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00:00Thank you very much.
00:40Raise your travel dreams to their upright and locked positions.
00:44Join us now as we discover the ins and outs of travels in Europe.
01:01I'm Rick Steves.
01:03For the last 20 years, I've been exploring Europe, making lots of mistakes, taking careful
01:07notes and writing travel guidebooks.
01:09Now we're on a grand tour of my favorite corners of Europe.
01:12We're traveling through Western Europe, from Britain, through Belgium, Luxembourg and France
01:18to the Iberian Peninsula.
01:21This time we're in central Spain, Madrid, Toledo and La Mancha to the south.
01:27We'll explore Spain's two capitals, historic Toledo and modern Madrid.
01:33We'll hone our shopping skills at Europe's biggest flea market.
01:37We'll see how to manage Spain's trains.
01:39We'll enjoy a pub crawl dinner of tapas and catch a bullfight.
01:43And we'll joust with windmills in La Mancha.
01:49We're about two hours south of Madrid.
01:52This is the setting of Cervantes' 17th century novel, Don Quixote.
01:55It was published after England defeated Spain's Armada, and the Spanish Empire had begun to
02:01sink.
02:02Cervantes' star character, Don Quixote, fought doggedly for good and justice and against
02:07the fall of Spain.
02:08Ignoring reality, he was a hero fighting a hopeless battle.
02:13Stark La Mancha is the perfect stage for this battle, La Mancha.
02:19That's Arabic for parched earth.
02:23The area around the town of Consuegra, with its 12th century castle and its windmills,
02:29must be the La Mancha Cervantes had in mind when he wrote Don Quixote.
02:34800 years ago, during the Crusades, this castle belonged to the Knights of St. John.
02:40Originally built from ruins of a nearby Roman circus, it's been newly restored.
03:07Don Quixote was Cervantes' fictional Man of La Mancha, but he's a good symbol of the idealism
03:13and sense of honor of the Spanish people in general.
03:19Madrid is the hub of this nation, its capital, with a population of over 4 million.
03:25It's young by European standards.
03:27It was only 400 years ago that King Philip II moved the capital of his empire here from Toledo.
03:36Considerably smaller then, much of the city today is modern sprawl.
03:42The historic center can be covered easily on foot.
03:50Today's Madrid is upbeat and vibrant, enjoying a kind of democratic post-Franco renaissance.
03:56This is the Porta del Sol, the heart of the city.
04:00The Royal Palace is just down that street.
04:02The Prado Museum is a ten-minute walk over there,
04:04and our hotel is on a quiet square just three blocks that way.
04:19Madrid's Royal Palace, Europe's third greatest after Versailles and Vienna,
04:23is packed with tourists and royal antiques.
04:27Tours of its rich and gilded interior are given in several languages, including English.
04:37Tours of its Νο, Europe's third greatest at the time.
04:37They are in the mountains, which is a great city.
04:40You're a great city.
04:45They are in the mountains and flying around the ocean.
04:57You have a great city.
04:59Our university is a big city.
05:01You're a welcome to Tours of Europe.
05:02Second are the best families to be joined in the mountains and the mountains and the mountains.
05:18The Prado has my favorite collection of paintings anywhere. In writing my museum guidebook, try
05:24as I might, I couldn't get the Prado down to my standard tour length. No way, there's
05:29just too much here. This is Europe's ultimate house of paintings. With over 3,000 paintings,
05:35its huge number of masterpieces can be overwhelming. I suggest first-time visitors choose to focus
05:42on just a few parts of the huge collection. Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights
05:49gives us a three-paneled ride through late Gothic symbolism.
06:00Feverishly imaginative, grotesque and macabre, its symbolism has been debated for almost
06:05500 years. The work of Peter Paul Rubens shows off the exuberance of Baroque. I like the Italian
06:27collection. Fra Angelico's spirituality still shines, and Botticelli's Renaissance vigor still
06:39thrills, but the Spanish collection is what distinguishes this museum.
