Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid made it to the second all-Madrid Champions League final in three years. Madrid could well be considered the European capital of football - along with Leicester.
Both Atletico and Real have an English site, so it's pretty easy to book tickets to the match of your choice or to the Bernabéu Tour (one of the Top 3 attractions in Madrid with more than a million visitors a year!).
There is much more to Madrid than football, of course... Some of the best restaurants in Spain, to start with, and my favourite museum in the world.
Oh, and one more thing (I am trying not to lose focus)... Madrid is a trap for drivers. Don't even try, Madrid Metro is convenient and reliable.
Showing posts with label eating in Spain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eating in Spain. Show all posts
Camino de Santiago by car
There are at least four ways to Santiago: the French Way, the Silver Way, the Portuguese Way and the North Way. All of them offer great driving routes, but we are focusing on the best-known today... Do you feel like driving the French Way of St James?
If we need to hire a car our trip will start in Pamplona, about an hour south of Roncesvalles. Logroño is an hour from Pamplona, and we will spend our first night here. Administrative capital of the Rioja region, I would go for a hotel in the city centre to make sure no-one will have to drive after dealing with the best wines in Spain.
Burgos could well be the next stop, but there is little to see in Burgos aside from the Cathedral. I'd rather visit the Museum of Human Evolution in the nearby Atapuerca. Staying in Burgos is the best option, so you can see the Cathedral.
The drive between Burgos and León is just two hours, so you should be in León in time to see the Cathedral and San Isidoro (the Sistine Chapel of Romanesque Art) before tasting the local tapas (some say they are the best in Spain).
Astorga is less than an hour from León, and I would choose a hotel with spa to experience the Camino like the pilgrims do (though they'll go to the spa for a different reason). The Cathedral of Astorga and the Episcopal Palace by Gaudi are a must in Astorga. There are a couple of restaurants in the city worth the visit (Serrano and La Peseta), but if you are the ox-beef meat kind of person your restaurant is a half-hour from Astorga, El Capricho (probably the best steak in the world).
I'd spend the next morning in the spa before heading to Castrillo de los Polvazares to taste a true maragato stew. You can get to Ponferrada following the Camino, but I'd rather go back to Astorga and use the highway. You'll miss Foncebadón, but both you and the pilgrims will be safer.
There is little to see in Ponferrada, and a Parador in Villafranca del Bierzo, a charming village with lots to see and little to do.
The next stop is Lugo, the city with the Roman walls. I wouldn't hurry. On your way to Lugo you can wander around the Ancares, After that you are already in Galicia, and one day far from Santiago. Lugo is an old town that used to be much more important 2,000 years ago, but you will find affordable hotels and restaurants.
The trip to Santiago de Compostela is just 90 minutes, and once you get to Santiago you are free to indulge yourself...
If we need to hire a car our trip will start in Pamplona, about an hour south of Roncesvalles. Logroño is an hour from Pamplona, and we will spend our first night here. Administrative capital of the Rioja region, I would go for a hotel in the city centre to make sure no-one will have to drive after dealing with the best wines in Spain.
Burgos could well be the next stop, but there is little to see in Burgos aside from the Cathedral. I'd rather visit the Museum of Human Evolution in the nearby Atapuerca. Staying in Burgos is the best option, so you can see the Cathedral.
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| Burgos Cathedral - you've seen it. |
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| San Isidoro's Royal Pantheon |
I'd spend the next morning in the spa before heading to Castrillo de los Polvazares to taste a true maragato stew. You can get to Ponferrada following the Camino, but I'd rather go back to Astorga and use the highway. You'll miss Foncebadón, but both you and the pilgrims will be safer.
There is little to see in Ponferrada, and a Parador in Villafranca del Bierzo, a charming village with lots to see and little to do.
The next stop is Lugo, the city with the Roman walls. I wouldn't hurry. On your way to Lugo you can wander around the Ancares, After that you are already in Galicia, and one day far from Santiago. Lugo is an old town that used to be much more important 2,000 years ago, but you will find affordable hotels and restaurants.
The trip to Santiago de Compostela is just 90 minutes, and once you get to Santiago you are free to indulge yourself...
Spain food TOP TEN
From time to time I try to put order in my travel notes... It isn't always easy, but I try.
This is my Spanish food TOP TEN (comments welcome).
I must have a note somewhere that I promise to share regarding a simple restaurant in a service area off the A6 highway with an extraordinary 10 euro menu...
This is my Spanish food TOP TEN (comments welcome).
- Tapas in Leon. Barrio Humedo is the place to taste tapas... Oh, and they come for free with each drink. That's the true tapas' spirit, don't be fooled!
- Cocido maragato. I'm a carnivore, and I love it. Cocido maragato is an orgy of beef, pork, chorizo, chicken... There's also the chickpeas, and the soup, both served after the meat, as it should be! You will find it in the area of Astorga, a cosy town in the A6 highway, some 300 km from Madrid.
- Iberiam ham. My advice would be to try it in Caceres, a beautiful city in Extremadura.
- Salmorejo. Refreshing and a must in the Andalusian summer. Typical from Cordoba, I fell in love with it in Malaga.
- Migas. Regional dish in La Mancha, also found in Aragon and in other areas. Here you are a(nother) good reason to visit Zaragoza.
- Galician seafood: almost any restaurant in the Galician coats offers fresh seafood, both fish and shellfish, impossible to find in the UK.
- Tortilla: Spain's national dish, well ahead of paella. You'll find it everywhere, from La Graciosa to Girona, from Ibiza to Galicia.
- Bread with tomato: typical from Catalonia, 75% of Spanish hotels offer in their buffet breakfast... Try it with olive oil and ham or cecina.
- Black pudding: typical in Leon, where famous tapas bars offer it for free with your drink (La Bicha is a MUST, definitely the best black pudding in the world).
- Pulpo a la gallega: Galicia again, this time with their typical octopus... Definitely a must.
I must have a note somewhere that I promise to share regarding a simple restaurant in a service area off the A6 highway with an extraordinary 10 euro menu...
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