Aranjuez

An hour, more or less, south of Madrid lies Aranjuez. Here the Royal Summer Palace of the Hapsburgs grew up around a medieval hunting lodge at the junction of the Tagus and Jarama rivers.  Today's palace was built in the 18th century to replace the original palace that burned down. Because the palace is newer, it is in very good repair and stands in the center of a 740 acre garden. The main events here are the palace tour (arrive early) and the gardens (arrive in early spring for the best blooms). These pictures were taken in May 1999.

Do Not Adjust Your Set: These pictures were taken in between 1997 and 1999 with a first generation digital camera. They are as big and as good as they'll ever get.