Madrid and strawberries and cream

Overnight trains can be an efficient way to cover long distances cheaply on a Eurorail pass. Free accommodation, and you wake up in new country. Our short stay in Madrid started and ended with overnight train rides.

Needless to say we arrived in Madrid, from France, exhausted. A side effect of this great efficiency.

With a garbage strike in full force, we did not experience Madrid at its best. But we still had a pleasant time. We strolled around Plaza Mayor, picnicked in Parque del Retiro and perused the artwork, including Picasso’s famed Guernica. I ate paella.

The second day we went to Aranjuez, described in our guidebook as the city of fresas and nata (strawberries and cream). It was a lovely escape from the city, and a glorious sunny day. Aranjuez is home to the Royal Palace. I don’t think we went inside but we spent a lot of time exploring the pretty Jardin del Principe and its maze of hedges and picturesque pathways.

We had fresas and nata of course. A sweet snack before we hopped on another overnight train. This time to Portugal.

This is one entry from my 1992 European backpacking trip with my friend Sarah. If you want to start at the beginning, please check out The journey starts in Nice.