Escorial Lunch, Spain

Typically, I don’t like to eat outside. However, there’s nothing like lunch with a view. We happened to be only a few blocks from El Escorial in Spain and there was a series of restaurants with outdoor seating that looked out over the palace. Therefore, I broke the rules, took a table, and settled in for a nice lunch. The menu of the day featured some interesting choices, none of which I can explain in Spanish. The first plate was a shrimp in cream sauce over a puff pastry as you can see here:

Tasty and light, despite the cream sauce. The other first plate was a mushroom concoction with the same cream base as you can see below:

You can see one of the Escorial towers in the background there and get a sense of the view from this table. Quite nice, eh? Well, there was a main course, it was a sort of lamb rolitini type of thing as shown in the next photo.

The meal was tasty as was the wine. Sadly, El Escorial was closed for a holiday. My sightseeing was limited to the outside areas, which are nothing more than stone plazas. Always good to call ahead or check the internet to see what attractions will or will not be open. Lesson learned.)

Published in: on May 18, 2010 at 8:19 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Bones of Monks, Spain

While in Sigüenza, Spain, I came across the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Huertos. It is a Franciscan monastery built in the 16th Century as you can see from this plaque on the wall.

An here’s a look at the building itself.

A fairly imposing structure, I decided to go in for a closer look, when I came across this sign, explaining how some of the monks were buried in the space adjacent to the church.

Much to my surprise, the grave pictured in the diagram above can be seen under a sheet of glass on a few steps to the left. Here it is:

Wow! I wasn’t expecting to actually look down into the grave. But, there they are, the bones for all to see. Seems a bit macabre, or even somewhat disrespectful. Then again, the faithful may be attracted by such relics. It’s hard to tell. Either way, it brings history into sharp focus. There were real people living and dying here. The evidence is everywhere to be seen.

Published in: on May 17, 2010 at 2:06 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Jardin de la Muralla, Ronda

Jardin de la Muralla in Ronda, Spain, was among my favorite places for an overnight stay during my most recent trip. This hospederia is located adjacent to the old city wall and the Iglesia Espiritu Santo, which I featured in a blog post some days ago. This is a cozy place that offers standard rooms, doubles, and a suite. We stayed in a standard room, which was quite spacious and the bathroom was very large indeed. The following video provides an overview of the premises.

Our amiable host prepared breakfast and gave us a few tips about exploring the city of Ronda. From Jardin de la Muralla, it is only a short walk to the “new bridge” as the one that crosses the gorge is known. On the way there, you’ll pass by some historic churches, shops, and plenty of restaurants. Furthermore, there are a number of smart shopping streets beyond if retail therapy is a requirement.

Once again, places like Jardin de la Muralla are my favorite type of accommodation in that they provide personal service without pretension. I highly recommend this one in particular.

Published in: on May 16, 2010 at 12:41 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Churros y Chocolate

Churros y chocolate make an excellent snack on the way home from a night of tapas and wine. After several trips to Spain, I finally decided to indulge in this decadent treat, selecting the Chocolateria San Gines which lies between the Plaza Mayor and Plaza Isabel II. In other words, it was on the way back to my hotel from the aforementioned tapas rampage. Here’s a photo of the entrance:

It’s hard to miss with a neon sign up top that you can see glowing from a block away even if you can’t exactly see the sign itself.

The churro is a bit of fried dough extruded into a stick topped with sugar. Some purists avoid the cinnamon. However, I’ve had them with the cinnamon and it is a welcome touch. Here’s a view of a typical order of the regular variety:

A word about the chocolate. It is thicker than hot cocoa that many Americans may know, and yet thinner than you would expect. It is the perfect consistency in that when you dip the churro into the chocolate, it adheres without being gooey. How this is achieved, I have no idea. Doesn’t matter. Furthermore, the chocolate is not overly sweet and still possesses no bitterness. Amazing. This is a fine treat right before you go to bed. Good for your teeth, too. (Just kidding on the teeth part.)

Published in: on May 13, 2010 at 7:37 pm  Comments (1)  
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