Spain & Two Special Anniversaries

Before we get into our trip review of Spain, Al and I would like to share a special milestone with you. Today, October 28, is the 15^th anniversary of ScheckTrek Travel!

As we approach the Thanksgiving season, we continue to be blessed with “the best clients in the world.” We give our grateful thanks to all of you who have allowed us to work with you in planning unforgettable travel memories!

Following we share some photos and some of our own unforgettable travel memories from last month's trip to Spain.

MADRID

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest functioning palace in Europe, though the royal family no longer occupies its 3,400+ rooms. This palace was built to impress—and it does. For example, it took 55 years to complete the decor for one of the smaller rooms we saw on tour. And musicians, especially, might be interested in seeing a different room displaying a Stradivarius string quartet—the only complete set in the world.

We stayed at a different “palace” in Madrid: the former Westin Palace Hotel, fresh from its €100 million restoration back to its 1920’s glory. It is gorgeous! I cannot overemphasize what a stunning job they did throughout—perfect.

Not only is The Palace (now a Luxury Collection Hotel) beautiful, but its location in the Golden Triangle is within walking distance of many of the most-visited sites in Madrid. One of them is the Prado, one of the top art museums in the world. (Note that not all photos were taken on this most recent trip.)

How does an artist capture lace and jewels as Vicente López did in this portrait of Maria Christina, consort of Ferdinand VII?

Another favorite in Madrid is Retiro Park. Originally reserved for the royal family, in the 19^th century King Charles III opened it to the public, so long as they were “clean and well-dressed.” It is now enjoyed by Madrileños from all walks of life and visitors from around the world.

THE ALHAMBRA (GRANADA)

As I’ve often said, it’s worth the cost of a trip to Spain just to see the Alhambra. Much as I would have loved doing so again, part of travel planning is making the difficult decisions as to what must be left out. But I can’t bring myself to leave it out of this blog post about Spain. (Photo above is from Pixabay.)

SEVILLE

Seville is a wonderful walking city, a feel-good city, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world, in my opinion.

On this trip, we saw the older and more intimate version of the Alhambra: the Royal Alcazar. It definitely exceeded expectations! A private apartment within the compound is the king's residence when he visits Seville.

It's a very short walk from the Alcazar to the Cathedral of Seville, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world.

When I first entered Seville Cathedral in 2014, I had no idea that I would be seeing the tomb of Christopher Columbus.

Is it possible that Columbus took more journeys after his death than before? Are his bones entombed here now…or not? The jury is still out. Either way, seeing his tomb made an emotional impact on me—being in Spain and remembering the enabling role it played in the founding of the New World.

Not to mention, the tomb is an impressive work of art. The four statues represent the allegorical kings of the four kingdoms of Spain that existed during Columbus's life: Castile, Aragon, Navarre, and Leon. The symbolism indicates that Spain holds Columbus in such high regard that they literally elevate him above the kingdoms themselves.

Of course, no one would ever want to leave out the Plaza de España and Maria Luisa Park!

Al & Vicki Scheck at the Plaza de España, 2025

Seville's charm is enhanced by the gentle clip-clopping of the 100 horse-drawn carriages that grace its streets.

Ours delivered us to our accommodations at Hotel Alfonso XIII, which was the perfect base for us. The hotel bears the name of the king who commissioned it (as he did The Palace Hotel in Madrid), and as with the Madrid hotel, it put us within walking distance of almost everything we wanted to see—but who doesn’t love an excuse to be transported back in a horse-drawn carriage?

Inside and out, Hotel Alfonso XIII oozes Andalusian charm. You will never wake up there and wonder if you’re in Brooklyn.

CORDOBA

We made an easy day trip to Cordoba (a 45-minute, direct train ride from Seville) and toured La Mezquita and La Judería, the former Jewish quarter, both of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Cordoba. The maze of narrow (6-8’ wide?) alleyways of La Judería are more than made up for in the size and scale of La Mezquita! Its footprint is more than 250,000 square feet.

Construction on La Mezquita (“the mosque”) happened in stages, beginning in 784. Its largest, cavernous space is supported by what has been called a “forest of columns” (about 850 of them, made of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyr) and a “hypnotic repetition of arches.”

With the Reconquista, headed by Holy Roman Emperor, King Ferdinand III, La Mezquita became a cathedral, as it is today. That introduced some Gothic architectural features to the structure.

We ended our time in Spain with two nights at the Hotel Gran Miramar, on the southern coast in Malaga.

There we enjoyed an early celebration of a different kind of anniversary, complete with rose petals, champagne, and lots of little chocolates! ❤️

Thank you for being a part of our journey!