The Santa Teresa museum features the ring finger of the Santa Teresa and her history…read moreunsurprisingly. In order for one to become saint in the past, the saint's body has to be not decomposed after burial and also need to then be cut apart so that the body parts can be hosted at various sites for religious purposes. Saint Teresa's body underwent such a special arrangement since she became a saint because her body did not rot. Her ring finger is cut and featured at this museum. When you see the finger, the finger no longer resembles a finger but more of a long, strange wooden stick with growths on either side. There is a large ring on Saint Teresa's finger because like all priests and nuns, she is married to God. Saint Teresa is also known as Jesus's Teresa because she is known to see visions. One such vision revealed her speaking to Jesus, who called her Jesus's Teresa.

Gothic cathedral or Fortress? You wouldn't know. Construction began as early as the 12th century,…read moreblending Romanesque and French-influenced Gothic by architect Fruchel. Truly an architectural oddity but pretty badass.

How do you even rate a church? This was one of my first stops on my day trip to Ávila and I was…read moreimpressed. I've been to the Sagrada Familia (5 stars) and cathedrals around the world, including the Basílica del Voto Nacional in Quito where you could walk a catwalk high above the sanctuary to get to stunning views on the roof (also 5 stars). The Catedral de Ávila doesn't have the gimmicky catwalk or the street cred of a world renowned church, but it does have friendly staff, an helpful audio tour, soaring ceilings, beautiful stained glass, and the amazing Altar of Kings, carved from limestone, which depicts scenes from Jesus's life--some of which I found very moving. Make sure to go through all of the open doors as they lead to various displays and a quaint chapel. I enjoyed my visit and found the artwork and historical exhibits fascinating.

Amazing, from start to finish! I was greeted by a very friendly receptionist who explained…read moreeverything we needed to know to navigate the museum including the use of the audio guide. Once beginning I was so impressed with the time and detail that was put in to every explanation for each point of the audio guide. They clearly really wanted you to understand the material and took great efforts to make that happen. Once I entered the museum I was wowed by all of the artifacts that they had preserved and showcased. Again, the attention to detail paid in every display including the description of each item's significance, really helped establish a holistic understanding of the various facets of the mint and how it worked. One of the really cool things was seeing the components of how the water wheel worked form the interior of the building and then viewing it from the exterior of the building, again so a holistic understanding of the mechanism at play could be understood. Absolutely top notch museum, if traveling to or through Segovia, neglecting to come here would be a huge mistake.

There are so many places worth a day trip from Madrid and this is one of them. In wanting to find a…read moreplace that could be a longer half day trip (but not more than this due to the short duration of my trip), this monastery appealed to me in that the commute time via public transportation is about an hour from Madrid Chamartin, or only about a 40 min drive (€40 rideshare price) from the western edge of Madrid city center. Certainly you could take more time around town and make this a full day trip in addition to visiting the Valle de los Caídos (the Valley of the Fallen) monument, there are a number of bus tours that run this exact itinerary. Departing from Madrid Chamartin the Cercanius C8 line arrives at El Escorial station, from which it's about a 25 minute walk or 15 min bus ride to the monastery which is the major tourist destination in town. The town itself is quaint and nice to take a stroll around to get a feel of a suburban downtown area. Tickets are available online and in-person by time slot and while in late September I didn't see times fully booked I imagine during peak tourist season you should book at least a few days in advance. Inside larger bags need to checked in lockers (€1 euro deposit for the lock mechanism function, returned upon unlocking the cubby), and then you follow signs indicating the direction of the tour starting from the main courtyard. Two highlights for me were a) the library with beautiful ceiling murals and filled with antique books, b) the elaborate pantheon crypt facility which are in current functional use as burial chambers for Spanish monarchy. I also appreciated that almost all the description placards were translated into English so there was a lot of information to learn. The grounds and gardens are very expansive and well maintained around the main complex so plenty of tourists and locals alike were enjoying a walk in the afternoon. Bathrooms are located within the building only after ticketed entry. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes within a 5-15 minute walking distance from the main entry/exit of the monastery where you can grab a snack, drink or meal.

El Escorial is also a must see if you're into learning and history, particularly, Spanish history…read moreand how it ties into the Philippines' history. After all, "if you know your historeee, then you will know where you're coming from, and you woudent haf to ask me, who da hell do you tink I am?" - Buffalo Soldier (Bob Marley and thee Wailahs) Ahem, back to this UNESCO site, it's about a one hour drive Northwest of Madrid. It was built in the 1500s and of course, there have been several modifications/additions/subtractions. It was originally built to commemorate victories against the French. It was also patterned after King Solomon's temple. I've been to and prayed at the Western Wall (Jerusalem) and coincidentally, you enter Escorial through the Western gate/door. It's a royal palace, a monastery, a basilica, a pantheon (burial site), a church, a library, a teaching institution, we could go on and on. It also has a garden but it doesn't come close to Palais de Versailles' sprawling gardens. I don't think Escorial's garden even eclipses the gardens of Chateaus Chenonceau or Amboise. But it's definitely a doable half-day trip to see this beautiful site. There's a great attention to detail and plenty to learn as you go from room to room. It's also the royal burial site for Spain's kings and queens, at least for the past five, yes 5 centuries. I was able to snap a pic of King Phillip II's tomb - The Philippines was named after him so I was sorta blown away. No pics are allowed here but I couldn't resist....shame on me.... Make sure you go on a guided tour or you won't make the best of your time. I liked that after the drive back to Madrid, it was a perfect time to have lunch and tapas.