06:56The only place to really appreciate Diego Valasquez is in Madrid, with its huge collection of his
07:02paintings. Valasquez was a favorite at the 17th-century court of King Philip IV. He gave a sense of dignity
07:16and
07:16individual worth to the subjects of his paintings, whether they were nobles or peasants. His worldliness
07:23contrasts strongly with the religious ecstasy of El Greco.
07:45And finally, a walk through the Goya Rooms lets you follow Francisco Goya, as he asserted his independence from artistic
07:51conventions through three stages. His earliest work was the
07:56light and playful.
08:04Then Goya got political. He painted portraits in which he seemed to reveal his contempt for the vanity and stupidity
08:10of his rich and royal clients.
08:15Living through the age of Napoleon, he expressed his outrage at a world given over to war and corruption.
08:32Finally, deaf, widowed and exiled, Goya's art went dark.
08:45Housed in a modern art gallery near the Prado, Picasso's Guernica occupies a place of honor behind bulletproof glass.
08:54Exiled during the time of Generalissimo Franco, this Cubist masterpiece is more than art. It's a piece of history.
09:03During the Spanish Civil War, Franco allowed Hitler to use the town of Guernica as target practice for his new
09:09German air force.
09:12The level of destruction shocked the world and was a sad preview of World War II tactics to follow.
09:30Spain's a passionate country. We'll get some more of that passion tonight at the authentically Spanish experience of a bullfight.
09:36But it's Sunday morning and we've got some things to do first.
09:40I'm having a coffee break here on the Plaza Mayor.
09:47You'll pay 50% extra to sit out here rather than at the bar, but it's worth it for the
09:52view.
09:53This vast, cobbled, traffic-free chunk of 17th century Spain feels like a grand palace turned inside out.
10:04Throughout Spain, lesser Plaza Mayor's provide peaceful pools for those rafting the river of Spanish life.
10:11Once the scene of executions and bullfights, today it's more peaceful.
10:18This is actually the start of Europe's biggest flea market.
10:22El Rastro attracts huge crowds. Each Sunday, rain or shine with hundreds of stalls.
10:29If you break for garage sales, you'll pull a U-turn for El Rastro.
10:34You can buy or sell nearly anything here.
10:43They put a very cheap price.
10:45Even if you're lancs and toughest of the trip.
10:49That's a great, stupid catch.
10:51Then, people are free.
10:51They are free.
10:51So big, ladies.
10:52The big one at the pibe.
10:53And if you're such a little bit, who's such a little place, they have a strong look so hard.
10:55You can take a little bit.
11:00It's very cheap.
11:01Look, all that's great.
11:06The big ones are women.
11:10It's a field day for junk collectors, people watchers, and thieves.
11:15Wear your money belt.
11:18Someone unzipped my fanny pack and stole my wallet.
11:22Thank God I had my money in my money belt, so I didn't lose any money.
11:40Madrileños, the people of Madrid, take long lunch breaks and siestas to avoid the midday heat
11:45and to store up energy for their busy late evenings.
11:50The nightly paseo is Madrid on parade. Young and old, everyone's outside, cruising without cars,
11:58seeing and being seen, and doing the tapa tango, a local tradition of going from one bar to the next,
12:04munching, drinking, and socializing.
12:13Tapas are appetizers. You'll see them displayed at the bar.
12:17Madrid is Spain's tapa capital. Grab a toothpick and stab something strange.
12:24For an atmospheric mobile meal, prowl the area between Porta del Sol and Plaza Santa Ana.
12:32Remember, Spanish restaurants don't serve dinner until late. Most locals eat after 9 o'clock.
12:39Tapas are your best bet for an early dinner.
12:42Hey, what is this?
12:52Now it's time for El Toro. Madrid's Plaza de Toros hosts Spain's top bow fights on most Sundays and holidays,
13:00from Easter through October. Top fights sell out in advance, but you can usually get a ticket at the door.
13:06The fights, which normally start at 7 o'clock, are a rare example of Spanish punctuality.
13:12The bullfight is as much ritual as sport. While no two fights are the same, they do unfold along a
13:19strict pattern.
