Eugene, I wanted to let you your recommendations for our trip to Madrid and No. Spain were excellent. We loved the Hotel Hospes in Madrid, it's convenient location and excellent service. We took advantage of the Madrid Vision Bus Tour which left across the circle from the hotel. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at El Barril de Recoletos, which was within walking distance of the hotel. Their speciality was beef....wonderful, and they also served a whole fish which looked delicious. The next day, near the Plaza Mayor, we had lunch at Casa Ballega....excellent food and service. We did eat one night at the hotel (Senzone Restaurant) and were disappointed in the food. We took the fast train to Toledo. Recommend checking the train times carefully for each day, as the schedule varies and we spent a long wait in the station (which is amazing by the way). Highly recommend the Los Quatro Tiempos restaurant in Toledo. A local recommended it to us.
We had a disappointing Italian meal at L'Espirale, which was within walking distance of our hotel. Am sure there were better choices. On our way to Santillana Del Mar, we stopped in Segovia. A must! And then went to lunch at the Asador Casa Brigante in Lerma for the roast baby lamb. Quite a treat. Then on to Santillana del Mar. We liked our hotel very much....Hotel Casa del Marques. We stopped into the Parador, and didn't think it looked as nice. It was difficult to find a good meal in Santillana del Mar....not sure why. The side trips to Valle de Cabuerniga was fabulous. We drove to Barcena Mayor and stopped for lunch in Los Tojos at a charming lodge called La Punvieja. Be sure to take the road to Carmona...the most beautiful valley I've ever seen! The next day we went to the Picos de Europa. Very cloudy, so we didn't ride the tram at Fuente De. A must....if you go to the Picos....lunch at Hotel del Oso. It also looked like a wonderful place to spend a day or two if one had the time. Drove to Bilbao, where we had arranged ahead of time (through the museum web site) for a private guide. Highly recommended. Also ate in the Bistro at the museum....some of the best food of our trip. Reservations recommended. Then on to Hondoribbia. This was probably our favorite place! We loved the Parador Emperador. Spectacular lobby, great food at breakfast, simple rooms with wonderful views. Hondoribbia is a charming town, an authentic fishing village, good restaurants, especially for tapas. Our favorite was Gran Sol. We also had fabulous tapas at La Cepa in San Sebastion, an easy drive from Hondoribbia. Took a side trip through the Basque country and ended up in St. Jean de Luz for lunch....a colorful town. All in all it was a perfect trip, and we thank you for all your input.
Eugene, I'm also going to send you a link to my online album on Shutterfly so you can see our pictures.
Happy New Year. Jo Anne
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