Avila

We are headed out of Madrid today toward the medieval town of Ávila.

We started our day by grabbing food to go from Honest Greens (what? It’s good, cheap, and healthy!) and headed to the train station. Our train trip on Renfe took about an hour and a half. On the way, we passed through El Escorial, with the Monastery of San Lorenzo visible in the distance, along with colorful Spanish villages and stretches of countryside. We traveled through the Sierra de Guadarrama, climbing to over 4,000 feet before dropping back down to about 3,700 feet in the town of Ávila. The scenery shifted from dense forest to rocky mountain terrain, and it was a really beautiful ride.

From the train station, we walked about 15 minutes to the walls of Ávila, the historic part of the city completely surrounded by medieval fortifications. We walked inside the walls past a church and a few restaurants, then made our way to the visitor center to head up and walk along the top of the famous walls.

The walkable section is a little over 1.7 kilometers (just over a mile), and it offers incredible views both inside and outside the city. On one side, you look in over the old town with its churches, hotels, restaurants, shops, and homes. On the other, you see modern Ávila stretching out beyond the walls. We climbed several towers for even better views and listened to audio guides along the way that shared history and legends tied to the spots we were standing in.

The walls of Ávila date back to the 11th century and were built after the Christian reconquest of the city. They are some of the best-preserved medieval walls in all of Europe. The entire wall system stretches about 2.5 kilometers, with 88 towers and 9 gates. They were built not only for defense but also as a symbol of power and protection. One of the most famous gates, Puerta del Alcázar, still serves as a main entrance into the old city today. Fun detail: the stones used to build the walls were taken from nearby Roman ruins, so parts of the structure are even older than they look.

Bonus: it normally costs 8 euros to walk the walls, but between 2:00 and 4:00 PM, it’s free, so we lucked out on timing.

After walking the perimeter, we went back down to ground level and wandered through the center of the walled city. Looking around, there was everything you would expect in a small town, but most things were closed. A few souvenir shops were open, but you could tell that once evening hit, different areas would come alive.

In Spain, there is definitely a rhythm to the day. Late afternoon, especially between about 5:00 and 7:00, can feel very quiet. Then later in the evening, closer to 8:00 or 9:00 PM, the streets fill with people as everyone comes out to socialize. Wide pedestrian walkways fill with tables, and when it’s cold, outdoor heaters pop up everywhere. Restaurants spill out into the streets. In Madrid, a big city, there is always energy, but at night it feels like the entire city is out and about.

As we walked through the quiet streets of Ávila, we could see signs that night would bring people out here too. Stacks of chairs and tables lined the sidewalks, and menus were posted outside doors that were still closed, waiting for dinner service to begin.

We did pass through one square within the walls that had a restaurant open and a decent number of people enjoying an afternoon snack, but most of the streets we explored were calm and nearly empty.

We exited through the opposite side of the walled city and walked down to a park along the Adaja River. There was a path that followed the river for a while, which we took. It was peaceful, with the sound of rushing water and birds, and some of the trees were just starting to blossom. From parts of the path, we could look back and see the full stretch of the medieval walls rising above the city, which was such a cool perspective.

Ávila is also known for being the birthplace of Saint Teresa of Ávila, one of Spain’s most important religious figures and a major reformer of the Carmelite order in the 1500s. The city has a strong spiritual history, with many churches and convents packed inside the walls.

 

We made our way back to the train station, stopping at a grocery store along the way to grab snacks for the ride back. Two chocolate croissants for 0.50 euro each and a couple of sodas for 0.80 euro each. Things are so inexpensive here compared to home!

The train ride back was relaxing, although it got pretty dark shortly after we left Ávila.

Back in Madrid, we headed out for dinner. Tapas again. We love being able to order a few different things to share. The price is always reasonable, and everything is consistently delicious.

Tonight we had fried eggplant with cranberry aioli, patatas bravas, and house-made ravioli with goat cheese and spinach.

We are back at our hotel “early” and we are hoping to relax a bit and actually get to sleep by midnight. Lol. Wish us luck!

