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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