Off to Aranjuez, be back in a few.

When I finally got my classes straightened out last week, my schedule changed a bit. I now have all of my classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; the days I do have classes are quite long (Thursday I have classes from 9am to 7:30pm with two 3.5 hour straight classes), however I don’t have any classes on Tuesdays or Fridays. This was my first free Tuesday and I did all of my pending homework for tomorrow yesterday, so it truly was a free day. I researched day trips from Madrid and found Aranjuez: a pueblo 45 minutes outside of Madrid center that is known for it’s royal palace and expansive gardens as well as its strawberries and asparagus. So, on a whim, I went.

Fun fact: there is a Strawberry Train offered that takes you from Madrid to Aranjuez and treats you to unlimited amounts of strawberries on the way! (I skipped this attraction)

Although it is a small, lesser-known village, Aranjuez's importance dates back to Roman times, when it served as a strong-hold for the city. In 1178, the village was occupied by the Spanish "Knights of Santiago," led by the famous Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, and was converted from a strong hold to a royal site. The site served as the king's spring residence from the 12th-19th century. This transformation to royalty inspired the construction of the impressive current by palace King Phillip II of Spain in the 16th century. The commission of the royal palace also inspired the design of the stunning gardens that Aranjuez is best known for, which span a total of 750 acres. Two centuries later, under Ferdinand VI, the village was expanded from an exclusive site of the monarchy to a true city. In 1808, the monarchy, under King Charles IV of Spain, was forced to relocate their spring residence due to a revolt by the city's residents. The city remained of utmost importance in the country, though; in 1851 it became the second city (after Barcelona) to have a railway built to connect it directly with Madrid. In 2001 it was officially named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today its residence of royalty has vanished, but the evidence of its past remain with the perfectly maintained palace and gardens.  

The long walk way to the royal palace that greeted me when I stepped off the train. 

The town immediately greets you with luscious vegetation and trees the second you step off the cercanias train. My first stop was the royal palace. The palace and gardens were established by Queen Isabela II. Every room of the palace had a unique theme; one room was completely covered in porcelain decorated in a tropical theme, another was designed by the same architect who designed Granada’s Alhambra, so appeared very similar to the Alhambra, yet was all in vibrant color. Each room in the palace seemed to emphasize the importance of color, detail and theme.  While it may not be as ostentatious as Versailles, the palace screams wealth.

The Royal Palace!

Me in front of the Royal Palace

 Following the palace tour, I made my way to the famous gardens. On the way I met a little old man who asked me for directions. We began talking and when I told him my dad was from Carácas, he got very excited and told me he was too! He was an adorable old man who was impressed by my Spanish, tried to speak the three words of English he knew, and was genuinely thrilled to have someone to talk to! He wanted to know exactly where in Caracas my dad was from and even gave me his email so that I could tell him. After we kissed goodbye I finally made it to the gardens, Alranjuez’s most prized attraction.

Me in front of the royal gardens

River surrounding the Royal Palace and gardens

Aranjuez has two main gardens, which each contain their own sub-gardens: Jardin de Isla and Jardin del Principe. Jardin de Isla is essentially the backyard of the palace and Jardin del Principe (the main gardens of Arajuez) lies behind it. The river in Aranjuez cuts around and defines the borders of the gardens. Altogether, the Aranjuez gardens cover 750 acres.

cherub fountain in Jardin de la Isla

walkway in Jardin de la Isla 

fountain in the Jardin de la Isla

Entrance to Jardin del Principe
(the garden's name is on the top of the pillars to greet you at the entrance)  

Before finishing my short trip I made a quick stop to the market before it closed for siesta hours. I bought myself a giant airy pastry filled with cream and covered with chocolate (don’t worry, I only ate a couple bites) and a sponge-bob decorated cookie for my host-sister. I took a quick trek to the plaza de toros, the bull fighting ring. It is not quite bull-fighting season at the moment, so I was only able to snap a picture from the outside.

The bull ring

It was a quick trip—I only spent about 4 hours in the small city—but I am so glad I went. It was fun to see yet another completely different small town in Spain and to enjoy some natural beauty alongside royal elegance. I also really enjoyed taking this short trip on my own. The experience allowed me to travel at my own pace and see what I wanted, as well as to stop and talk to locals wherever I went, which was possibly my favorite part of the day. 

A hallway lining the palace perimeter