13th March: The Royal Palace

 Our 4 euro pensioner tickets to the Royal Barge Museum also included the Royal Palace, so great value for money. We walked to the palace from the campsite through the park, so a pleasant start and no car parking worries. 

The palace has airport-style security, without the queues, and then into the palace itself. The Spanish royal family acquired a summer residence here in the late 15^th century and successive monarchs added to it resulting in the current huge edifice. 

King Phillip ii created the basic structure from 1556 onwards and it was finished bit by bit over the next 150 years. Later, Queen Isabella ii in the mid-19^th century made extensive alterations mainly to the décor. This is a photo of as much of the exterior that I could get in camera shot and it was too cold to wander around looking for a better angle.

Inside, we ascended the magnificent staircase, photo courtesy of a Spanish couple that we did the same for. Note winter clothing!

All the rooms were sumptuously decorated with an over-provision of carpets, pictures and tapestries.

Early Spanish architecture and furnishing was much influenced by their Moorish (Moroccan) conquerors from the 8^th century onwards, and although this palace was completed well after the Moors were expelled, these ancient Arab designs often appear as feature. Here it’s a quirky small chamber with a fancv chandelier.

The detail is astounding, but very busy, as this telephoto pic shows.

Palaces everywhere seem to go big on ornate ceilings – but who looks up that much? Or did they drink excessively and appreciate the view from laying flat out? 

Next is Queen Isabella’s boudoir. Official Spanish websites describe her as reigning from 1833 to 1868 when she was deposed, i.e. thrown out. One wonders why, but my guide book, unrestrained by having to paint a sanitised picture of the monarchy, describes her a nymphomaniac that brought the monarchy into disrepute. 

I must include her bedroom, fussy drapes and bed design. Note, though, that it’s a good sturdy bed, which is perhaps self explanatory! 

Accounts of Isabella’s life says she boasted of having only ever taken two baths, so let’s tiptoes out and leave her to her pongy philandering.

The next room is unique and quite overwhelming: it’s the Porcelain Room. Every wall and the ceiling is covered in oriental porcelain tableaux,

A close-up of one of these tableaux shows the high quality and detail.

By the time we get to the ball room we’re all gobsmacked out by the opulent and OTT décor. Note, another gorgeous ceiling.

The chapel too reflects the ornate designs of this period (Baroque) but is toned down enough to look elegant and pleasing.

We’re now near the end of the tour, and pass by the royal coach. Oddly, in contrast to the rooms, it’s black and austere. It brings to mind Dracula’s coach from Hammer House of Horrors’ “Dracula prince of darkness”. Poor old Queen Isabella can’t get anything right, can she!

We stroll on back  by the same route to the caravan in time for lunch. Hopefully no nightmares of Queen Isabella’s excesses – she was a big woman, you know.

 

France & Spain 4th March 2025:

We’re starting with fine weather, always a bonus at this time of year. Our route is tried and tested, and described in previous years so only a brief summary is justified. We went by tunnel from Folkestone to Calais, then via Abbeville, Rouen, Tours and Bordeaux. That’s three days of travel, and then we took time for a short break, just south of Bordeaux.

 We’ve stayed before at the small site near the village of Salles, in the vast pine forest that stretches the 100 miles to the Spanish border. The temperature reached 23C for the extra day we stayed so we took to the numerous forest trails accessible from the campsite.

There are houses sparsely dotted around in the forest, with generous plots that look very much part of the natural surroundings. Next photo is an example. The down side is the increasing risk of forest fire, which devastated parts last year, but evidently lucky Salles escaped.

Next leg: to Burgos. The weather changed dramatically to cold and rain, so after Burgos we cut short a planned sightseeing diversion and headed for Aranjuez, just south of Madrid, a more direct route to our destination. 

We’ve stayed at Camping International Aranjuez previously. It’s a well-run site next to the river Tagus, but nowhere looks that inviting in the rain.

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The permanent pitches next to our site look even more dismal: the description “refugee camp” comes to mind: every square inch is covered by caravans, sheds or canvas. 

But, hey, here comes the sun- and the site is transformed. We’re first on the left.

We needed a respite from travelling so we decided to stay for 5 days. Still not great weather but we walked from the site, over the river Tagus footbridge into the Royal Park. The Tagus is the longest river in Spain, and enters the sea at Lisbon, Portugal. Here it’s about like the Ouse, our mighty river back home!

In the Royal Park there are numerous fountains and statues. The fountains were all dry perhaps due to frost forecast but they still look impressive. However, the Atlas figures supporting the fountain bowl do look as if they’re seeing how much of their private bits they can see over their beer bellies!

The Royal Barge museum is also in the park and has a selection of barges that the Spanish royals used for river jaunts while staying at the Royal Palace. The earliest one dates form 1666 and was a gift to king Phillip 4^th from the king of Naples, who was a relation. This is the most OTT of all of the barges on display that I’m sure would turn a few heads if spotted cruising on the Ouse.

Talking OTT, our visit to the Royal Palace will need a separate blog entry in a few days: in the meantime we’ll be en route to our destination 300 miles away.