Toledo/Madrid Excursion

Hola Tod@s!

The above as I've discovered is how people address things when they want to include both women and men in the normally patriarchal language that is Spanish.

Anyway..Toledo and Madrid this weekend! So on Friday we met at Correos at 8:00am and headed to Toledo. We probably arrived there at around 1:30pm...long ride! So, we had a little bit of free time when we first got there in which I ate my sandwiches that Monica had packed for me and got some actually ice cream (in the form of a hot fudges sundae) from McDonalds....I know, that's tacky while I'm in Spain, but it was good! Then we had a guided tour around the city...and I bet you'll never guess what sorts of things we saw...churches!

The tour was really great, the tour guide that we had was really good. I even went on the Spanish tour! The first time I've chosen to take the Spanish tour...usually I go on the English one because it's easier. Anyway, we saw about three different churches and the prettiest views of Toledo. Then we had a little bit a free time and I wondered aroud Toledo with Kristi. Then we boarded the bus and headed for Madrid.

In Madrid I was roomed with Kristi. That was cool...especially since we had a room ready for three people, but since Laura didn't go we had it all to ourselves! lol We stayed in the same hotel and had dinner in the same restaurant that we ate in the first day I was in Spain. Gosh, it doesn't seem that long ago that I was there that first day. But it's been almost three months! Anyway, after dinner (paella!) Kristiand I headed back to the hotel and crashed...we were tired!

The nex morning we got up and headed down to participate in the complimentary breakfast, which we knew was going to be delicious from the first time we'd been there. It was good...I had cereal, fruit, toast, hash browns, a muffin, a small pastry....needless to say I was stuffed! lol But, breakfast is my favorite meal, so it's all good! Plus, don't worry...I definitely walked it off! They also had these really awesome little inidividual serving jars of olive oil and honey which I happened to take a couple each of when I left, on accident of course! lol Hey, I paid for them...at some point or other!

After breakfast we headed to the Prado Museum...which two hours later we finally were able to get into because the ticket machine broke! Just our luck, huh? I walked through it with Jen, one of my friends who just happend to be an art history minor. It was cool to go through with her because she could explain the background of a lot of the paintings. After the museum a big group of people were going to go to The Hard Rock Cafe to get some "American" food, but I elected to go through the Botanical Gardens and try to get to another park instead...I figured I can go to the Hard Rock when I go back to the States...can't go through a park in Madrid there! So, I went through the garden, then found the other park with Rachel, but we didn't have time to go through the other park. We needed to eat, so we went & ate in this little bar. Cheese sandwiches with tomato and olive oil...not too bad!

By the time lunch was over it was time to head back to the hotel, so we did...and then it was another five hour bus ride back to Granada...I think I could actually drive it myself by now! lol

So, that was my excursion to Madrid...all of my pictures from it are up on my yahoo page...so check them out if you want to!

Love to all!

Carla B.

PS...More pictures to come, I just didn´t have time because they take too long to upload!

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