Started working on hotels, and made a small change to the itinerary. We will pick up a rental car at Madrid airport and visit Leon, Burgos, Santiago de Compostela, Salamanca, Cadiz, Malaga, and Granada before returning from Madrid.  I have chosen the following hotels, based on Tripadvisor reviews, and am confident these are great choices, and great bargains (average of $67 per night):

Leon – La Posada Regia

Santiago de Compostela – Hotel Avenida

Salamanca – Condal

Cadiz – Las Cortes de Cadiz

Granada – Plaza Nueva

Madrid – Vita Ingles

We’ve been to Malaga, Granada and Madrid before, but the rest of the cities, particularly in the Northwest, will be new to us.

Now to start working on restaurant plans!