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TRAVEL REPORT
by Gill Moorcroft
REPORT ON THE MADRID TRIP - 24TH - 27TH APRIL 2007
Please click on the thumbnails to view the photographs
On Tuesday 24th April 2007, 35 members left Calpe by coach at 8 am for a four day trip to Madrid. After a pleasant journey we arrived at the Hotel Praga in Madrid by mid afternoon to beautiful sunny weather.
Most of us made good use of the free time before dinner to do a bit of exploring, many finding themselves in the Plaza Mayor, to sit and have a drink and soak up the atmosphere. We were pleasantly surprised as the forecast for the trip was not good.
The next day we left the hotel after breakfast for a guided tour of the Capital City. Our excellent guide told us that in 1561 the capital was moved from its original site in Toledo to Madrid by King Filipe II, because of its strategic position and to separate the state from the church as the cardinal had a very strong influence on the administration of the country. Originally there were 4,000 inhabitants, but now it is a buzzing metropolis of 3.5 million people, mixing the old with the modern with magnificent architecture and history. It’s a commercial city with 1 million people a day coming in to work.
During the tour, our guide took us to see part of the Templo de Debod, which was rescued when the area was flooded by the Aswan Dam. The Republic of Egypt gave this to Spain in 1968 as it would have been lost forever under the waters of the dam.
It was about this time that the gathering clouds turned to rain and we all donned our waterproofs.
The next stop was at the Royal Palace which is used by the King of Spain for ceremonial activities and contains 2,800 rooms. The palace is still used for Head of State visits and other ceremonies, and we were told that this would be worth a visit during our free time.
Another stop took us to the Atocha Mainline Railway Station whose atrium houses a wonderful palm garden. What a relaxing atmosphere to wait for busy travellers, and so unexpected to see.
Our guide pointed out many other beautiful buildings and interesting facts and the tour eventually ended with many people on the coach being dropped off at the Prado Art Museum, whilst others chose to investigate the Royal Palace.
The following day - and unfortunately more rain - most of us set of for a day trip to Toledo, which was the original capital of Spain, and 71 kms from Madrid. On arrival we were met unexpectantly by a guide who took us on a tour of the city. Toledo is a most incredible walled medieval city, which started its life as a Roman fortress. In 1986 it was declared a National Monument by the Spanish state, and seems to be one large museum. In fact there are 103 monuments. Hardly another town is so well conserved in its historical style. There are 75,000 inhabitants, of which 13,000 live inside the walls. Sitting on a large hill the old part of Toledo is flanked on 3 sides by the River Tagus.
Our guide told us that the waters from this river played an important part in the making of steel for swords and we were taken to a craft centre where swords were being made and also the Damascene jewellery for which Toledo is also famous.
In medieval times, Christians, Hebrews and Arabs lived in harmony and you can see influences from all three cultures around Toledo. Our guide took us to the magnificent cathedral which had taken 267 years to build in the gothic style. It was made all the more interesting by our guide’s knowledge and enthusiasm for her subject. Following on from there we were taken to a 15th Century church of Saint Tome, where there was displayed a painting by El Greco,then afterwards to a Synagogue. After the tour we had some free time for lunch or a wander around this amazing place on our own, before the coach took us back to Madrid. Typically, after all the rain, the sun came out for the journey back, and there was some free time for shopping or more sightseeing in the afternoon.
Friday was our last day and on the way home we had a stop at Aranjuez which is 47 kms south of Madrid and lies on the confluence of the River Tagus and River Jarama. It was formerly a Royal summer residence. Built by Spain's Bourbon kings in the classical style of the early 18th century, it has impressive rooms and salons, a sweeping staircase, and is set in a formal garden which adjoins an island garden. We were taken on a trip around the town and gardens on a tourist train which had a commentary in Spanish and English and was a good way to see as much of the place as possible in a limited amount of time.
After the train there was enough time left to either wander off on one’s own or to go inside the Royal Palace which is a lot lighter and brighter than the Royal Palace in Madrid. We left Aranjuez at 1pm with the impression that a return visit would be worthwhile to see everything on offer. After an hour’s drive we stopped for lunch and then headed back to Calpe to arrive to torrential rain and flooding!!
However, the inclement weather could not detract from the fact that we all had an extremely good and interesting trip and our thanks go to Janet Mitchell. It was Jan’s first away trip since becoming Travel Co-ordinator and she did a thoroughly good job of organising everything for our enjoyment.
Photographs by Gill Moorcroft
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