Approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of Madrid, el Escorial still functions as a monastery, school, museum and royal palace. The sprawling historic site first broke ground in 1563, led by the architects Juan Bautista de Toledo and later Juan de Herrera, under the reign of King Phillip II. The architectural project set King Philip’s claim, that Madrid was the seat of the Spanish monarchy, in sculptures, ornate gold, and carved stone.

At the time of Kari’s visit in the fall 2008, the basilica was closed for renovations. However, lucky for dear Cheapos back home, she overturned the ruling (!) and snapped a few photos anyway. Here are some of the highlights of her exploration:

The view from here, El Escorial, near Madrid, Spain

A gorgeous upward view of the old monastery and palace.

This wall showcases the original tools used to build the original palace.

Fancy gardens in el Escorial show the natives’ green thumbs at work.

The ornate sarcophagus of Don Juan of Austria, inside the Royal Pantheon. In 1571, the 24-year-old illegitimate son of Charles V led a Christian fleet to victory over the Turks in the naval battle of Lepanto.

Sheep grazing in the outer fields of el Escorial.

The kids seem to be fascinated by the idea of a “ghost town” here.

Popularity: 9% [?]

MADRID, Spain—EuroCheapo’s “Wandering Cheapo” Kari Hoerchler arrived yesterday morning in Madrid, where she’ll spend a week strolling about town. While there, we asked her to snap some shots of everyday life in Madrid on her fancy new iPhone.

Today Kari visited Retiro Park. Part of Madrid’s Jeronimos district, Retiro Park was originally part of Real Sitio del Buen Retiro, a palace complex for Felipe IV (1621–1665). In the 17th century, the park grounds provided a private playground for the royal family. By 1869, it was fully open to the public. Welcome to Retiro Park!

Entering from Calle de Alfonso II and el Cason del Buen Retiro.

View of el Cason del Buen Retiro

Yes, those are magnolias you see, imported from the southeastern United States. How exotic!

Inside los Jardines de Cecilo Rodriguez

Built in 1887 by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, Palacio de Cristal was inspired by the structure of the same name, en ingles, in London. The glass and steel structure was originally designed to stage an exhibition of tropical plants during the Philipinne Islands Exhibition.

Che, pavito real! Peacocks are friendly inside los Jardines de Cecilo Rodriguez.

School children tracing tree bark along Paseo Parterre

Thanks for the photos, Kari. We look forward to hearing and seeing more from Madrid! 

All photos by Kari Hoerchler

Popularity: 8% [?]

Looking for ways to save some euros while visiting Amsterdam? Here are five suggestions:

Try some flower power.

Visiting the masterpieces at the Rijksmuseum will set you back €10, but the baroque and renaissance gardens behind it are free to stroll. Delight in the fountains, statues, and the carefully coiffed hedges and plants. The gardens are open daily from 9 am to 6 pm. Baroque gardens are closed on the weekends.

(Note: The Rijksmuseum is undergoing extensive renovations that are scheduled to last until 2010. Until then, visitors may visit a scaled down “best of” collection entitled ”The Masterpieces.”)

Pick up a passport to paintings. 

Speaking of the Rijksmuseum, we’re flying high about the joint venture between the museum and Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport. The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schipol, an art space at the airport maintained by the museum, offers annual exhibits free of charge. This year, an impressive collection of Van Gogh paintings is on display. The gallery is just behind the passport control desks—and is open from 7 am to 10 pm. So, get your stamp and your art on!

Go Dutch!

Ever wondered how to say “ham sandwich” in Dutch? (The answer is broodje ham).  Why not sign up for a local chat buddy and learn even more? Check out the University of Amsterdam’s Web site and bulletin board to find a partner in conversation. Or, just try Craigslist. Our friends over at Trippist recommend the Student Language Exchange too. What better way to connect with Dutch culture than to go, quite literally, Dutch!

Park  yourself.

It’s no secret that Amsterdam has some of the prettiest and most extensive parks. Our favorites include Vondelpark and Beatrixpark. For more space and to catch a game of Frisbee, try Vondel. Another Vondel bonus? Free concerts abound, especially during the summer months. Beatrix is your best bet for quiet and quaint. Relax on a blanket, pull out a good book, and prepare to catch some rays and shut eye.

Go over the river.

Since Amsterdam’s touristy canal tours can get pricey, we recommend the free ferry (about a 5-minute ride) from Central Station (the Ruyterkade) over the River IJ. We admit, the tour isn’t long, but it offers a great view of Amsterdam’s shoreline and lets visitors fully appreciate Amsterdam’s rich port and shipping trade history. Ferries leave every 7.5 minutes between 6:30 am and 11 pm daily; every quarter hour at other times of day.

If you’ve rented a bike, spend the day on the other side, touring the countryside and nearby small villages of Monnickendam, Marken, and Volendam. Cycling maps are available at all of Amsterdam’s bike shops (read more about this countryside bike tour).

Popularity: 12% [?]

Photo by minarai

Spring is glorious in Berlin—especially for Cheapos, as all that sunshine is free of charge. A particularly lovely spot to enjoy it this time of year is the tranquil Japanese Garden at the Gardens of the World in Erholungspark Marzahn.

The cherry trees are blooming, so now is the time to make a visit to take in the beauty of the pink blossoms. The Japanese Garden is open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The €2 admission also gets you access to the Chinese, Balinese, Oriental, and Seoul gardens in the park.

Popularity: 5% [?]

photograph courtesy of weyerdk

Springtime in Paris equals the outdoors—lingering in the outdoor markets, lazing away the afternoon at a cafe, or finding a park bench in the sun. The city teems with legendary public gardens like the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries, and the Jardin des Plantes, but there are also lots of secret garden hideaways worth tracking down for those days when you feel like being alone.

One of the these is the Garden of Peace at UNESCO headquarters in the 7th arrondissement. Landscaped in 1958 by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi, it is a serene composition of flowering cherry trees, plum trees, magnolias, bamboo, rocks, and water—all representing the harmony between nature and mankind. Admission to the garden is free.

To visit UNESCO, go to the reception desk and exchange some form of identification for a visitor’s pass. To register for a guided tour of the building and its art collection—which includes works by Calder, Giacometti, Le Corbusier and Miró—contact the visitor’s center through m.tucker@unesco.org.

Also worth a visit is UNESCO’s basement library, which has a good English language press section, including the IHT, The Atlantic Monthly, and Harper’s.

UNESCO is located at 7 place de Fontenoy. Metro: Ségur or Cambronne.

Popularity: 4% [?]