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Travel Department trip to Salamanca

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Hilda
Tuesday, 12 June 2018 / Published in Home, Lifestyle & Leisure, News

Travel Department trip to Salamanca

When I was invited by Travel Department to go on a press trip to Salamanca in north-western Spain, I jumped at the chance. In the past, GG and I have travelled to South Africa, Beijing and several European cities with the online agency and have always been delighted with its service.

The beauty of an organised trip is that everything is laid on, from collection at the airport to quality hotels, top class guides, tours to local places of historic or cultural interest yet plenty of free time to do your own exploring.

 

The only aspect of our trip that Travel Department could not organise was the weather. We left sunny Ireland behind in a heatwave for very mixed weather – unusual you would imagine in Spain in June – totally unprepared for the conditions, having only brought lightweight summer clothes! But we did manage to make the most of every bit of sunshine!

Hotel

The Hotel Alameda Palace, opposite a park, is ideally located to enjoy the attractions of Salamanca, situated as it is a short walk from the Playa Major, the city’s central feature (below).

An attractive foyer provides a good first impression which is continued when you reach the well-appointed bedroom, notable for a superb bathroom complete with His and Hers washbasins, glass panelling and dramatic black marbled tiling…oh, and a really comfy bed.

Continental breakfasts can be a little hit-and-miss in our experience but the Alameda’s was at the top end of the scale.

Guides

Our guide Alejandro (with us for the entire trip) was both informative and entertaining, with a lovely storytelling style. On our three guided tours – around Salamanca, Avila and Valladolid – we had local guides, who imparted their knowledge with good English and  humour too.

Salamanca

Salamanca’s outstanding feature is its sandstone buildings and the efforts to use sandstone on modern building exteriors to blend with the old are extraordinary. The consistency adds significantly to the overall ambience.

 

The central Playa Major (below) is reminiscent of St Mark’s Square in Venice, only smaller and a lot less expensive. There’s a real buzz around the perimeter with cafes in abundance, great places to people-watch. It seemed a popular place for stags and hen parties too, with many groups of strangely attired young revellers.

 

A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is home to the world’s fourth oldest university; below you can see one of its beautiful courtyards.

 

The city also boasts two Cathedrals – the newer one used for Masses and the older one favoured for weddings.

 

There’s no shortage of eateries either, with over 500 restaurants listed on Trip Advisor, ranging from the typical tapas places to more upmarket spots.

I particularly enjoyed visiting Zara (yes, the shop), uniquely housed in a renovated convent, blending the old and the new seamlessly.

Avila

Day 3 saw us visit Avila (below), another UNESCO World Heritage city, renowned as the cradle of Saint Theresa. Surrounded by ancient walls dating from the 11th century, it’s a beautiful place, dotted with church towers and Gothic palaces.

 

On the way back to Salamanca, we called into Alba de Tormes (below), also closely associated with Saint Theresa. I passed on the church visit and the relics and enjoyed the wonderful scenery instead.

 

Valladolid

An early capital of Spain, it was an attractive city. Unfortunately, the rain poured down as we walked around, so we retired early to lunch, not too much hardship really.

Madrid

On our last day, we had a bus tour around Madrid en route to the airport – that gave us time for a leisurely lunch and a wander around the streets and squares for a few hours, which completed a most pleasant break.

Benefits

As well as having the trip organised from start to finish – and there is no pressure to do every aspect of the holiday – the benefits include the freedom to do your own exploring and meeting interesting like-minded people. Six degrees of separation was certainly in evidence on our trip as we met several people who knew people we knew, if you get my drift!

One of the group discovered ten minutes after being dropped at Madrid Airport that he had left his phone on the bus. Our guide phoned the driver who twenty minutes later delivered said phone back to a much relieved traveller.

You see Travel Department looks after its clients. This was in evidence during the Ash Cloud Debacle and the recent snow too. It is one of the reasons we and others travel with them; the glowing feedback from very happy clients is testament to that. They promise to go the extra mile for you and they DO.

As it happens, we are off to India with four friends in October with TDactive, the adventure holiday wing of Travel Department.

 

 

Tagged under: holiday, Salamanca, short break, Spain, TDactive, travel, Travel Department

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12 Comments to “ Travel Department trip to Salamanca”

  1. LA CONTESSA says :Reply
    June 12, 2018 at 11:46 pm

    LOOKS LOVELY just Like YOU!
    I have never been to SPAIN but lived in ITALY for 3 years…………
    Did you find a DRESS?I will be the MOTHER of the GROOM on JUNE 30th………stay tuned for PHOTOS on instagram!
    So, I have copied my URL and I think my comment will take NOW!Fingers crossed or all for NOTHING!
    XX

    1. Hilda says :Reply
      June 14, 2018 at 7:20 am

      Yes I have a dress… looking forward to seeing your outfit. I know it will be FABULOUS. Not long now.. my daughter is getting married near the end of July

  2. Loretta Sayers says :Reply
    June 13, 2018 at 2:13 am

    Great post Hilda! Loved reading about each city and your adventures. Beautiful photos too.

    1. Hilda says :Reply
      June 14, 2018 at 7:18 am

      Thanks Loretta…YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD PHOTOGRAPHER.. that really is a compliment x

  3. Jackie Greene says :Reply
    June 13, 2018 at 2:26 pm

    Looks an interesting place to visit, one day! Always shy away from organized tours as I like to research, search, wander, sit and dream and not be told to be back in an hour to get on the bus as dinner will be served when we get back! Plus the fact that I get ‘bus’ sick…..something to do with modern air brakes on modern coaches. Fine on an old Dublin banger…… I’m the one going green between the air terminal and the car park!!! So I guess organized travel is not for me! It look great for those who like that so enjoy your trip to India. It is one of those places you probably don’t go it alone, so it’s off my bucket list…..like China and others with a language difficulty!

    1. Hilda says :Reply
      June 14, 2018 at 7:17 am

      You see we are lazy and like somebody else to do all the hard work. I hope you are getting away for a break at some stage….

  4. jacqui says :Reply
    June 13, 2018 at 10:21 pm

    How fabulous is this Hilda, very informative and inviting. Thanks for sharing my friend, sounds like you had fun. Jacqui Mummabstylish

    1. Hilda says :Reply
      June 14, 2018 at 7:14 am

      Thanks Jacqui. It is a lovely place to visit. x

  5. Anna at Mutton Style says :Reply
    June 14, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    I went to Avila years ago. Such a pretty town. I stayed in a Parador there. My hubs at the time reckoned he saw a ghost and he wasn’t one for imaginigs. Wierd. I’d definitely also recommend the area. Lucky you going on a press trip.

    https://www.muttonstyle.com

  6. Laurie says :Reply
    June 18, 2018 at 10:36 am

    This looks gorgeous Hilda and not too commercial. I’m thinking about going to a place in Spain later. Maybe Mallorca. xx

  7. Jenifer says :Reply
    June 19, 2018 at 7:24 pm

    Looks like such an amazing trip!! Each building is as beautiful as the next! Don’t you love shopping at Zaras abroad?! They always seem to have the most classy, unique, and stylish looks. I need to plan a vacation here asap! xx Jenifer

    https://www.theevolista.com

    1. Hilda says :Reply
      June 21, 2018 at 5:18 am

      Love Zara and that Zara was particularly amazing

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