It is famous because of its Royal Palace, its gardens, its historic avenues, its bonds with the Kings and Queens, its asparagus and, of course, its strawberries. Stated Paisaje Cultural Patrimonio de la Humanidad by the UNESCO in 2001, you know when you begin your visit to the Real Sitio and Villa of Aranjuez, but never when you end up it, because of the amount of secret places that you will find in its streets.
Leaving her home, a young woman covers a corridor and says hello to one of her neighbours. After closing the doorway, she goes past a family that looks very concentrated a map. None of them would be able to discover that if they cross this gate, they will find an old courtyard, where centuries ago, the women did the houseworks while they talked in the patio, center of the local life.
They turn a map over, trying to decide what to visit. They don’t know what to do: maybe it would be a good idea to go to the Constitución Square, where the Town Hall and the Abastos Market are located. Other choice is to visit the Bullring, which inaugurated in 1797 by Carlos IV, is one of the few bullrings of the 18th century that exists nowadays.
Meanwhile, a group of friends arrives at the Aranjuez's Royal Palace. Stopped in front of the Armas Square, these guys look at the statues of Felipe II, Felipe V and Fernando VI, located on the palace’s roof.
Majestic, impressive, superb, stately… many are the adjectives that could be used to describe the building that they are contemplating at this moment. More than 200 years, since the King Felipe II ordered the architect Herrera to start the works until Sabatini ended up it during the reign of Carlos III, were required to build it.
They haven’t words not only to describe what they are seeing, but also to speak about the Porcelanas Room or the Espejos Hall. Suddenly, when they look out of the window, the group of friends discovers a couple strolling in the Parterre Garden toward the bridge which gives access to the Isla Garden.
In front of them, surrounded by the Tajo River, they have it, the Isla Garden. Now, they have the possibility of getting lost among its trees and to take pictures of its fountains and small squares.
Later, a family, without the map, takes a strawberry with cream millefeuille, a chocolate panaccotta and a tiramisu cake while the children feed the ducks. A group of friends, which comes from the Royal Palace, looks a menu where they can taste crepes of asparagus with cheese or strawberry with chocolate croquettes. A couple, far from the Isla Garden, observes how a young woman, far from her home, serves them goat cheese with caramelized onion and a veal steak with French fries.
Everything hosted by the Tapa y Mantel restaurant, located on the banks of the Tajo River, near the Embocador dam. The calm and the comfort of this restaurant, turn Tapa y Mantel into an ideal place to get one’s strength back after a hard day discovering Aranjuez.
