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Last posts

The Castle of the Star in Montiel (Ciudad Real)

Diana Rodríguez Pretel Madrilenian, Only-Be, Practical Guide to Madrid

Although it’s weird to write about myself, I find it especially thrilling to write about Montiel, its majestic castle, and the living history there I´ve learned from my people. Built up by the Arabs in the ninth century, it was later conquered by the Christians in one of the cruelest battles of history between Don Pedro I of Castile (who was nicknamed The Cruel One) and his brother, Don Enrique de Transtamare, who were archrivals. Specifically, the Battle of Montiel was fought there during the Hundred Years War. The history of the Castle of the Star as seen through my eyes My grandparents built their lives in the same place where Don Quixote of La Mancha lived out some of his adventures: the Campos de Montiel. I spent my summers, weekends and sometimes even Christmas there. In all, I have spent many wonderful years there and have good memories related to the surname Pretel. And of course, related to my grandparents´ house in the Plaza del Quinto Centenario. This house deserves an entirely separate post. Several images come to mind: my grandparents (Antonio and Dolores), climbs to the near ruins of the Castle of the Star with my siblings (Aida, Celia and Antonio), my parents who never fail me (Adelaide and Joseph) and Paquita (who has always been like family to me). In fact, many of the mysteries of Montiel I now know I owe to her. She told me that back when she was a still a child, there were dozens of underground tunnels connecting the castle with the hill known as the Cerro de San Polo (which... read more

The Best Destinations for the Last Days of 2013

Aleix G. William Rankings, Travel Tips

Winter is almost here and Christmas, too, which means that the year 2013 is coming to an end, but there’s still time to plan a getaway before New Year’s Eve. Whether you have just a few days or even an entire week to get away, we’re going to talk about the best destinations in Europe to escape and make the most of what’s left of the year. 2-4 days Sometimes we may think it’s not worth traveling for such a short time. But with this mindset, you’ll never go anywhere. Two days are still plenty of time to relax in a new place and take a break from your routine. If you only have two, three or four days to get away, it´s best to visit a city. Where? A good place to start is Rome. Visiting Rome outside the main tourist season is a joy, since there’s no summer sun beating down on you or flocks of tourists queuing up in long lines that never end every place that is the least bit interesting. Rome is best to visit at this time of year when you can explore at your leisure. Another interesting destination for such a short amount of time is Lisbon. At this time of year, the temperatures there are around 15ºC, which makes it a very attractive winter destination where you don’t have to go out in jackets, hats, scarves, etc. and still freeze to death. Being there off-season, you’ll also be able to appreciate the daily life of the Portuguese capital and all its delights and surprises in neighborhoods like Alfama or Bairro... read more

What is it like to plan and go on a trip?

Aleix G. William Do you like travelling?, Travel Tips

There´s nothing more exciting than planning a trip. It is a great experience through which you’ll feel a bunch of different emotions, including excitement and sadness (if you go on a long trip, leaving family and friends behind). Anyway, here are the most common emotions we experience when planning a trip. via Flickr Flights and accommodation Our first task is to find flights and accommodation. Assuming you´re not a millionaire that uses € 500 banknotes to blow your nose, you’ll be looking for the cheapest options: dozens of options, web pages, open tabs and comparisons… to the point of having a huge mess of websites, but not a cheap enough option. Instead of that, sometime you end up with thousand of opened pages that saturate your computer. It is a real nightmare, isn’t it? Joy Now that you´ve found everything you were looking for and just have to wait for the big day, you can’t help it but feeling joy all the time, because you’ll go on a trip to a new place; a feeling that mixes impatience and desire to jump and tell the world about it. The anticipation of taking a trip is something that can’t be compared with almost anything, especially if you´ve found cheap flights and accommodation, including holiday apartments, because it is a great way to save money. Do you also feel like doing this? Do you want to kill the president? If you are traveling to a nearby country, it is likely that you’ll only need your passport or ID to fly, but if you head to a distant place, chances are that... read more