Another visit that was high on the list of things to do in Madrid…read more I bought passes that came with an English guide. I enjoyed having that, but you could easily come through on your own without a guide and be fine. Our guided tour was about 90 minutes, but you could also stay as long after as you desired. We ended up staying about another hour to catch some of the things the tour didn't stop at. Note that you cannot take photos inside. It also seems to get pretty busy early, so it might be a good idea to go fairly early or closer to closing. Would highly recommend the Prado.

This is their national art museum, located in central Madrid, with many magnificent works spread…read moreacross three levels. It's tightly run, with scanners at the entrance. No camera is allowed in the exhibit rooms. We spent quite some time at Goya's 'May 2nd' and 'May 3rd' paintings. We saw the May 2 parade last Saturday; with a few wars going on right now, it was fitting to see the horror of fighting.

This is a must see museum, but enjoyment might be a bit hampered by the crowds. In fact, there…read morewere so many people on a relatively slow winter Sunday, they had to stagger entrance and make us wait. The house is not actually El Greco's house, that was a misunderstanding, but it is a uniquely lovely structure for this art collection. You'll benefit from a prior trip to the Prado where there are excellent informational and educational posted notes. There are many important pieces here but my favorite is his depiction of Toledo.

Museo Del Greco's located in the Jewish Quarter of Toledo and is the home of El Greco. It contains…read morea significant amount of his art collection. You think it's a small exhibit, but once you get inside the museum, it's full of a ton of artwork and you can easily spend a chunk of time browsing through the history. I personally didn't take photos of the artwork only because it's scattered all over the internet as it is. I just spent the time wandering in the home. For 3 EUR, it's basically a no-brainer to visit. I enjoyed the courtyard area with all the flowers too. Just need to come here, relax, and enjoy the art.

The last time Jamie W and I vacationed in Madrid over 15 years ago, we made the big mistake of…read moretrying to squeeze this museum and the Prado into the same afternoon. We had to race through the Reina Sofia without allowing the requisite time to appreciate the masterworks constantly hidden by the crowds. We didn't make the same mistake last week and decided to focus a full afternoon here. There was no avoiding the long line that snaked around the plaza even though we bought the 32,8€ Paseo del Arte passes which covers all three of Madrid's essential museums. We still had to redeem our passes to get our museum tickets. It only took about 25 minutes before we made the beeline to the museum's spotlight masterwork, Picasso's "Guernica" on the second floor. Viewing was packed and unmovable, but it's still the definitive visualization of the horrors of war made striking by the monochromatic palette (Video 1). The building was once an 18th-century hospital before it became an art museum as recently as 1988. It houses Spain's most significant collection of 20th-century art. Along with Picasso, other contemporary masters are also on display here. Artists represented include Salvador Dali (Photos 3 & 5), Joan Miro (Photo 2), and Rene Magritte (Photo 7). Up on the third floor is even more contemporary art dating back only to 1975 including works by Andy Warhol (Photo 6) and Robert Mapplethorpe (Photo 4). This was our favorite of Madrid's Golden Triangle which includes the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Definitely take your time perusing. RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/qwUK6nAE-z

I was very excited for my visit here as I wanted to see a Picasso piece in person, as well as take…read morein some more modern contemporary art. They had great pieces and I enjoyed my time. The staff were friendly and helpful with my questions and the museum was clean. I was disappointed to find that both the garden and third floor were closed the day I visited, so I felt like I missed out on some things.

While randomly walking through Segovia, my friend and I ran across this museum. For 3 euros, you…read morecan tour the museum and do a food tasting of cheese, wine, and iberian ham. The museum isn't that big and has 3 major sections. There are translations in English, so you can find out what is going on. They have information about some of their spirits industry, wheat, and food. Afterwards, you watch a short video about Segovia, then do the tasting. To me, the most charming thing about the museum is the owner. He is super nice and answers all of your questions about Segovia or just food in general. Caveat though, the owner speaks mainly Spanish, so you will get the most out of your experience conversing in Spanish rather than English.

This food museum was next to our hotel so immediately after checking in, we checked out this…read moremuseum. The museum itself is quite small, and features a few old items but it has a lot of interesting information regarding the history of food in Segovia printed on colourful displays on the walls in both Spanish and English. I have the feeling that the Spanish version is a tad more comprehensive, but nevertheless, you get a real sense of the scope of food production, tradition and importance that is held in this little walled city - both for the city itself, as well as for the rest of Spain. If you pay 5 Euro, following your walk around the museum (you'll need no more than an hour), you are treated to a tasting of local cheeses, bread, meats and a "sweet treat". I won't spoil what that is, but we did pick up a box of these to eat later! The staff are supremely helpful and informative. And whilst their English isn't great, and my Spanish is basically non-existent - we made do just fine.The foyer also sells a range of local dairy products, meats, wine and beers. We took away a few Segovian beers to drink on our hotel's terrace and they went down a treat!