first question,
What else? Among possible choices Cocarrubias, Penaranda de Duero(castle) ...?
From the Parador we will go to our next stop :
Zamora. Probably stoping overnight in some
Place, which is the second question: Where?
May be Tordesillas?.
From Zamora staying at the Parador for a couple of nights we would drive South towards Salamancaq, but because the week rental of the car will not be over yet I would like to go to Ciudad Rodrigo, 80 kms E of Salamanca and spend there one or two nights .Then drive to Salamanca, return de car and stay for a few days.
Then take the train to Madrid.
May be the most important question is regarding the weather, will early March be to early in the year. Will it be too cold.?

Note,In history books I have read a lot about Toro, Aranda del Duero,Medina del Campo Campo not to mention the fantastic castles of Coca,Penafiel,and others. I have also learnt that it is not a good idea to try to include too many visits because at the end it is like a saturation. That is why I am asking for your advice, to try to do it wisely.
We are looking forward to return to Burgos, Salamanca and Zamora three cities that we like very much.
Also the idea of staying at the Parador in Lerma sounds exciting because of its location and because, of course, we like to stay in Paradores.(Anos Dorados do come handy)

years ago we used to rent a car for the full trip but lately we are begining to like the idea of leaving and arriving to Madrid by train.I have planned the trip as to spend three days in Burgos without a car, and again a few more days in Salamanca without a car. The savings are very welcome ....Muchas gracias.
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Old Sep 7th, 2006, 03:35 PM
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Sorry I meant Covarrubias and of cours Ciudad Rodrigo is West of Salamanca not East.
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Old Sep 8th, 2006, 06:02 AM
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Hi Graziella,
We've stayed at the Parador in Lerma fairly recently and have taken that loop south through the Valle del Arlanza. I would definitely included a stop off in Covarrubias (they call it the cradle of Castilla) for a walk around. Doesn't take long to see the town, the tourist office gives 1 hr. guided tours (in Spanish) and the visit to the Colegiata is in Spanish and by a guide only, but costs only a few euros. The museum there has pieces by Berruguete and Van Eyck.
I loved visiting the castle at Peñaranda del Duero, but the most impressive sight there for me was the Renaissance Palacio de Avellaneda. The rooms have the most impressive coffered ceilings, the artesonado is striking-don't miss this!-, and the pharmacy, Antigua Botica Ximeno, is the second oldest in Spain.
Then we moved on to Santo Domingo de Silos but didn't time it correctly for Gregorian chant, although I had heard the monks before. Before you go, check the schedule at www.abadiadesilos.es/

We also took a short and very easy walk down the gorge at Yecla. You park your car on the side of the road, cross the road, take the modern steps down, then walk along a narrow cement walkway with high railing (just like a sidewalk-you can do this in heels-it completely redone a few yrs ago), and the entire walk takes only about 10 minutes. I did the walk, and my husband stayed at the car and photographed the dozens of griffon vultures soaring ahead.

I'm not a big fan of rather ugly Aranda del Duero other than to stop at an asador for lamb (and I won't return to the Mesón de la Villa there-last meal was disappointing), so I would skip it on the drive from Lerma to Zamora. I would stop instead at the impressive castle at Peñafiel. Again, here you take a tour in Spanish only, but you can really wander at leisure, and it's the only way to get to the top. There are great views there of the charming Plaza del Coso below, still covered with sand and used for jousting tournaments and novilladas during their festivals. Part of the castle has been converted to a Wine Museum, which we didn't tour (just bought at the shop), but Peñafiel puts you in the center of the Ribera del Duero wine country, for great wines and roast lamb. Some of the very best lamb in these parts can be found at Alonso in Peñafiel and Mannix in tiny Campaspero.

If you haven't visited already, I would certainly save time for the magnificent Museo Nacional de Escultura in Valladolid, one of Spain's most impressive museums with very moving, lifelike polychromed sculptures from the Middle Ages to 19th century, with works from my favorite religious sculptors, Berruguete, Juan de Juni, Gregorio Fernández.

