We then walked around the town's quaint streets, which were appropriately cobbled and lined with uniformly well maintained stone buildings. Many of these had been converted into decidedly upscale inns and antique shops, making the town a real pleasure to walk around. Unfortunately we arrived at closing time so all we could really do is walk around, then we headed back to our car (pictured here through the arch) and drive back to Madrid.

Supposedly the town's center doubled as a bullring, as in Penafiel, but this one looked far too ornate and twee for this to be true. Most of the houses surrounding the plaza have been converted into shops and restaurants, and it was clear that the town knew how to capitalize on its charms.

113. Pedraza

Pedraza was the prettiest town we visited, so we accidentally saved the best for last. The town has maintained its medieval town center through a tough set of defences, including an attractive set of walls and a not very attractive wreck of a castle. The castle is still owned by the local nobility, and at the time we visited it looked to be under renovation, so by now it may look more impressive. But when we were there it looked like it would collapse if we touched it.