A travel in the marvelous Castilla, Spain

 

Toledo

Staying in Madrid without a day in Toledo is really a shame, because the city is absolutely beautiful, very intimate and with a variety of monuments to visit, in addition to remarkable views.

The most rapid and convenient to reach from the capital, Toledo is the AVE fast train that connects the two cities in 30 minutes exactly. The ticket to / r in the day costs about € 14. Agrees to book online (at Renfe) before departure to avoid the long lines of ticket.

The train station is connected to a service center by bus which stops at the Port de la Bisagra and the main square Zocodover. Toledo is located in a spectacular location atop a hill surrounded by the river Tagus. Its streets are an up and down until the highest point where there is the Alcazar, which houses a museum. For centuries it was the capital of Spain and still is the most important religious center in the region. For some time living in harmony cultures: Christian, Muslim and Jewish, whose neighborhoods are well defined.

Spring of two days ago, has given way to a cold wind that comes by the artist, but the heat of the sun and the place can still become hot. Starting from the Zocodover Square, where the market was held in Moorish times, along the characteristic and medieval Calle del Sale, who suddenly comes out into the square where the Town Hall el'imponente Cathedral.

The interior (€ 6), truly magnificent, it is the spiritual center of the Spanish Church: the most striking and decoratissimo huge altar with the altar Clear, baroque altar made of marble, the chapter house, with ceiling style Mudejar, the choir with inlaid wood and innumerable chapels, all valuable, including one that houses the monstrance, 18kg of gold and silver over a hundred, that the day of Corpus Christi is parading through the streets of city.

Further down the narrow Calle de la Trinidad and Santo Tome, where a pause is due to Iglesias de Santo Tome, which houses a masterpiece of El Greek, you will enter the Jewish ghetto, where the synagogues, including the Santa Maria and Bianca Transit of the house and museum of El Greek. Just past the Mirador opens on the river Tagus, and we realize for the first time raised the position of the city than the valley below.

Calle Reyes Catolicos follow up with another symbol of Toledo: the monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, unfortunately being restored on the outside.

The most beautiful views of the city are those that are offered by the scenic route over the River Tagus. Who does not have the car can use the Zocotren (€ 3.50), tourist train that leaves every hour from the main square, along the entire center to leave the walls at the Porta de la Bisagra, passes from the bridge dell'Alcantara and that of San Martin, offering breathtaking seen throughout the city, the cathedral until all'Alcazar. The beauty of Toledo is also the dining in its characteristic restaurants: nearly all offer several fixed-price menu consisting of two courses, dessert and drinks, starting at 10 euros for the menu to get more tourists to the 25 euro menu for more refined and typical.

In the afternoon, the square Zocoder to descend the steep Calle de las Armas (who agrees to go back down) from Mirador to the Puerta Bisagra, where the buses that take us into the station.

The evening dinner in Madrid in a discreet buffet on Calle del Prado (metro Anton Martin), € 10 excluding drinks with free access to the buffet (paella, meat and fish).

Escorial, Avila

Today definitively abandon Madrid. Arrive at the Avis office at the Hotel Melia Castilla to withdraw the car for the next 3 days (group A € 110), to deliver directly to the airport. Despite the rush hour, leave the capital without much traffic, just set the GPS to avoid the main arteries, such as trafficatissimo Paseo de la Castellana, and in just under an hour to reach San Lorenzo de El Escorial, where visit the imposing complex (€ 8) composed of the Basilica, the Royal Palace with the salt and the Monastery Chapter (not open).

Starting from the ticket office you enter, after passing by the museum and decorated Sala de Batallas, the royal apartments of Philip II, soberly furnished. From here you descend to the solemn Royal Pantheon, a mausoleum where the remains are kept of all the real Spain and their consorts.

It then goes to the most elegant of all the Sale Chapter, spacious and bright, from the richly decorated ceiling, which hold many works of Greek art of El, Goya, Titian.

After you go to visit the magnificent Basilica (the only building with free admission), which affects the vast dome el'antistante de Los Reyes patio that allows you to admire the splendid facade.

The best glance of the immense and complex gardens, it was the state 505 C, leading to Avila. The state, after an initial short tortuous flow quickly between the mountains and needed less than an hour to travel the 60 km that separate the two towns.

Avila is truly wonderful rises to 1,100 meters above sea level, completely surrounded by perfectly preserved medieval walls that follow the perimeter of the city center for more than 2km, with nine gateways and more than 80 towers. We enter the city by the solemn Puerta de Vincente and follow the walls to the beautiful Cathedral. From here you can access a long stretch of wall (€ 4.50) and go on various towers, until you reach the opposite side of the city. Crossing the center from the Convent of Santa Teresa of Avila, a native of the place, and the Piazza del Municipio. In restaurants you can taste the delicacies mainly associated with roasts and game. Unfortunately, the time to snack is not the place for test quality.

Leaving the city, is a must-stop to Los Cuatro Postes on the road to Salamanca: from here you have a magnificent view of the center and all the walls.

We follow the highway A51 and then A61 which leads to Segovia, until you arrive at our hotel, Tryp Comendador, about 25km from the capital at El Espinar - Los Angeles de los Rafael (not even shown on maps). Hotel, 3 stars but deserves at least 4, it is really nice. Style mountain area with fireplace and rustic furniture, has a beautiful fitness center with heated indoor pool and hot whirlpool. Beautiful and spacious triple room booked on booking.com (€ 80). The price includes breakfast, one of the most delicious that has tried, with all the specialties of Castilla meats (Iberian jamon). The hotel has a restaurant rather expensive, but outside they are two, one with an Argentine and Spanish specialties and some Italian dish. The latter has an excellent value for money (dinner in 3 for the price of € 40 with a jarra of Sangria). One particular constant in this area, the kitchen opens at 20.45!

Segovia

The last stop of our trip is the city of Segovia, perhaps the most beautiful of all Castile. Surely the city is more spectacular in all of Spain, on top of a rocky outcrop which overlooks the famous Alcazar, a splendid castle that Walt wanted to imitate Disneyha for the famous Cinderella Castle.

We start from the square where the magnificent Roman aqueduct, built entirely without using any type of dough and mortar, high up to 29 meters for a total of almost 800 meters long, carrying water from a distance of 15 km.

We feature the Calle Colon through the strange house with the granite peaks of Los Picos and the Church of St. Martin, a temple full of arches and capitals. It comes from the amazing Plaza Major, where stands the masterpiece of the Gothic cathedral, with peaks that rise in the sky, the majestic dome and bell tower. Continue uphill until the end of the city, where it dominates the Alcazar, marked externally by the sloping roof, the numerous turrets, battlements and the deep moat really a fairy tale castle. Inside (€ 6 to climb the tower), you can visit the museum with weapons and luxury apartments, including the throne room and the hall of the King in the Gothic style, and take the tiring climb the narrow spiral staircase leading to the main tower, where he has a splendid view across the city and the infinite surrounding countryside.

A few kilometers from Segovia can be reached La Granja de San Ildefondo, a sumptuous palace built on the slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama, famous particularly for the endless gardens (entrance to the gardens alone free), where there are 26 monumental fountains, some in restoration, and that are activated only during a few afternoons in the summer.

We can only return to the airport for the return of the car and wait for the flight to bring us home.



Thus ends our adventure in Spain, who salute with a promise to return as soon as possible, perhaps to visit one of its most intriguing, the north from Asturias in Santiago de Compostela and so to enjoy the atmosphere and the stunning beauty of This unique Country