Day Trips From Madrid

Lake at Aranjuez

Staying in any city for more than a few days can be feet achingly tiring, the chance of seeing a bit of greenery and open space out of the city is an attractive option. It also allows you to discover more of the region your staying in and adds an additional authentic experience to your stay, wherever you are. Madrid is located in the very centre of Spain on the Castilian plateau, it is in the region of the Comunidad de Madrid which is one of the seventeen autonomous regions of Spain. Madrid is is connected by several train stations, Atocha in the south of the city and Chamartín in the north. From these stations it is possible to take the the local train service (Cercanias) to a number of destinations, see the Renfe (Spanish train service) website for timetables http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html. Here's a selection of the best day trips from Madrid.

Toledo's Alcantara bridge

Toledo

View of Toledo

Toledo is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the old Toledo is made of of labyrinthine medieval streets and is encircled by the river Tagus on three sides. In the summer months, Toledo can be busy with tourists especially at the weekends, however it makes for a great day trip as it only 35mins on the train from Madrid. The must sees while your there are the Cathedral and the Alcázar of Toledo, a castle which is now a museum.


Aranjuez 
Not far from Toledo is Aranjuez, which used to be the place where the Spanish royalty spent there summers. It is renown for it beautiful gardens which are a popular setting for wedding photos. Like Toledo it can be busy with tourists who come to admire the Royal palace and gardens. It is truly a magical and beautiful place to visit and to just wander. Travel time from Madrid is approximately 45 minutes.

Gardens at Aranjuez

El Escorial 

Library at El Escorial 

North-west of Madrid is the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. It is the location of  a rather austere monastery built by Felipe II and finished in 1584 after twenty years of construction. The huge granite building is an awe-inspiring site from the outside and its interior is decorated with frescoes and paintings by Velázquez, Titian and El Greco among others. El Escorial is a real step back in time, Felipe II's bedroom has been preserved in the same condition as when he died in 1598. El Escorial can be reached by bus from Moncloa bus station (bus 661) or from Atocha or Chamartín train stations, the journey takes about an hour.

El Escorial

Alcala de Henares

Palacio de Laredo

Famous as the birthplace of Cervantes, Alcala de Henares is a medieval university town 35 km North-east of  from Madrid. The old town has been largely preserved and it is made up of winding cobbled streets. The centre has also been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is famous for its population of white storks that nest on top of many of the historial buildings, they have themselves become quite a tourist attraction. A must see is the Palacio de Laredo which is an eye-catching building due to its mix of architectural styles (Gothic, Mudejar and Arabesque). Alcala is well connected to Madrid and has become a commuter town as its on 25minutes journey by train.

Alcala de Henares Plaza Cervantes

Segovia

Segovia is situated to the north-west of Madrid in the region of Castile y Leon. Segovia is an enchanting city famous for the Roman aqueduct that was built c. AD 50. Segovia has be declared a world heritage site by UNESCO and has a abundance of historical buildings of civic and religious relevance. Some must sees include the 16th century Gothic Cathedral in the Plaza Mayor and the Alcázar de Segovia, which is a 14th century fortress of Roman origin. To see something more modern, the Contemporary Art Museum houses the work by the Abstract Expresssionist Esteban Vincente in a Renaissance style palace. Train journey from Madrid is about 30 minutes. 

Alcázar Segovia

Aqueduct Segovia

'La Cuenta Por Favor', some useful advice and phrases for ordering in Spanish.

Typical restaurant front

Tapas

It's a slightly different affair ordering food in Spain, the menu system is different as is the way in which customers speak to the waiters. However, the seemingly curt manner in which Spanish people ask for things in a restaurant isn't seen as rude, its direct and to the point and for learners of Spanish a great deal easier to pick up. Here's an example, in English someone would say: 'Could I possibly have a glass of water please?', to translate into Spanish would be -'¿Me podrias traer un vasito de agua por favor?, where in truth, it would be 'Traerme agua, por favor', literally, 'Bring me water please'.  It's a perfectly acceptable way to speak, as long as you don't forget you 'por favor' or 'gracias' it isn't rude at all. Simply asking for a beer can be put as bluntly as 'Una cerveza por favor'.
 From an English point of view, it can take a bit of getting used to as it sounds very direct which is contrary to the English way of asking for things (in most cases). Unless you're in high society in Spain, it 's doubtful you'll need to use 'could' and 'would' in relation to asking for things in a restaurant. Here's some useful words and phrases to use when ordering. The words in brackets show how the Spainsh word's pronounced.

Oiga - Is like saying 'hey' to get the waiter's attention, it's pronounced oye-ga.

Camarero/a - waiter/ress

¿Me traes la carta por favor? - Could you bring me the menu please?

¿Que te recomiendas? - What would you recommend? ( rec-com-me-end-das)

¿Cual es el plato típico de aquí? - Which dish is a local speciality?

¿De que consiste? - What's in it?

Quiero..... - I would like.... (key-ro)

Para mí.... - For me.... (mí is pronounced the same as me)

Trae pan por favor - Could you bring some bread please?

Otra botella por favor - Could you bring another bottle please? (bot- teya)

¿Donde estan los servicios? or  ¿El baño por favor? - Where is the toilet/bathroom please?

La cuenta por favor - Can we have the bill please?

Tapas bar

Board advertising the menú

When asking for the menu it's important to distinguish between the a la carte menu (la carta) and the the daily menu (el menú or menú del día). May bars and restaurants serve a daily menu which consists of three courses and mostly includes a drink and coffee. This menu can cost anything between 6 and 15 euros per person with the more expensive tasting menus (menú de des-gustación) around 30 euros. The menú del día is a good economical option that often consists of a selection of local specialities.





If you're looking  for vegetarian food and you're not in Barcelona, you going to find it hard. There isn't such a thing as veggie burgers and what goes for a sandwhich 'vegetal' contains tuna. In Spain, what would be regarded as a vegetarian option would be a fish dish. I'd suggest asking for things like 'Verduras a la Plancha' which is grilled vegetables like peppers, asparagus and aubergine, or Tortilla Española which is of course a Spanish omelette. Also, be specific about salads, they often contain tuna, 'sin' means 'without', so 'sin atún' is 'without tuna'. To be clear that you don't eat meat or fish, 'Soy vegetariano/a' - I am a vegetarian. 'No como carne ni pescado'- I don't eat meat or fish. And there's always patatas fritas (chips) if nothing else.

Tapas and wine

When ordering, you can choose between ordering tapas or raciones which are larger portions of tapas or platos, which are dishes served with  potatoes and vegetables, which is called 'guarnición'. These are normally preceded by 'entrantes' (starters) and followed by 'postre' (dessert).

Hake with clams

If you see 'servicio incluido' on the menu this means that service is included in the price, although it usually isn't and tipping for service is the normal thing to do. In Spanish VAT is IVA and it should show on your bill the percentage of IVA added. The menu should also state whether IVA is 'incluido' in the individual prices of the dishes.
If the waiter likes you, you may be invited to have a 'chupito', a shot of liqueur normally Orujo which is like the Italian Grappa. Remember, 'Te invito' means you are being invited to a free chupito, so make sure it doesn't appear on the bill. Also, 'de la casa' means 'on the house', in case you're lucky enough to hear that.

Restaurant in Mallorca

http://enjoyingspain-melissa.blogspot.com/