13:20The ceremony begins with a parade of participants. The trumpet sounds, and through the gate of fear thunders the leading
13:27player.
13:30The fight is divided into three acts. In the first, the matador and his assistant size up and wear down
13:36the bull.
13:44In the second act, the bandwere arrows continue to enrage and weaken the bull. Act three ends with the death
13:51of the bull.
13:57The trumpet sounds, and another bull faces another matador. The tragedy is played again. Inevitable death for the bull and
14:06danger for the man.
14:08While I don't like and certainly don't condone the cruelty toward the animal, this is a meaningful display of Spain's
14:15culture.
14:16It's an opportunity for a visitor to get one more little insight.
14:27Monday morning and we're ready to move on. We've been staying at a small Hostel Residencia, which by definition serves
14:35no breakfast.
14:35So we're getting a quick breakfast at the corner cafe with the locals on their way to work.
14:41Our producer, Jack, is trying the traditional local breakfast. Donut like churros, dunked in sweet pudding like hot chocolate.
14:51For me, it's coffee con leche and a slice of tortilla espanol. The potato and egg frittata served everywhere.
15:04So now it's on to Toledo, about an hour south. With ten trains leaving daily for Toledo, getting there is
15:11easy.
15:13When we got our tickets, we also reserved our seats and beds for the overnight trip we'll make to Seville
15:17in a couple days.
15:20Spain requires reservations on longer train rides. It's a good idea to make arrangements at the station when you first
15:26arrive in a town.
15:27If the station's crowded, you can do it in the downtown train office.
15:32Spain has several kinds of trains. The price goes up with the speed. Even the fastest are less expensive than
15:39the European norm.
15:45Toledo, Spain's historic capital is 2,000 years of tangled history. Roman, Visigothic, Moorish, Jewish, and Christian.
15:55The Tahoe River, which originally kept out the bad guys, now seems to keep out the modern world.
16:01Today, Toledo is also protected by the government. The entire town is a national historical monument.
16:10Modern exteriors are strictly prohibited. Toledo was Spain's political capital until it got as big as the river would let
16:19it.
16:20In 1561, Philip II moved the capital 50 miles north to the more spacious Madrid.
16:27Today, it remains much as it was when El Greco called it home and painted it from this perch so
16:33long ago.
16:39Lasur into a tight tangle of streets, Toledo has Spain's most medievally confusing street plan.
16:45But it's a small town and a joy to be lost in.
16:52Because of the town's popularity with tourists, major sites are well signposted.
16:56And most locals will politely point you in the right direction.
17:11Any town with as much historic and cultural charm as Toledo will be pretty touristy.
17:17Thoughtful travelers don't avoid such places.
17:19They find ways to enjoy them without the crowds.
17:24Madrid is just an hour away.
17:26Predictably, the bulk of the crowds, especially the tour groups, day trip in,
17:30returning each evening to the reliable plumbing of their big city hotels.
17:38Those who spend the night see Toledo's medieval character replace the postcard racks
17:43as locals come out for their evening stroll.
17:53Travelers can escape even more crowds by avoiding the peak summer months.
17:58Spain is great in shoulder season.
18:00That's May, early June, September, and early October.
18:04We're filming in October.
18:07No crowds and no heat.
18:10What a life.
18:11A little Napolitana de chocolate and a little people watching.
18:29Toledo probably sells as many souvenirs as any city in Spain.
18:37This is the best place to buy old-looking Nouveau antiques.
18:44It's also a center for Damascenos, where for centuries,
18:48craftsmen have inlaid black steelware with gold, silver, and copper wire.
18:53And that's the most exciting thing here.
18:56You want to bring your name to them too.
19:09Maybe you might know.
19:11You may commission him taking descendants of Scandinavian Melis,
19:15You may see Á方avent, cold, dark times,
19:18and comfortably you want to have less than 50 cities in the country and the e Nurses.
19:23Well, we're doing more.
19:54Toledo is known for its cutlery. At Mariano Zamorano's workshop, you can see swords and knives being made.