Madrid and El Escorial (March 2026)

 Madrid

We had an early morning flight from Lisbon to Madrid. We left our hotel at 5:00 AM after about 6 hours of sleep… ish… and got to the airport by 5:30. No passport control as we are traveling through the EU, so it was similar to a domestic flight. Security was quick — maybe a 5-minute line. Once through security, the path to the terminals leads through the duty-free gift shop — lol — kind of like the “exit through the gift shop” philosophy.

Similar to train stations, they don’t announce the gate your plane is departing from until 50 minutes prior to the flight takeoff. The gates don’t have seats near them (maybe 10 seats for elderly people or those who need them). Instead, you wait in a central hub area full of benches, restaurants, shops, etc. We grabbed McDonald’s for breakfast — in the airport it only cost $5 for a breakfast sandwich and a juice!

A short hour-and-a-half flight brought us to Madrid, where we hopped on the metro and headed to our hotel — The Palace Hotel, Madrid. The Palace Hotel was built in the early 1900s at the suggestion of King Alfonso XIII as a luxury hotel in Madrid. It was the first hotel in Spain (and the second in the world!) to have a bathroom in each guest room — a pretty big deal at the time. The hotel’s huge stained-glass dome in the central rotunda was one of the largest glass domes in Europe when it was built.

It has had many notable guests over the years, including Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, Marie Curie, Salvador Dalí, Ernest Hemingway, Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Orson Welles… and Grant and Bobbi Jo Benedict. The hotel was purchased by Marriott in 2005, and the rooms were completely renovated by March 14, 2025, when it officially joined the Marriott Luxury Collection. Our room was ready when we arrived at 10:30 AM, so we had time to unpack and settle in.

We have four day trips planned while here in Madrid, so we decided to do one right away today to stay outside and in the sunlight since we had so little sleep last night. After a quick breakfast at Honest Greens, we headed to El Escorial. We had originally planned to take the train, but we had a 2:30 timed entry that we needed to get to, and the train only left every hour, so we ended up taking a bus instead. It was about the same travel time, as there is no high-speed train to El Escorial. (It is only about an hour’s drive.)

El Escorial is home to San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Built in the 16th century by King Philip II, it has four major parts in one massive complex, meant to represent Philip’s priorities: intellect (the Royal Library), royalty (the royal palace), spirituality (the basilica), and heritage (the royal pantheon). The complex was built between 1563 and 1584 and became both a royal residence and the political center of Spain for a time.

San Lorenzo is undergoing some renovations, so the normal path to explore the complex was diverted, but we still got to see all of the major sites. The building is a huge rectangular structure with a large courtyard surrounding two sides of it and gardens surrounding the other two. It sits on top of a hill with sweeping views of the valley below. The entire complex is enormous — it has more than 2,000 rooms, 15 cloisters, and miles of corridors.

Our first stop was the Royal Library. One of the most interesting things about this library is that the books are stored with the spines facing inward and the pages facing outward, which was done to protect the decorated bindings from sunlight and damage. The library contains more than 40,000 volumes, including rare manuscripts in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and many other languages. King Philip II was deeply interested in scholarship and collected texts on science, theology, philosophy, and history from across Europe and the Islamic world. The ceiling is covered in beautiful Renaissance frescoes representing the seven liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy — showing how highly Philip valued learning and intellectual life.

Of course, as a Ravenclaw, I give massive props to the king giving such a high priority to knowledge and learning. There are even texts from many different languages here!

Next, we visited the basilica. The Basilica of San Lorenzo el Real is the spiritual heart of the complex and was heavily inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The massive dome rises nearly 300 feet above the floor and dominates the entire complex from the outside. The high altar is made of richly decorated marble and bronze, and behind it are enormous royal mausoleum statues of Charles V and Philip II and their families, shown kneeling in prayer. The basilica was designed not just as a place of worship, but also as a symbol of the Catholic monarchy during the height of Spain’s power in the 16th century. We were very impressed with the large dome in the center, similar to St. Peter’s Basilica. Also, the basilica is literally in the center of the entire complex, which made it very interesting!

The path through the complex next took us down a series of long hallways covered in frescoes along all the walls. It was beautiful, bright, and colorful, depicting biblical stories.

