Spain Vacations: Unveiled & Curated

22/11/2024

The Monastery and Site of the Escorial, Madrid, are an expression of the Catholic Counter-Reformation and the Spanish Golden Age.

Today I led our small group tour, with the help of our wonderful guide, on a private trip about an hour outside of Madrid to El Escorial.

El Escorial was built at the behest of King Philip II in 1563 as a place for prayer and a pantheon to the Spanish monarchs. The style is particularly austere and yet overwhelming in its pure grandness starting with the rough hewn massive stones that the complete complex is made up of. This monastery church and Pantheon, including two Royal palaces of two different dynasties of Spanish rulers, is truly one of the most remarkable buildings I've ever seen..

The real highlight of your visit will probably be the Royal residences. The spanish kings were great patrons of the arts and the monastery housed one of their finest collections. Many of the highlights have been moved to the Prado Museum, but the monastery still has a very impressive collection, which is mostly portrayed in the Habsburg residence..

The mausoleum houses almost all Spanish kings since Charles I and an INORDINATE amount of members of the Royal families. Most of the tombs of the latter group are quite plain, with only a few exceptions like that of John of Austria.

The overall atmosphere of the crypt is severe and sombre. The Kings and Queens are members of the Royal families from throughout Europe. Most of the tombs of the latter group are quite plain, with only a few exceptions like that of John of Austria.

The library (at least the part you can visit) IS small, but pretty impressive. I advise taking a look at the beautifully decorated muslim manuscripts. The Monastery houses a far bigger, though inaccesable sible, collection of books, botanical and macabre oddities as Philip V was a great fan of them.

SUMMARY:
Overall the building perfectly reflects Philip's personality. It's functional (quite cool even in summer) severe and sober. The almost complete lack of decoration and gigantic size definitely give it a very particular aesthetic, which you'd be hard pressed to find in any other palace complex in Europe.

If you're interested in having a custom designed trip through Spain and want to include a private excursion to this incredible UNESCO world heritage site, you can reach us through our website:

www.spainandportugalvacations.com

18/11/2024

Chinchón we took our small group tour to this town located about 45 km from Madrid. First and foremost, the town is a square, or more exactly, the focal point is the Plaza Mayor. From the panoramic picture which you can control to get a full view, it is flanked by arcades staggered roofs and 234 green wood balconies all from the medieval period.

This town was the seat of a very important Noble family who were closely related to the kings of Spain, and particularly one of the brothers of King Phillip V.

Throughout the years it has hosted Royal announcements and celebrations mock spear, combats, bullfights and even burnings at the stake of heretics during the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

In addition to the fascinating medieval, baroque town with the very well preserved architecture and the stunningly beautiful tile roofs, this town is known for its foods, in particular, suckling pig, lamb, chorizo and others all roasted in a wood fired stove.

The front page of the menu with the name of the restaurant is one we highly recommend where you can taste these foods as well as other appetizers such as roasted peppers, garlic and traditional soups made with bread crumbs and sheep's milk cheese.

If you would like to arrange your own trip with us, either a private individual tour or you have a group of people that would like to form a small group tour, you can contact us through our website and we will make sure that you have one of the most spectacular private trips ever arranged throughout Spain, including this incredible town which must not be missed .

www.spainandportugalvacations.com

Below are our other Facebook groups which you are invited to join to follow our other trips throughout Spain and Portugal.

Discover Portugal Travel

Spain and Portugal Guided Tours

Spain and Portugal Vacations

15/11/2024

Walking through Madrid seeing the beauty of this city that never ceases to amaze

13/11/2024

Portugal is unequivocally one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Even when looking at it from hundreds of miles in the sky

29/10/2024

96 yr old hotel in Macao restored to it's glory days. Love reading about the cultural achievements the Portuguese people left throughout the word. This hotel is located in Macao, a former Spain and Portugal Vacations Portuguese colony now part of China.

It has all the characteristics of Portuguese architecture with many things instantly recognizable' the tiles floors, austere facade, color schemes, although this green is not that commonly found.

Simon Sio grew up in an old building in the heart of Macao, directly across from what was then one of the city’s finest accommodations, Hotel Central. Decades later, he’s now the owner of this recently reopened grande dame.

19/10/2024

This photo is from a few years ago whilst having lunch in the seaside town and resort of Estoril, located approximately 45 minutes from Lisbon.