20:32Holy Toledo, Spain's leading Catholic city, has a magnificent cathedral.
20:39It fits so tightly into this jumbled city that its exterior is hard to appreciate.
20:50But the stunning interior is the highlight of any visit to Toledo.
21:19It's basically Gothic.
21:22But since it took over 200 years to build, you'll see a mix of styles including Renaissance and Baroque.
21:34If you like El Greco, you'll love Toledo.
21:37If you've yet to appreciate El Greco, after a visit to his hometown, I think you will.
21:44The simple chapel of Santo Tome has his powerful burial of the Count of Orgos.
21:54It's good to see the painting left where the artist put it 400 years ago.
21:59Born on Crete and trained in Venice, Dominikos Theotokopoulos found his career in Toledo, where he spent most of his
22:07life.
22:11El Greco, or the Greek, mixed all three regional influences into his palette.
22:16From his Greek homeland came the solemn, abstract style of icons.
22:23To this he added the splashy, flashy style of the Venetian Renaissance.
22:34He fused it all with the fires of Spanish Catholicism.
22:40Not bound by the realism of his contemporaries, El Greco's elongated subjects seem to merge Heaven and Earth.
22:48Each face is a telling portrait.
22:55His own self-portrait is the one looking straight at you.
23:08Toledo's history is filled with the contrast of Spain itself.
23:12Once one of the richest countries in Europe, then the poorest, now booming again,
23:17it's had more than its share of ups and downs.
23:19One of the most devastating times was 1936 to 1939, when Spain ripped itself to pieces in a devastating civil
23:27war.
23:31Toledo's Alcazar, the former imperial palace, today is a memorial to that war.
23:46Right-wing forces under General Francisco Franco challenged the legally elected democratic government.
23:53By the end, over 640,000 Spaniards were dead.
23:57400,000 were in exile, and 2 million were in prison.
24:06With the help of Hitler and Mussolini, Franco emerged the victor and ruled Spain with an iron hand for over
24:12three decades.
24:17The Alcazar's exhibits give a pro-Franco look at the horrors of Spain's recent past.
24:40The Alcazar's exhibits also a tour of Western Concerts.
24:40The Alcazar's exhibits in the small tent in its official location one could be a man in the middle of
24:40a different town,
24:40because the Alcazar's exhibits to have met an arrow in the middle of a few years in the middle of
24:41a certain point.
24:41For those two months, they don't want to be more than 20-year-old or a member of a different
24:42petition.
24:42With a friend at the beginning, they went to date,
24:42if they looked at this, they looked at the authority to have an arrow together and apply to the wall.
24:43The Alcazar's exhibits give a unique way to the city.
24:44Between the Alcazar once began following the call of a unique name here,
24:44The Alcazar is given the conflict on the capital.
24:51They were supposed to be the moment,
24:54Spain's a complex country.
24:56Its passions and its struggles are so evident here in Castile.
24:59But each slice of Spain has its own unique flavor. We're catching the overnight train to Seville.
25:04We'll wake up to the sweet and tender charms of Andalusia.
25:09Join us next time in southern Spain.
25:15We'll get lost in Seville, the city of Carmen and Don Juan.
25:20We'll explore the old Jewish quarter.
25:24And thrill to flamenco.
25:29We'll tour
25:30a sherry bodega.
25:36And finally, we'll get off the beaten path
25:39to some of Andalusia's whitewashed hill towns, the Pueblos Blancos.
25:47Join us next week as we head south for more travels in Europe.
25:50I'm Rick Steves wishing you happy travels.
25:53Home videos of destinations in this series are available for $24.95.
25:58To order the 60-minute, two-program tape on Madrid Toledo and Andalusia,
26:04or any other destination tapes, call 1-800-866-7425.
26:10Also available, Rick's 422-page Europe Through the Back Door book for $17.95.
26:17To order, please have your credit card ready and call 1-800-866-7425.
26:25piano plays in the middle of the city
26:25to 312-page river
26:25And there's a ph Army Attention
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