At the end of the hallway we headed downstairs to the Pantheon. First, we walked through nine Pantheons of Infantes — princes, princesses, and queens who were not mothers of kings. Then we entered the Pantheon of Kings,  a round, black-marble chamber where almost every King and Queen of Spain since Charles I (who died in 1556) is buried. The room is lined with elaborate marble tombs stacked in tiers around the circular chamber. One unusual tradition is that when a king dies, the body is first placed in a special chamber called the pudridero for about 30 years, allowing the body to fully decompose before the remains are placed in the marble sarcophagus in the Pantheon. It’s a little morbid, but also fascinating.

Finally, we visited the Royal Apartments. These rooms were surprisingly modest compared to many other European palaces. King Philip II preferred a simpler lifestyle and focused more on administration and religion than luxury. One of the most interesting details is that his bedroom and study were positioned so that a small window looked directly into the basilica’s high altar. Because Philip suffered badly from gout later in life, he could observe Mass from his bed if he was too sick to walk to the church.

There was also the Hall of Battles,  a long gallery whose walls are covered with enormous frescoes showing major Spanish military victories, including the Battle of La Higuerue a from the Reconquista. The paintings stretch the entire length of the hallway and are full of incredibly detailed soldiers, horses, and battle scenes. The hall was used as a ceremonial passageway, and  it is believed that members of the royal family sometimes walked there when the weather outside was too cold or rainy for the gardens.

We had a great time here,  seeing way more than we anticipated. Our afternoon visit also meant very low crowds, many times we had the place almost entirely to ourselves. We even spent some time wandering the formal gardens behind the palace.

Next we took a hike to Silla de Felipe II. This is a granite rock formation known as the “Seat of King Philip,” and the legend is that the king would sit on this granite throne above San Lorenzo to watch the monastery’s construction. However, historians now believe the site may actually be much older, possibly a prehistoric Celtic altar used for rituals by the Vettones people who lived in this region thousands of years ago. on.

Our hike took us down through a valley beyond San Lorenzo’s gardens and then back uphill through trees and giant granite boulders to a beautiful overlook of the valley and San Lorenzo in the distance. Our hike was about 3½ km round trip and was a beautiful way to spend the evening.

We had dinner at a tapas place in town called  KU4Tro,  sharing goat cheese “lollipops” wrapped in pineapple and raspberry, a potato and octopus dish (my favorite!), tataki tacos, and marinated hake cubes. Everything was delicious! I love the Tapas culture. 

We took the bus back and even though we were exhausted, we decided to make one more stop… at Chocolatería San Ginés — a chocolate shop dating back to 1894. It’s famous for one of Madrid’s classic foods: churros with thick hot chocolate for dipping. We ordered a set of churros (6), a set of porras (2), two cups of warm melted chocolate (literally the size of a coffee cup), and a cup of coffee. It was heavenly. (A porra is like the bigger, fluffier cousin to the churro.)

Finally back at the hotel, we fell asleep — finally a full night’s sleep — and we did NOT set an alarm.

MADRID SIGHTSEEING

Our next day started gloriously late with a quick breakfast in a nearby park of pastries and fresh-squeezed orange juice. We spent the day wandering around downtown Madrid through winding medieval neighborhoods, lively city squares, and beautiful gardens.

We started off by walking to Plaza Mayor. Plaza Mayor is one of Madrid’s most famous squares and dates back to the early 1600s during the reign of King Philip III. The large rectangular plaza is surrounded by uniform three-story buildings with balconies that overlook the square, Historically these balconies were rented out so wealthy spectators could watch public events. And those events were not always pleasant… the plaza hosted markets, bullfights, royal celebrations, executions, and even trials during the Spanish Inquisition. Today it’s a much more relaxed place filled with cafés, street performers, and artists. In the center of the plaza stands a bronze statue of King Philip III on horseback, which was actually created in 1616 and later moved here in the 1800s.

