On our 3rd full day in Spain we took a day trip to Toledo. The first train we planned to take was sold out so we had to wait around for an hour or so until the next left. We wandered the area near the train station, got a late breakfast then finally lined up to board the train. A quick train ride on Spain's high-speed (and rather nice) train and we were in Toledo.
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| Madrid's train station |
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| En route to Toledo |
It has an interesting history and a rather large, well-preserved medieval center. At one point it was the capital of Spain and has been a home to Jews, Muslims and Christians. We took a cab to the old city and started walking the narrow (like some so narrow I can't see how a car can pass through) historic streets marveling at the old architecture and crazy number of shops. We toured a church then climbed to the bell tower and took in great views of the city and surrounding countryside. After lunch and more walking/wandering/shopping we were tired and hot so decided to catch an earlier train back to Madrid.
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| Mosaic art in the Toledo train station |
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| Narrow medieval streets |
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| View of the cathedral spires |
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| Inside the church |
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| Alcazar (old fortress/castle, now a museum) |
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| Puerta del Sol - one of the entrances to the old city |
We were pretty tired thanks to the day in Toledo so we planned for a low key night. We had dinner at a cute little restaurant where one of the workers (manager or owner maybe?) gave us complimentary glasses of a home-brewed liqueur. Not sure what was in it but neither of us were fans. We decided to stop in at a little bar for a drink on the walk back to the apartment and met the cutest old man who was bar tending. He made us Caipirinhas which were dangerously delicious and we attempted conversation with him (thank goodness Kirsten is pretty fluent in Spanish).
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| The unknown and not very good liqueur |
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| Mixing up a delicious concoction |
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| This man was a drink artist! |
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| Enjoying our libations |
Our final day we decided to see the Royal Palace, the cathedral, a market and have a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful area of the city that we hadn't seen yet so it was a great experience. Unfortunately the entrance fees for Palace and cathedral were more than we wanted to spend so we didn't see the interior of either. The market was quite a sight and packed to the gills. They had cheese vendors, a huge pastry/candy vendor, as well as people selling olives, fish, nuts, potato chips, sushi, tapas, drinks and more. We gathered a few items and made our way to a grassy area near the palace to eat.
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| Fountain outside the palace |
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| How European, no? |
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| Violinist in front of the cathedral |
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| At the Palace gates |
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| Palacio Real de Madrid |
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| Fish in the market |
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| Olives abound |
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| Enjoying our picnic lunch |
Later that afternoon we went to Museo del Prado which is one of the best known art museums in Madrid. They had free entrance after 5pm so we queued up and enjoyed looking at various well-known works of art (as well as some we probably should've known but didn't). For dinner we attempted to eat at the same restaurant as our first night but were turned away because we didn't have reservations. We found a different place to eat and enjoyed it (although not as much as the first). After dinner we walked to the Plaza Ciebeles and Puerta de Alcala before walking back to the apartment for the last time.
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| Museo del Prado |
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| Enjoying our last dinner together |
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| Plaza Ciebeles |
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| Puerta de Alcala |
My airport shuttle arrived at 3:30 am so I could make it to the airport for my 6am flight back home. I was amazed at how busy the streets were at that time - more people were out at 3:30 am than 11pm! After a short layover in Amsterdam I flew back across the pond to my wonderful husband and pup.
It was a great trip filled with culture, sights, food and fun. In 18 days I visited 4 countries, 7 cities and countless museums, churches, historic sites, shops and restaurants. We had our fair share of hiccups including travel issues, a day or or two of crummy weather and illness but overall the trip was wonderful. We're planning a trip to England, Ireland and Scotland for 2013 and I can't wait!
