Category ArchiveEverywhere Once |

Should you Visit Segovia or Toledo in Spain?

by Brian on May 5, 2014 in Europe, Spain, Travel

Toledo Spain

Of course the answer to the title question is “Yes.” If you have time, you should visit both. But when researching our own Spanish itinerary we saw so many people asking the question on various message boards that we thought we’d wade in with our own take.

Both Segovia and Toledo are medieval, walled cities that are within a 30-minute high-speed train ride away from Madrid. Which one you choose really comes down to what you’re looking for, how long you have to visit, and, if you’re on a very tight budget, how much you have to spend.

King Alfonso XII Monument

by Brian on May 2, 2014 in Europe, Photo of the Day, Spain

Buen Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain

Do You Have What it Takes to Unlock The X Door?

by Brian on April 25, 2014 in Europe, Spain, Travel

00:40 . . . 00:39 . . . 00:38 . . .

“Look, if you put those two things together it gives us the code for that lock. I think this is it. Hurry, we’re going to make it!”

35:13 . . . 35:12 . . . 35:11 . . .

“I can’t believe we missed that. We must have walked past it a dozen times.”

“Well, thankfully you saw it now and it looks like that’s how we open the door. Does that mean we’re out?”

“I don’t think so. Check this out.”

60:00

The door closes behind us with an audible click. Somewhere within this room is the key to unlocking the door and gaining our escape.

Grinning Like Idiots in Segovia

by Brian on April 18, 2014 in Europe, Spain, Travel

Segovia’s Gothic Cathedral towers over much of the town

Some people might tell you that Spanish and Greek are two totally different languages. But to us they’re nearly identical in one important respect: we understand very little of either.

On a bus, somewhere in Segovia, Spain, we managed to decipher enough Spanish to know that the driver wasn’t letting us off where we wanted. We wouldn’t figure out why until a bit later. And although we couldn’t make heads or tails of his precise directions, we did understand the universal sign for “that way.”

So with a shrug we hefted our bags and set off in the direction of the bus driver’s outstretched finger. A light rain fell as we made our way in this new and unfamiliar city. It wasn’t long until we saw the crowds. And then the barricades blocking our way.

La Almudena Cathedral

by Brian on April 16, 2014 in Europe, Spain

Santa María la Real de La Almudena Cathedral, Madrid, Spain

The Almudena Cathedral is another place that should have appeared in our Madrid on a Budget post. The church has no set admission but asks visitors for a 2 Euro donation. It’s well worth the price.