From there we wandered through the narrow streets of Los Austrias, the oldest part of Madrid. This neighborhood is named after the Habsburg (Austrian) dynasty that ruled Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries, and many of the winding streets and buildings here still follow the medieval street layout from that era. Eventually we made our way to the Plaza de la Villa, one of the city’s oldest squares, surrounded by historic buildings from the 1400s and 1500s that once served as Madrid’s city hall.

Next we relaxed in Plaza de Oriente. Plaza de Oriente sits directly between the Royal Palace and the Royal Theatre and was created in the 1800s under King Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon’s brother), who ordered many medieval houses demolished to open up the space. The gardens in the plaza are lined with statues of Spanish kings,  originally they were intended to sit along the roofline of the Royal Palace, but the story goes that Queen Isabella of Bourbon had a dream that the statues would fall on her, so they were removed and placed around the plaza instead.

Fun fact: the statue of King Philip IV on the horse in the center of the plaza has interesting scientific origins. It is the first statue in the world where the horse rears up entirely on its hind legs. Sculptors had struggled with this engineering problem before, because the weight of the bronze statue could cause it to collapse. The sculptor consulted with the scientist Galileo, who suggested how to distribute the weight. The back legs are solid bronze while parts of the horse’s body are hollow, allowing the statue to balance properly.

Also, while construction was done to move the street between the plaza and the palace and to build the parking structure below Plaza de Oriente, archaeologists discovered the remains of an old Arab watchtower dating back to the time when Madrid was a Muslim fortress city (around the 9th–11th centuries). They preserved the ruins under glass inside the parking structure — so of course we walked down to see it!

We walked along the front of the Royal Palace — the largest royal palace in Europe by floor area. The Palacio Real has more than 3,400 rooms and was built in the 1700s after the previous royal fortress burned down on Christmas Eve in 1734. The palace was designed to rival the great royal palaces of Europe like Versailles, and although it is still technically the official residence of the Spanish royal family, they actually live in a smaller palace outside the city and the building is mostly used today for ceremonies and state events.

Then we spent some time in the beautiful Sabatini Gardens north of the palace. The Sabatini Gardens are surprisingly modern compared to the palace. They were only created in the 1930s on the site where the royal stables once stood. The gardens are named after Francesco Sabatini, the Italian architect who designed the palace stables in the 18th century. Today the gardens are laid out in a very formal French style with geometric hedges, fountains, symmetrical pathways, and statues of Spanish kings that were originally intended for the palace roof.

Finally we headed up the hill to the north to spend sunset at the Temple of Debod. The Temple of Debod is actually an authentic Egyptian temple that is more than 2,000 years old. It was originally built in southern Egypt around the 2nd century BC and was dedicated to the gods Amun and Isis. In the 1960s, when Egypt built the Aswan High Dam, many ancient temples in the Nile valley were at risk of being flooded. Spain helped Egypt with the international effort to save monuments like Abu Simbel, and in gratitude Egypt gifted the Temple of Debod to Spain in 1968. The entire temple was carefully dismantled, transported stone by stone to Madrid, and rebuilt here in the park.

It was quite lively up here, as a street musician had drawn a crowd of maybe 100 people all singing and dancing along to his music in the park adjacent to the temple. It made for a festive feeling as we watched the sun set and the stars come out on the horizon.

We took the metro back to the other side of town and had dinner at El Sur Atocha. Dinner was amazing! For just under 45 Euros (including tax!) we shared an endive, goat cheese, and walnut salad, a potato omelette (a quiche-like potato dish with a delicious sauce sort of like a pesto hollandaise), a grilled squid salad (a half order came with four good-sized pieces of calamari), and a half order of mushroom and ham risotto… and two AMAZING mocktails.The mocktails were large, fruity, and delicious. They were also 7.50 Euros each, so 15 of that 45 was drinks!

At the end of our meal, our server — who was also the bartender — came out and confirmed that we did not drink alcohol. I had noticed that at the table next to us he had brought out shots with their bill. Apparently it is customary at many places in Spain as a sign of hospitality to offer a complimentary chupito, which is a small sweet shot at the end of the meal. Well, surprise surprise, he brought us a chupito as well and assured us they were alcohol-free. They were some kind of sour apple cordial (non-alcoholic) and were delicious!

