Monday, 5/16/11- Arrived safely in Barcelona & said goodbye to the ship. It really was a lovely voyage. One of the best.
I took the Metro to the Sants Rail Station. When I arrived, the next 2 trains to Madrid were sold out so I had to wait around for over an hour. The ride was great & we arrived in Madrid on time. I took the Metro in Madrid to Gran Via & walked about 4 blocks to my hotel which was in a great location. The room was kind of small & so was the bathroom but it was clean & the bed was comfortable. It was also a bit noisy at night but when I shut the shutters it was OK. The 2 guys that ran the place were very nice & helpful. It included breakfast but only cold cereal, packaged sweet rolls & good coffee. I walked around the city for the rest of the day an evening.
What a really beautiful, facinating city. I now rate Madrid as one of my favorites. I was able to get into the Royal Palace just before it closed. It rivals most of the Palace's I've visited in the past. There are numerous wide avenues, parks & plazas throught the city as well as palatial buildings everywhere. I decided to have a tapas dinner the first night & went to a couple of Rick Steve's recommendations. They were right on. The Casa de Abuelo was my favorite. I had Gamba Plancha (Grilled Shrimp) which were superb. They also have Gamba Ajio (Garlic Shrimp) which I tried another night. Then I went to another place that had potatoes that were deep fried & covered with a garlic aioli sauce that was to die for!
Tuesday, 5/17/11 - Decided to take a walking tour for 2 hours that left from Plaza Major. It was conducted by members of the tourist office & was great. After the tour I went to the Garden's of the Palace, then to the Temple of Debod which was a replica of an Egyptian temple built near Aswan. I wandered around the streets the rest of the day going from Puerto del Sol, which was embroiled in student demonstrations during the day & covered the whole square in the evening, to the Plaza Cibeles area where the Banco de Espana & Palacio de Comunicaciones where the Mayor's Office is located.
Madid's specialty is it's roast lamb & suckling pig. I went to a very expensive restaurant this evening, Posada de Villa. It was highly recommended for roast lamb. A very elegant place near Plaza Major which is where most of the better restaurants are located. The lamb was outstanding but it should have been. The meal including a glass of wine cost $72.
Wednesday, 5/18/11 - I took the train to Teledo for the day. I bought tickets a couple of days ago since I had so much trouble going from Barcelona to Madrid & was happy that I did this. Weather today was very overcast & threatening to rain. When I got to Toledo I walked up the hill to the Bisagra Gate which is the primary gate to the city & is huge. Took a bus to Plaza de Zocodover which is the main square. This is a very up & down city. It was the capital of Hispania in the 6th Century & Carlos V made it the imperial capital in 1519 when he was enthroned.
There was so much to see here & you really need to stay overnight to see everything. The Cathedral was huge & very impressive. They just completed renovation of the Alcazar but is just a large open space with many exhibits. There were 2 synagogues I visited (María la Blanca and El Tránsito) which were well presented & interesting. The Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes was a great example of flamboyant Gothic was one of the masterpieces of Juan Guas, who carried out the scheme commissioned by the Catholic Monarchs.
I went to another Rick Steve's recommended restaurants, Restaurant/Hostal Palacios, which had a price fixed dinner including iberico ham & cheese, roast suckling pig with french fries, dessert & wine for 18.90 euros. This was one of the best meals for the money in all of Spain. I took the bus back to Madrid. It took slightly longer but was a bit cheaper.
Thursday, 5/19/11 - Today was another wondering day. Spent the whole day in the city. Went to the Prado Museum which is comparable to the Met in NY. There were special exhibits on Rebiera & Goya which were well presented. The museum is huge! Took a bus to modern part of city. At the end of the line are two new; modern buildings at Puerta de Europa. It was an interesting trip. Walked all day back to areas I'd visited earlier in the week. Went back to area where I had tapas on my first night & had the gambas ajillo (garlic shrimp). I then ate at Oreta de Oro across the street. It was a bit pricy but had Calamari which was a huge portion. Finished off the evening taking in the sights at night staying away from the demonstrations in Puerto del Sol. The crowds keep getting bigger each day: At night, the square is completely packed.
Friday, 5/20/11 - Took a bus to El Escorial this morning: This was a Spanish Royal site and now functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school. El Escorial has been the burial site for most of the Spanish kings of the last five centuries, Bourbons as well as Hapsburgs. The Royal Pantheon contains the tombs of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V (who ruled Spain as King Charles I), Philip II, Philip III, Philip IV, Charles II, Louis I, Charles III, Charles IV, Ferdinand VII, Isabella II, Alfonso XII, and Alfonso XIII. Two Bourbon kings. This along with the Basilica were the highlights of my visit.
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