The palace of San Lorenzo de El Escorial was built by King Felipe II between 1563 and 1584. It contains a basilica, a monestary, a museum of art, a library, royal apatment and the royal pantheon where the funeral urns of twenry six Spanish monarchs are kept. Exploring the place with our tour guide was both intriguing and fascinating...
After the tour we walked to the local bus station where we had hot "churros" pastries, with our hot chocolate before boarding the bus for a ride to del Valle de los Caidos, a massive momument to those that died in Spanish Civil War July 1936 - April 1939.
The monument cross is 490 feet tall and can be seen for miles. Below the cross is a basilica carved into the rock of the mountain by prisoners of war captured by Gen. Franco's army. The basilica was closed for maintenance the day we were there. The remains of 40,000 soldiers killed in the civil war, from both sides,
lie here out of sight of the public. Gen. Franco is buried next to the basilica's high altar.
Some Spaniards find this monument too chilling a reminder of the civil war to visit. Others find the vast size of the venue a rewarding experieince... It is a moving site!
We get back on the bus for the return to Madrid and lunch. In the afternoon, we head south to the former capital of Spain, Toledo.
The walled city of Toledo is rich in history. The Romans built a fortress here, then, the Visogoths made Toledo their capital in the 6th century..Toledo has been a melting pot of Christians, Muslims and Jews as evident by the architecture of it buildings.
The massive Toledo Cathedral was built on the site of a 7th century church. Work began in 1236 and lasted 300 years. It was completed in 1493. Its bell tower dominates the skyline of Toledo.
Our half day walking tour of Toledo took us beyond the Cathedral, to the church of St. Tome. There we found the El Greco painting "The burial of Count Orgaz,". Then on to the old Jewish quarter with its narrow streets, the Sinagogue and the Church of San Juan de los Reyes.
View of the river Tagus from the Museum of sculptor Victorio Macho.
After a very long day of sighting seeing we were glad to get back on the bus for the return trip to Madrid.
Arriving in Madrid, we passed one of the cities football (soccer) stadiums where the fans were gathering for the big game tonight again rival Barcelona. Spain isn't just ancient history!
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