LoStrunzo

Tinker: You are 100% correct! Tried to correct my mistake but all of a sudden I couldn't reply. I have seen the Valley of the Fallen monument from an Spanish Army CH47 and on the ground. While impressive, it becomes less so when one understands it was a monument to Franco built by slave labor. Like us, Spain still deals with the legecy of their civil war.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

Toledo, for sure. Can you work in Montserrat? Salamanca is another possibility.

Tinker

LoStruno: Spain underwent absolutely major changes after Franco died. I lived in Madrid 1956-60, and return for a week in early 2003. What a change! And was generally impressed with how well everything had been done. But Old Madrid was still the wonderful, smelly old place it used to be. I think anyone who spends time in that country always carries a bit of it in her or her heart.

repleo Loc: Boston

OP Here.
Thanks folks for all of the great suggestions. I am still researching them. Toledo, Segovia and Avila will be definites. Still trying to decide whether to head North or South for the remainder of the trip.
Hope to have pics to post when I get back.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

The castle for which I could not remember the name is Alcazar. It is truly amazing. As I recall, it's not far from Madrid. But I was there in the 60's, and my memories are sort of fuzzy.

There's another place we went - I think in Madrid proper - where the building was still as it was at the end of the Civil War. Bullet holes in the walls, etc. Someone will remember the name.

Tinker

There are a lot of places in Spain where bullet holes are still evident. I believe the town to which you refer is Segovia, where a very well preserved castle is available to visit. It is quite photogenic, as is much of Spain. It is close to Madrid, something on the order of 50 miles, on the other side of the Guadarrama Mountains. it is a very nice ride. Another place to visit is El Escorial, a huge place constructed by Phillip II long ago, with sides on the same scale as one might find on the Pentagon in Washington - a big building, very ornate and which takes a while to walk through. But well worth it for those for whom such places hold appeal. Spain, like most of Europe, is a place full of things to see and do, where history comes alive around almost every bend in the road.

LoStrunzo

I was fortunate to visit Madrid 7 or 8 times over the course of 18 years. Love the city, people and the food. The only negative was if you were in the crosswalk when the light turned red you were free game.

repleo Loc: Boston

Thanks. I just booked an AirBnB apartment for our first four nights near Sol in the literary quarter 'Barrio de Las Letras. Looking forward to it, but still undecided on the rest of the itinerary.

Tinker

LoStrunzo:" Reviewing my past replies I note that it should have been "his or her" rather than "her or her"...thanks to the computer. (I am a "his" by the way). In the late fifties all the Madrid taxis were black with a red stripe where the top and lower body join. We called them by yelling "LIBRE," which was an accepted method. I remember taking a taxi to a date across town for about 25 pts, which was around 40 cents. A double decker bus was good summer afternoon entertainment, across the city for a nickel, then subway back in the old, smelly, loud and hot (or cold) open cars. Not what one finds there today. We would go to the Gran Via for an evening's fun, and crossing the busy street we would see who could come closest to the taxis (very few privately owned cars) without getting clipped. The taxistas were sort of in on it and could drive in a straight line ("on rails") to let us do it. Once in a while one of us would misjudge and get tire tracks on our toes - why no one was really was hurt was due to our collective guardian angels, I suppose. Bt the amazing thing was that, as a group of norteamericanos in Madrid we were perfectly safe for the most part. Franco without doubt had his bad points, but he kept that city pretty safe as far as I could tell. A nice date, including taxis and dinner, was usually about five bucks or so. It was very formal; we would not have thought of taking a girl out without a coat and tie on, and the chicas dressed in similarly formal lady-like attire. My wife, who was a classmate, and her friends liked to go shopping on the GV with hats, gloves, the whole deal. It was a wonderful time to be a teenager, even if things at home were sometimes missed. We were pre-tackle football, no phones, no cars, always eager to learn from newcomers what the latest from the States might be - we didn't go back and forth, but stayed for the entire military assignment right there in Spain. But many or us became very inerested bullfighting, Real Madrid futbol, flamenco dancing, classical Spanish guitar, etc. A lot of PhD holders in Spanish grew out of those years when very few locals spoke English. Anyway, a bit of looking back that I thought you might find interesting in view of you attraction to that place. (Pardon the occasional mistyped word - I am on a Mac with that tiny keyboard that tends to stick once in a while -wold think a trillion dollar company could do better than that,but therein lies another topic)

repleo Loc: Boston

Tinker.
Interesting reminiscences of a nostalgic time in Madrid. One of the things I plan on seeing in Madrid is 'Platform 0' and its associated Pacifico Power Plant. Platform 0 is a Metro station that was closed up in the early 60's and forgotten about. The power plant and it majestic diesel generators were mothballed in the 50's. Both have been restored to their original 1920's grandeur and opened to the public. Hoping I might find some interesting photos there.

Tinker

Repleo: I am totally unfamiliar wih that Platform 0. I don't think I ever heard of it during my time there.
Hope youihave great results and that we will see some of your photos in the Hog when you have the chance!