Ramirez Family: April 2016

EUROPE SEPTEMBER 2015- SPAIN

We finished our journey by spending the last 3 nights in Madrid and taking a day trip to Toledo

We revisited the Museo del Prado, a bit more leisurely than when we rushed through it in 2000.

Centro de Arte Reina Sofia where Pablo Picasso's famous painting Guernica is housed. Below is a photo of a print in the gift shop as there are no photos allowed of the original.

The unique facade of the very busy Atocha train station in Madrid

TOLEDO

The quaint but beautiful train station in Toledo

Perched on top of a hill and surrounded on 3 sides by the Tajo River, Toledo is a beautiful historical city, and former capital city. Its 2,500 years of history includes Romans, Jews, Visigoths, Moors and Christians. In addition to its history, Toledo is also known for its Cathedral, its art and craft of cutlery, and its marzipan made by nuns who live in the many convents located in the city

Back in Madrid for one final hurrah, and a visit to the Presidential Palace

The Almudena Cathedral across the plaza from the Presidential Palace

EUROPE SEPTEMBER 2015- SPAIN

El Escorial, 30 miles from Madrid, from where the very Catholic King Phillip II ruled his empire and directed the Inquisition 400 years ago

El Valle de los Caidos (The Valley of the Fallen), a massive underground monument carved from a hill, commemorates the roughly half a million Spaniards who died during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). It was built by Dictator Francisco Franco using prison workers who dug 220,000 tons of granite out of the hill beneath the gargantuan cross to form the underground basilica.

EUROPE SEPTEMBER 2015- SPAIN

On our way back to Madrid, we spent 3 days exploring the sites just north of the capital city. We stayed at the Parador La Granja in the small town of San Ildefonso La Granja, 6 miles from Segovia

Segovia, famous for its 2,000 year old aqueduct built by the Romans to bring water to the city from the Rio Frio, 9 miles away. The exposed section of the aqueduct, running through the heart of the city is 2,500 feet long has 118 arches, and was made from 20,000 blocks of granite using no mortar.

Segovia's Cathedral built between 1525 and 1768

EUROPE SEPTEMBER 2015- SPAIN

"Festival de la Vendimia" Harvest Wine Festival in La Rioja. It was an absolutely fabulous and unique experience to be there. It coincides with the feast of San Mateo (Saint Mathew, September 21), so it is also known as the "Festival de San Mateo" It take place in the city of Logrono, which comes to a practical standstill as the celebration goes on day and night in the heart of the old city.

We found our all-time favorite "Bodega" (wine maker) Marques de Riscal, in the small town of Elciego

Marques de Riscal has grown to become a big operation since it began operations in the 1820's, exporting wine all over the world. A modern hotel, designed by the same architect who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, looks somewhat out of place in this rural farming region.

The tour of the "Bodega" was a wonderful experience.

Original "Bodega" from the 1820's, where there are some bottles of wine that date back to that time

Of course, at the end of the tour there was the wine tasting.

The Ebro River as it works its way through Logrono

Unbeknownst to us, a small part of La Rioja region, including our favorite Marques de Riscal, is located in the Basque region. This road sign in the Basque language, not far from Marques de Riscal, announces one is entering Basque Country. According to our Marques de Riscal tour guide, the separatist sentiments among the Basque have come up from time to time during her tours.