After our tiring day in Toledo we were back on the bus on the road to Madrid – this time the freeway, not the back roads. We arrived at our lovely Hotel Paseo del Arte near the Atocha train station in late afternoon, and were free for the rest of the evening.
After settling in to our room, we went to the desk to ask for a recommendation. His suggestion took us to an area of tapas bars, but we found a cute place just before the main tapas bar street that looked inviting, and we had a cold soup and a beer. Perfect!
The next morning we were on a bus-and-walking tour that gave us an overview of the city. The bus dropped us off at the Royal Palace and our walking tour began; our guide explained that the Palace was closed today, because the king was receiving the credentials of new ambassadors. Just as she said that, royal carriages and a battalion of soldiers in horseback arrived! It was quite a scene.
We walked around the streets of the Royal Palace and the streets that lead up to the Plaza Major, the main square in Madrid.
We explored an indoor glass-and-iron market which was built by a devotee of Gustave Eiffel where there were delicious delights, but it was expensive and seemed more like a tourist trap. The market, however, whetted our appetite for lunch.
My sister and I had a very fresh-off-the-grill calamari sandwich and a coke before wending our way back to the hotel. The restaurant was on a side street of the square and the clientele was local. Excellent value!
We had a choice for our afternoon activities: stay and explore more of Madrid or go to Segovia? Hmmm.. what to do? Since this was a backroads trip, we decided to see Segovia. After all, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has an ancient Roman aqueduct, a magnificent cathedral and the fairy tale castle that inspired Walt Disney. We opted to go to Segovia.
We were greeted by the aqueduct, in pristine condition since Roman times, as we entered the city.
We strolled the streets and our guide pointed out the various architectural styles, where Jews, Christians and Muslims once again lived together side by side.
Segovia is a busy tourist town with many shops and restaurants this is a famous restaurant which features suckling pig, a Spanish specialty .
The next stop of interest was cathedral square. As well as the massive cathedral, there is a small church where Christopher Columbus met with Queen Isabella and he talked her into paying for his voyage to discover new lands in 1492. History lives here!
Our last stop was at the Alcazar, or royal castle, which was also decorated in the interior, a rarity these days. Walt Disney took this castle as inspiration for his Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland and as his logo. Who doesn’t remember that?
The castle-fortress rises out of a rocky crag and is one of most of the distinctive castles in Spain by virtue of its shape, like the bow of a ship. The first reference to this fort was in 1120, about 32 years after the city of Segovia returned to Christian hands. Before that, the Muslim era structure was little more than a wooden fort built over old Roman foundations (Wikipedia).
Was it worth a visit? Most definitely! Check Wikipedia for more information on this wonderful city.
On my way down the hill to the bus, I spied another sight worthy of a photo:
After we got back to Madrid we joined several friends at a new restaurant called Ôven, which was across the street from the hotel, on Calle Atocha.
How does one say “world’s greatest spinach salad” in Spanish? My sister and I both ordered it. Delicious!
Tomorrow is our last day of the tour and a free day in Madrid, followed by our farewell dinner.
Hasta mañana!
Julianna, my daughter, studied in Segovia during the summer semester between her junior and senior year of high school, and she studied in Zaragoza during her senior year of high school. Julianna studied in Madrid during the Spring semester of her junior year of college. Julianna teaches Spanish at the University of Virginia. / Karen, your travel journal is inspiring! May you and Beatrice plan another trip together during your flight home! XO, Jan
Julianna studied in some beautiful places. The history of Spain fascinates me. I’m happy you enjoyed the journal and yes, we’re hoping to travel together again. No plans made for just the two of us but I’ll probably see both my sister and Ed in the fall, here at home or in HI – or in between.
You and your cats, Karen. LOL
I’ll check out Segovia on Wikipedia.