Since I’ve not gotten the hang of my home city Alcal�, I figured it was about time that I explored a few other cities that are outside of Madrid. First stop, Toledo!

                My host family loves Toledo, and they recommended that I go right off the bat. My host family has had 15 other students, in only five years, and all of them made a trip to Toledo. With  a little help from my host parents in regards to traveling, I was set to go. Now I only needed companions!

                A lot of people were interested in going, it’s so close and we had all heard rumors of its beauty. After some logistical struggles, 5 of us were definitely going to go. Saturday rolls around, and 3 of us meet at the bus stop. Communication over here is at times a problem, for me, facebook has never been more valuable than it is here. We head out after waiting for a little, ready to get started on out adventure to the previous capital of Spain!

                We decide to go for one of the fast trains out of Madrid, known as Renfe AVE. I was thoroughly impressed with the train, public transportation here is amazing. I certainly don’t miss the days of Blue Loop around PSU! Within a half hour we are in Toledo, as we rode past the ancient city, it was hard to deny that we had made the right decision by making this trip.

                Toledo is a city made up of 3 very distinct districts, the Christian, Jewish and Muslim all within one city. We had a little trouble navigating the winding streets, but each turn held a new cathedral, monastery or museum.

                The tourist center in town was incredibly helpful, and he even spoke to us in Spanish, and I understood it!! The guide probably circled 10 or so sites, so we knew it was going to be a busy day! Most of the sites required a small fee for entry, but it is definitely worth it. We toured the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, which was breathtaking. The garden was so peaceful, and even had clementines growing on the trees. I am constantly amazed by the architecture here, it’s so beautiful, but also so grand. I still cannot comprehend how such giant buildings could be constructed without the help of machines.

                After the Monastery, we wondered some more and ended at the Church of the Jesuits. Here most of the sites that I see are Cathedrals, and you would think I would get tired of it. This church proved me wrong. It was so open and the mural in the front was gorgeous! After checking out most of the church, we happened upon a door that led to the roof of the church! From there you could see the entire city of Toledo, definitely the highlight of the trip.

                After all of out walking and sighseeing, we wanted a little break. We found a bar and tasted the local brew and some amazing cheese. Toledo is known primarily for 3 things. Swords, Manchego cheese and marzipan. We got all three! Well my friend Danny bought a dagger, and then we all bought cheese and marzipan for our families. So delicious! I hope that I can return to Toledo in the future, and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who comes to Madrid!

Location: Toledo, Spain