Private tour in Madrid Paul O
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Paul O.
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Hello! Let me briefly introduce myself. I'm half British and half Spaniard, fully bilingual in English and Spanish. I also speak good French. Traveling has always been my passion since I was a little kid, as my father worked for an American company, and I had the chance to travel to several countries. I've primarily lived in Spain, but also in France (Paris, the UK, and the US). I can speak English with both British and American accents. I had my first trip as a tour guide when I was 15, as my American family came to Spain, and I went with them to Madrid's old town, Segovia, Toledo, and El Escorial. I discovered I liked it a lot. I have been organizing private tours since then. I have a degree in Music (piano and musical language) and Geology. This latter allowed me to explain many facts about the landscape and even several historical facts about old towns like Toledo, Segovia, and Madrid. Geology is, surprisingly, pretty important to establish a settlement. Among other things I've done during my professional career, I had two restaurants and two small wineries, so food and wine have no secrets for me. I can humbly say I'm a good chef. I have been teaching how to cook Spanish cuisine to many people throughout my life, many of them foreigners. Wine production is an art, and I have been collaborating with several enologists to obtain high-quality wines. With this experience I would be able to teach you how to prepare genuine Spanish food, not to mention organizing visits to wineries and get a good understanding about how to produce good wines and how to taste them. Personalized tours are my best approach to obtaining a unique experience for tourists. Just in Madrid, there are a lot of unknown places, full of history and even anecdotes, that most people don't know, and will give you the best understanding of Spanish history and culture. Many other places around Madrid remain unknown to visitors, like the seven Romanic churches of Guadalajara (dated from the XII century), the "magical" and mystic canyon of Duratón river in Segovia, with vultures flying over the Templar hermitage built in the plateau over the river, the castles and fortresses that "El Cid Campeador" held in his exile from Castille to Valencia in the XI century, and many others. I'll be glad to offer you any possible personalized tour, in addition to the pre-built tours you'll see displayed here. Traveling is one of the best things we can do in this life, and having a local guide will help you to squeeze every little drop of your experience and make your trip unforgettable. Hope to see you soon! Degree in Geology from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 1981 Degree in Piano and Musical language from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid (1982) None
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The town dates probably from the V century BC. The Romans built a fortress as it was on the route to Lusitania from Toledo. It was conquered by the Arabs in the VIII century who built three lines of walls, only one still partially remaining. Reconquered by King Alphonse VI in the XI century it was a prosperous merchant site due to its privileged position on the Tagus River. The ceramic of Talavera, which rivals that of Limoges in France, was declared in November 2023 a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- Basílica del Prado. It was built over an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Ceres, the goddess of agriculture. - Santa Catalina Church. It was built in 1372. - Wall and Albarrana Towers. Talavera had three Wall lines, the first one is the best preserved. It was built by Abderraman III in the 9th century. - Plaza Pan Square. There are among other buildings the City Hall, the palaces of aristocracy and clergy, the Colegial and the Art Center "Rafael Morales". It is Renaissance style and it is shaped like a Roman Circus. It was designed in 1579 by Nicolás de Vergara el Mozo. - The bridges. Several bridges cross the Tagus River, built at different times. Very interesting. - Ceramic of Talavera. There are many places where they sell the classic ceramic of Talavera. They started making tiles, dishes and pots in the XII century
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We'll depart from Madrid to Talavera in a rental car
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Airport: ,Cruise: ,ByGuide: I will pick you up at your hotel, if possible, otherwise the closest place to the hotel where cars are allowed to enter.
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If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
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