When we left, we decided to take a walk through Barrio de las Letras (the Literary Quarter), a neat neighborhood with literary quotes engraved into the ground. During Spain’s “Golden Age” of literature in the 16th and 17th centuries, many of the country’s greatest writers lived and worked here, including Miguel de Cervantes (who wrote Don Quixote), Lope de Vega, and Francisco de Quevedo. The writers were known for their rivalries and literary feuds, and some historians say they would literally argue with each other in the streets and taverns of this neighborhood.

Our walk “happened” to take us back to Chocolatería San Ginés… so we decided we might as well get churros and chocolate again… and Grant got a scoop of caramel and cookies ice cream as well.

Buenos noches!

Lisbon, Portugal - March 2026

Spring Break has arrived, and Grant and I are spending it in Spain! Well… mostly. First, we had a one-day layover in Lisbon, Portugal, and we made the most of it!

We started by fighting off the jet lag the best way we knew how: walking around outside and exploring the neighborhoods. Our first stop was the ruins of the Carmo Convent, where we explored the remains of a church that was partially destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1755. The disaster was one of the most powerful earthquakes in European history and devastated much of Lisbon.

Many of the church’s stone columns and arches are still standing, but the ceiling is completely open to the sky, giving the space an eerie and beautiful feeling. Some of the back rooms survived the earthquake and now house a small museum. Inside we saw impressive architecture, artwork, artifacts, frescoes, ancient texts, and even two mummies! There was also a cool movie in a side room that used digital mapping projections to recreate the earthquake—but we kept nodding off (thanks, jet lag), so we didn’t stay long.

Next we walked through several neighborhoods. Downtown Lisbon is very walkable, though definitely hilly. We started at Praça da Figueira, a large outdoor square, and headed through the lively streets of Baixa, Lisbon’s historic downtown district that was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. The neighborhood is known for its orderly grid layout and beautiful tiled buildings.

We passed under the Arco da Rua Augusta, a massive triumphal arch built to commemorate the rebuilding of the city, and entered Praça do Comércio, a grand waterfront square surrounded by elegant government buildings. The plaza was full of musicians, a man making thousands of giant bubbles, and people from all over the world.

English is spoken widely here. We never had trouble communicating—menus were in English, and people spoke it easily. In fact, I feel like we heard more English than Portuguese! We also heard so many Americans it was sometimes easy to forget we were in Europe. 

Praça do Comércio sits right along the Tagus River, so next we walked along the riverfront promenade. Across the water we could see the enormous Cristo Rei statue (inspired by Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer) and the 25 de Abril Bridge, a huge red suspension bridge that looks remarkably like the Golden Gate Bridge. That’s not a coincidence—it was built by the same American company that constructed the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.

Finally we wandered through the streets of the Chiado neighborhood, admiring Lisbon’s colorful buildings. Blue, pink, yellow… Lisbon felt like a blend of Caribbean colors, Mediterranean tile roofs, and classic European cobblestone streets, giving it a vibrant and unique personality.

For dinner we ate at O Português Chiado and shared a spread of tapas. It’s a cozy little restaurant with a live guitar player and singer who performed softly throughout our meal, adding to the charming ambiance.

We ordered salted cod fritters (a classic Portuguese dish called pastéis de bacalhau), octopus salad, duck bon bons in peanut sauce, gratin polenta, and steak on toast with mustard. For dessert we had banana cake and “chocolate two ways”—brownie and mousse. Everything was delicious, and incredibly reasonable. Our whole meal came out to about $60 total—including non-alcoholic drinks, tax, tip, everything!

Our hotel in Lisbon was also incredibly cool. It was adventure-themed, with little design touches throughout that made it feel like you were on an African safari. They did nightly turndown service and, when we checked out, they gave us a scented satchel “to take the adventure home with us.” (Lavender! They had asked our scent preference in an email beforehand, and Grant thought it might be for a room air freshener.) There were also welcome candies in the room. Very fancy!

Our full day in Lisbon was cool and drizzly, but that didn’t stop us from making the most of our Lisboa Card. We took the tram to Belém, a historic district west of Lisbon that’s closely tied to Portugal’s Age of Exploration.

