"Life experienced in Madrid and The Three Amigos."
Our good friends came all the way from Arizona to visit and make memories with us in Madrid. We were so glad they did and found it hard to believe that they were able to join us on one of our wonderful journeys due to their hectic schedules. It was amazing! Anyway, being around these two buddies is always a BLAST. They loved and were obsessed with Spain obviously just like we were. We told them that we planned to take them with us to Teledo and Segovia during the two weekends they would be with us and that made them bounce off the walls. But first, we started to show them places in Madrid. We thought that this might be a unique place for them to experience. My husband took them on a tour around the U.S. Embassy in Madrid to catch a glimpse of the diplomatic environment and we all visited his office where Randall had served from 2002 to 2006. We also showed them around our home neighborhood area on Calle Serrano and of course we didn’t miss bringing them to our favorite wine store heaven - Lavinia.
Days and nights were amazing to have our good hearted friends with us. We always made sure that wherever we went, it would entertain them and give them good memories of the places on their trip. We took them to dinner with an impressive view of Madrid at night on top of the famous rooftop restaurant Azotea del Circulo Bellas Artes (reservation needed for dinner). We also dined at the world's oldest restaurant (1725 a.d.) Botin, and the owner of the restaurant came to greet us specially. The four of us repeatedly went to what became our favorite Ten Con Ten Restaurant & Bar, visited our favorite Plaza Santa Ana, and walking around Plaza Mayor through Puerto Del Sol. Madrid is a place to walk so we walked a lot and visited many Madrid sights and the shopping Rebajas (summer discounts) tempted all of us to shop till we dropped as well (It wasn't only me). Though, on the toasty days we all enjoyed sitting at the sidewalk cafes, especially at the Embassy Cafe and on Calle Castellana and their happy hour became our tradition :)
And here we come to the highlights; the weekend trips outside Madrid.
It is an hour drive to Toledo from Madrid. Toledo is set on a hill above the plains of Castilla de La Mancha in central Spain. It’s known for the medieval Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments in its walled old city known as the “city of the three cultures”. Toledo was the Capital of Spain from the Gothic epoch until 1560, a fact that explains its really impressive medieval architecture and the “Swords of Toledo” gave its steel-production world-wide fame. Walking through its streets I feel like I had stepped back into the Middle-Ages. The city was declared a World Heritage Site. As a day trip, we decided to also explore the city by the bus tour to see the overlook of the city nestled on the hill and we were all fascinated. Later on, we strolled around the center area of the city and then headed back to Madrid.
The next weekend, here we went to Segovia (another Unesco World Heritage Site). It was a one hour and 20 minute drive from Madrid. Segovia is a historic city northwest of Madrid in central Spain. Its centuries of settlement have resulted in a rich architectural legacy, including medieval walls, Romanesque churches, a former royal palace and a Gothic cathedral. It is perhaps most famous for the iconic ancient Roman aqueduct that still has more than 160 arches intact, most in the original mortarless granite, and stands above Plaza Azoguejo in the heart of the city. I love Segovia and was stunned by its history that I saw with my own eyes - it’s just beyond impressive to me. For the Disney fans, you don’t ever want to miss visiting The Alcazar (Castle of Segovia). It is the source of inspiration for Walt Disney and his fairytale castle. It is a must-see when you visit Segovia. In fact, you will get a glimpse into the lives of the royalty hundreds of years ago… for example, the bedchambers and the throne room of the kings are open for viewing.
Both cities were such great photo opportunities. We all had great times exploring the countryside of Madrid. My friends spoiled me with their entertainment for 10 days and I was sad after they left. But don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be happier that the summer 2015 was the most epic summer adventure I have ever had in my life so far and that includes having our good friends visit. With two and half months of exploring Europe, Spain was a perfect wrap up. America, our home sweet home here we come! and I can’t wait to see what our next journey might be…………..
Hasta mas tarde Espana / Until next time Spain.
With love, V.
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