Chinchón

Because I have been fortunate enough to have studied in and traveled around Spain in the past...and because there are endless sights throughout all of Europe just waiting to be explored, I sometimes neglect this country and all that it has to offer culturally, historically, visually, architecturally, etc., in exchange for other European adventures. But the truth of the matter is...Spain is wonderful. 

On that note, Maria, Sara and I ventured outside of Madrid last Saturday to see what more Spain has to offer in the form of small, outlying, historical towns and villages. Our adventure led us to Chinchón, located an hour southeast of the Madrid city center and containing a population of around 5,000 people, on a good day.;) So with doughnuts, juice boxes, and packed lunches in hand we headed out of the city like three 5-year-olds eager to take in whatever this small village had in store for us. 

Cave-bar-wine-tour experience:)

Although walking around any old historical village has it's perks, I'm sure, the best part of the trip by far was our 'cave bar hopping' experience (because, yes, we stumbled upon not one but TWO cave-wine-tasting-tours in this tiny town). One of the 'tours' took us all the way to the back of the cave where a menu and four tables were set for a fine dining experience (don't mind if we do!;)) and we couldn't pass up ordering a round of tapas while sipping on our free shot-glass-sized wine tasters and enjoying the atmosphere. 

The rest of the day consisted in moseying around in the sunshine, wandering in and out of local shops, and taking in surprisingly beautiful views of the rustic little village and the surrounding landscape. Chinchón was a pleasant reminder of all that Spain has to offer in even the tiniest of towns and it was a refreshing escape from the big-city life that we have grown accustomed to in Madrid. I hope to venture out to more of Spain’s hidden-gem cities while I am here to discover and further appreciate the culture and history of this lovely country.:) Until next time, hasta luego!