Our first stop was the Jerónimos Monastery, one of Portugal’s most famous landmarks. In the church we saw the tomb of Vasco da Gama, the explorer who successfully sailed from Europe to India in 1498 by rounding the southern tip of Africa. His voyage opened the first direct sea route between Europe and Asia.

The monastery itself dates to the early 1500s and was built to celebrate Portugal’s maritime successes. The monks who lived there belonged to the Order of Saint Jerome. Among their duties were praying for the king and offering spiritual guidance to sailors before they set off on long and dangerous voyages.

Portugal was a leader of Europe’s exploration of the world during the 15th and 16th centuries. Portuguese sailors mapped much of the African coastline, discovered the sea route around Africa to Asia, and explored parts of South America—including Brazil of course.

The monastery’s cloisters were stunning. At the center is a peaceful square courtyard surrounded by elaborately carved stone arches in the ornate “Manueline” style, which incorporates maritime symbols like ropes, shells, and sea creatures. Two levels of arcaded walkways surround the courtyard, where the monks once took quiet, meditative walks.

After visiting the monastery we walked to the Monument to the Discoveries, a massive sculpture honoring Portugal’s explorers. The monument looks like the prow of a ship, with statues of famous historical figures—including Prince Henry the Navigator—lined up as if they’re sailing into the unknown.

We took the elevator to the top of the 170-foot monument to look out over Lisbon, Belém, and the Tagus River, where many of these voyages began. The weather was cloudy and rainy so the views weren’t perfect, but it was still neat to see.

Nearby is Belém Tower, a famous fortress that once guarded the entrance to Lisbon’s harbor and symbolized Portugal’s maritime power. Unfortunately it was closed for refurbishment during our visit.

Since it was still raining and we had time to spare, we decided to pop into the Lisbon Maritime Museum. The museum covers Portugal’s naval history from the Age of Exploration through the modern navy.

We spent most of our time in the Exploration galleries, which were fascinating. We especially loved seeing early maps, model ships, and navigational instruments like astrolabes and sextants—the technology that made long-distance ocean travel possible.

Another interesting exhibit recreated the king and queen’s cabin from a royal yacht from the early 1900s. In the final gallery we saw several real historic vessels, including the Galeota Grande, an ornate royal barge used in ceremonial processions along the Tagus River, and the Bergantim Real, a beautifully restored 18th-century training ship once used to teach Portuguese naval cadets.

After the museum we took the tram back to downtown Lisbon and had lunch at a delicious healthy fast-food restaurant called Honest Greens. This chain is popular in Spain and was started by three founders—from the United States, France, and the Netherlands. Everything is fresh and packed with vegetables, nuts, grains, fruits, and different proteins. I wish we had something like this at home!

We spent the afternoon at Castelo de São Jorge, a hilltop castle overlooking Lisbon. It was a short but steep walk to reach it, but the views were absolutely worth it. From the towers and castle walls we could see rooftops, the river, and the entire city stretching out below us.

The castle itself dates back more than 1,000 years and was once a Moorish fortress before being captured by Portuguese forces in the 1100s during the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Another highlight: the place was full of peacocks! They roam freely around the grounds and perch in the trees. Because we were there near sunset, they were especially active—and very vocal—calling to each other all over the castle.

For dinner we went to an amazing steakhouse called Sala de Corte. Ironically, it was right back by the waterfront next to the Honest Greens where we had eaten lunch!

This meal was incredible. We had beef tartare, baby lettuce with mustard vinaigrette, and a Portuguese-style asparagus and mushroom dish topped with thin crispy French fries (so good!). For our mains we shared tenderloin with béarnaise sauce and sirloin with chimichurri.

They also served a complimentary amuse-bouche of Korean-style steak tartare, which might have been the best thing we ate all night.

Dessert was called “Chocolate Beef”—a chocolate mousse surrounded by a shiny chocolate shell shaped like a steak. It was a clever visual joke that matched the restaurant’s theme, and it tasted amazing.

Our time in Lisbon was short but sweet, and we packed a lot into our quick stay.

Next stop: Madrid!