Northern Spain in 2022
It was a wonderful trip round Northern Spain in 2022, if somewhat fraught at times, but we did it! Santander We were sad to leave Northern Spain in 2022 but already starting to... READ MORE
Parador of Limpias
The stay in Sos del Rey Catolico was wonderful. The Parador was very comfortable, the staff were friendly and helpful and the food was excellent – what more can you want of an... READ MORE
Uncastillo
We only had one more day in Sos and the weeks in Spain were rapidly coming to an end. I was a bit nervous about another day in the car but strapped myself... READ MORE
Monastery of Leyre
We enjoyed a walk down the Foz de Lumbier but didn’t want to return to the Parador at Sos del Rey Catolico just yet so decided to visit the Monastery of Leyre. A... READ MORE
Foz de Lumbier
I was feeling cautiously better and so we set off from the Parador at Sos del Rey Catolico to walk in the gorge at FoZ de Lumbier. The views from the bedroom window... READ MORE
A day trip from Sos
We were settled into the excellent parador of Sos del Rey Catolico and set off for a day trip from Sos to visit Undués de Lerda, the Castle of Javier and Sanguesa. These... READ MORE
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Plazas in Madrid
There are plazas all over Madrid, squares between the densely packed buildings. They range from small to large, and quiet to throbbingly busy and they are all fascinating. Here I am just going to share two of those which we … Continued
The Royal Botanical Gardens in Madrid
The Royal Botanical Gardens cover 8 acres in the centre of Madrid and are a wonderful place in which to wander, or just linger on a seat, perhaps after a visit to the Reina Sofia. Our AirBnB flat was only … Continued
The Reina Sofia in Madrid
We settled into in an AirBnB on the Calle de la Sombrereria, in the middle of Madrid, and on our first day we decided to visit the Reina Sofia in Madrid. The museum was just a ten-minute walk away from … Continued
The road from La Granja to Madrid
The days in La Granja were wonderful but it was time to move on and take the road from La Granja to Madrid.
The Royal Glass Factory in La Granja
The Royal Glass Factory in La Granja is just down the road from the Paradore. It dates from the 18th century and it is absolutely fascinating – do visit if you are in the area.
The Fountains at La Granja
There twenty six large fountains at La Granja, each of which is based on different mythological characters. Sadly they only play on selective days during the year and were not on when we visited. Nevertheless they are impressive and formality … Continued
Avenues and Woods at La Granja
Beyond the formal gardens with parterres there are avenues and woods. Inside the avenues and higher up the hillside the trees seem freer. I loved these areas which were less controlled and where I could just enjoy the trees in … Continued
The Formal Gardens of La Granja
The formal gardens of La Granja are on three sides of the palace. The gardens cover over 1,500 acres and I loved what I saw but didn’t manage to see everything. Let’s start!
The Palace of La Granja
We booked into the Paradore of La Granja de San Ildefonso for three days as a relaxing break from sightseeing. The ‘town’ is actually the Royal Palace of La Granja with its grounds. The town around the palace includes the … Continued
Travelling from Zamora to La Granja
Travelling from Zamora to La Granja was a fabulous day, packed with wonderful sights! We stopped in Toro, visited two amazing castles and saw some of the scenery in the mid-west of Spain. We had a last look at the … Continued