Then I would spend the night in Tordesillas. I love the Parador there for sentimental reasons-the second one I ever visited-and it's very relaxing.

From Salamanca to Ciudad Rodrigo, you must take a detour down to the valley of the Batuecas to one of Spain's most picturesque medieval towns, La Alberca de Salamanca, driving up to the top of the Peña de Francia on your way.

We have done all this during March. While layers were necessary, we also had some pleasant sunny days.

More later...
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Old Sep 8th, 2006, 06:08 AM
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Hi Maribel, you are an angel. Thank you youand thank again, wow!! that was perfect, exactly what I need to know.
Still more to come....? fantastic
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Old Sep 8th, 2006, 01:18 PM
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Me again, Graziella,
About the weather:
While Castilla la Vieja can be cold, cold, cold during the winter (remembering my student days in Salamanca), by the first week of March, you may find it far less so.
Spain is heating up, that's for sure! We spent last (mid-to-end) March in Bilbao, Vitoria, the Rioja Alavesa, Logroño, then down through Burgos to Madrid, and we had some really pleasant days with no need for a heavy coat.

I've just booked 3 weeks of Parador stays for us on the Años Dorados and 5 Noches plans, and you're absolutely right-the savings are remarkable during low and shoulder season!

In Lerma the best rooms are on the beautiful "noble" floor, which is the 3rd, I believe. Make sure not to accept a dormer room on the 5th floor, as it requires too many steps, plus there is no door to separate bathroom from sleeping area. No privacy!

I would do brick, mudéjar style Coca castle from the parador of Tordesillas, stopping on the route in Olmedo, the capital of the mudéjar. And Medina del Campo, where poor Juana la Loca languished on in the Castillo de la Mota, has a Sunday market. Coca is the granddaddy of the Castilian castles for me. Again, it can be seen by guided visit only, I think, lasting about 45 min.

For current opening hours of Valladolid's gem, the Museo Nacional de Escultura see http://museoescultura.mcu.es

I would take a day for Valladolid (but not a Mon.) and also include a visit to the Casa Museo de Cervantes, recently restored.
I believe they're planning to restore the Casa Museo de Colón soon.

http://museocasacervantes.mcu.es/portada/portada.htm

From Ciudad Rodrigo, it's not a long drive down to Coria in the Alagón valley of northern Extremadura, which is quite an interesting, totally off-the-beaten path noble town with Roman walls intact, which would be just an incredible tourist gem if the potentially gorgeous Baroque buildings were all restored. A diamond in the rough. Here we walked into the tourist office and were virtually inundated with nice books on Extremadura.

I'll be back if I think of anything else!
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Old Jan 12th, 2007, 06:54 AM
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Hi Maribel, I am printing your reply to take with me. Plenty of time yet ...We have changed the intinerary and plan to include Peñafiel,+ a winery providing we find one that has visit hours, and also Villadolid. The matter in fact, we are going to sleep there. Zamora which I know and Ciudad Rodrigo which I do not we are going to leave them out this year. Instead more days wondering around Medina del Campo, wineries and more days in Salamanca.
I am writing to you but you must be in Spain or elsewhere because I haven't seen postings from you lately, but I wished to tell you that as usual your advice has been taken by us. Muchas gracias....
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Old Jan 12th, 2007, 08:41 AM
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Hi Graziella,

What a great trip you have planned! I will be very interested when you come back to read your comments. I have been in Burgos, Salamanca and Zamora and really enjoyed my time there. I would love to visit the Parador in Lerma, almost did it last summer.

Please post when you come back! Have a great trip!
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Old Jan 12th, 2007, 12:28 PM
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Hi criseluv, I 'm happy to know you think if is a good plan. I changed it many times.
Of course I shall let you know how did it go, send me your
email and I shall keep it my computer's agenda.
([email protected])
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