Still working on an itinerary for 1 week end of May and this loop would be an option. We would arrive in Madrid mid-morning and get a car and head out and do Madrid at the end of our week. What are the small towns between Toledo and El Escorial like?Are there some intersting sights and sites? Some hikes? Anyone know of any charming little hostals in some of those villages?And how about Aranjuez or is there plenty to do and see in Toledo for 2 days without hitting both large towns.

In my opinion, you will find plenty to do in Toledo. There is, of course, the Catedral. You'll also enjoy the Alcazar, many churches and museums. The town is great for walking, shopping and people watching, too. A day seems too short.--Carole Chiaro

P.S. We'll be in Spain for three weeks in May. Weren't we "in Spain together" at the same time previously (September/October 2001)?

I agree that there is plenty to do in Toledo...we just got back from our first trip to Spain and it was one of our favorites. Even though it is a large city, the river contains it, so it doesn't have the "modern sprawl" that the other cities we visited had. A fun side trip is to Consuegra to see the classic windmills of La Mancha...This was one of our favorite stops. Great castle there also. It's only about 45 miles from Toledo as I recall. In Toledo also visit Mariano Zamorano's sword shop (mentioned in Rick Steve's). He'll show you the whole sword making process...it was fascinating and, of course, we bought a sword. We most enjoyed spending several days in one place. At the risk of offending "Madrid-ites", Madrid was our least favorite, probably just because it is such a large city so very different atmosphere. I'd be happy to share more info if you'd like to e-mail me directly. Natalie (n_malovich@msn.com)

Hi Carole: I think we had similar itineraries planned 2 years ago. I did a loop up to Rioja over to Santander and back to Palencia. This year as I only have a week and don't want to spend as much time driving, choices are the Toledo/Aranjuez/Chichon area (I think I read there is a festival in Aranjuez end of May?) But we're really looking for some small towns or rural areas to explore as well.