We love taking our students to places that are not so straightforward to visit. This year we ran two trips to El Escorial, just 60 km from Madrid.
El Escorial, site of the summer palace of the royal family, built by Filipe II was our base. It is a small town in the mountains, surrounded by pine clad forests and full of charm.
The complex is a combined palace and monastery built to celebrate victory in the battle of St. Quintin and it holds the pantheon of kings. With a library dedicated to the study of faith and natural philosophy and an impressive basilica the monastery occupies most of the building. Up on the hillside it is possible to get a view of the whole palace from a vantage point known as “La silla de Filipe II”, or one can just enjoy a coffee or glass of wine in the Plaza Mayor, definitely a good idea after walking around the palace!
Segovia. Famous for the Roman aqueduct and the Alcázar (castle) was another destination. This small city had an important Jewish quarter and is part of the “caminos de Sefarad” a network of points of significance to the Jewish people of Spain. The walk between the aqueduct and the alcázar covers many historic points. Students were introduced to vermú (Vermuth), a fortified wine very popular in Madrid Area for aperitivo.
El Paular Monastery, what a treasure!
Set in an impressive spot, in a valley surrounded by high mountains with snow many months of the year. It is in the middle of the national park of Guadarrama and is the first Cartuja in the Kingdom of Castille, dating from the XIV century, a building full of History. We had the privilege of being guided by one of the monks who live in the community. You can even join this group of monks and live with them for a few days. For more information
Madrid town centre. After visiting the Museo Reina Sofia, home of Picasso’s “Guernica” we went for a walk around the Madrid de los Austrias to explore some of the historic bars and restaurants, including the Tienda de Violetas. This area although picturesque isn’t perhaps the best known area.
El Valle de los Caídos is perhaps the most controversial place in Spain at the moment. A memorial built on the orders of Franco after the civil war it claims to be a memory to all the fallen of the war but, built by prisoners of war and glorifying Franco’s regime, it is not seen like this by most people. A giant cross seen in the middle of the mountains from the motorway leaving Madrid, the scale can only be appreciated when you are there. In our visit we were able to see part of Spain’s modern history and reflect on how raw some of the effects of the civil war are and how it still affects peoples´ attitudes today.
Great well organised trip with good variety of activities. Highly recommended.
Excellent trip! Lovely holiday experience, i had brilliant time- an amazing places to explore where offered . All our hopes fir the trip were listened to and applied to every way . I love going on holiday with Elena and learn more about Spanish culture.
Really enjoyable trip with great cultural and historical content but delivered in a relaxed and fun environment. The trip was also accessible to non-learners of Spanish. My husband, who isn’t studying Spanish, was also on this visit and enjoyed it very much.
A great synopsis of our lovely holiday together in El Escorial …..thank you Elena. Full of interesting places to visit, cultural discoveries as well as fun and relaxation. ….we really enjoyed it!
It was so good to visit these important sites with a friendly group of fellow students, and Elena’s organisation was second to none. I would never have seen so much of I’d gone on my own.
Each year these trips get more popular – we know they will be worthwhile, whatever the location.