Published on Sep, 2022
This was an excellent Saturday escape after three days of exploring among the crowds in the old, central part of Madrid. I’d requested an earlier start of 8:30 than the standard 9:30. Our driver, Jamal, and guide, Maria, were at the entrance to our hotel when we stepped out a few minutes early. It was a very comfortable ride in a newer Mercedes E-Class sedan under clear blue skies. Due to our early start, we rode straight to Segovia. The city was still quiet when we arrived which afforded an excellent opportunity to explore the ancient Roman aqueduct and have a short walkabout the village. We stopped a couple of times for views of the countryside as we headed up the hill to our tour of the Alcazar. Maria gave us an excellent historic narrative as we walked through the amazing structure. Jamal was waiting as we emerged and took us back down the hill where he left us with Maria for a tour of the village. When we were ready to eat, Maria made several cafe suggestions and left us to lunch on the main plaza with time to explore and shop on our own. At the agreed time, we met up and headed to Valley of the Fallen. The four of us had an enjoyable and animated conversation during transit. On arrival, the scent of the surrounding forest was intoxicating. From our reading before the trip, we were expecting a crude cave. It was breath-taking to walk through the bronze doors into what is the remarkably magnificent, ornately beautiful sanctuary inside a mountain. Maria was right there, giving us a point-by-point narrative of this miracle of construction as we viewed the spectacle. Back in the car, with waters once again refreshed by Jamal, we headed to El Escorial with further dialog about the area and El Escorial itself. (I have to say what a pleasure it was to have the little water bottles replenished throughout the day.) Maria’s remarkable knowledge of the monastery’s history was offered up and down the stairways and throughout various chambers. The library alone was worth the trip. It was a restful, quiet ride back into Madrid with points of interested acknowledged by both Jamal and Maria along the way. It was an excellent day tour. Pricey for only two of us, but certainly worth it in my estimation. Maria and Jamal were both knowledgeable, friendly and a pleasure to spend a day with. I couldn’t recommend any other way to see these three phenomenally historic venues.
