Madrid y Toledo

So it was definitely a great weekend spent in Madrid and Toledo with CIDE. We left bright and early on Friday morning (8am!) and arrived in Madrid around 2pm, just in time for lunch! Every meal in Madrid had three courses, and for the most part, the food was pretty good. In Toledo, not so much.
FRIDAY in MADRID- Palacio róyale y Puerta del Sol y Plaza Mayor
We spent Friday afternoon touring the Palacio Royale and the Armada. For real, they were gorgeous! The Palace is huge, and I can’t imagine living in a place like that. The royal family no longer lives in the Palacio Royale; however, state dinners are held in the dining room on an average of three times per week! Apparently, Bush has eaten there more than once. My favorite part about the whole palace was the chandeliers! They’re everywhere and they’re gorgeous. I can’t imagine what the place would look like if it were all lit up. We spent a good bit of time at the Palace, even though only 20ish of the 500 rooms are open to the public. The place was perfect for photos and we definitely took plenty! They’ll be up on facebook as soon as I have a chance to go through them all. We left the palace and headed to Puerta del Sol y Plaza Mayor- two of the most famous places in Madrid. Both spots are hot tourists spots, so of course, we had to go. We hung out in Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol and enjoyed the perfect weather. We had some free time (yes, they took us to the center of the city, dropped us off, and said- good luck getting back), so several of us went on a quest to find the perfect sword shop. Indeed, we found it, and I purchased several owl thimbles- I am a chi omega. ha. Anyway, we had a good time wandering all over the city on our own and arrived shortly before dinner. Dinner was incredible, and we managed to get two desserts- our waiters thought we were crazy, but alas, who doesn’t? haha. We were pretty beat after our insanely long day, so instead of hitting the bar scene, a bunch of us girls went on a quest for an outdoor café and some sangria. We had success and found both. And after an hour or so, we headed back to the hotel and called it a night.
TOLEDO- my new favorite European city
Toledo was incredible! We couldn’t have asked for better weather- the sun was bright all day and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Toledo is about an hour away from Madrid, and for anyone planning a trip to Spain in the future, it’s definitely worth the trip! Toledo is known for the tres culturas, or three cultures- Christian, Islamic, and Jewish. The Tagus River surrounds the city on three sides and once served as a fortress. Apparently, very little has changed in the landscape of the town since the 1500s. This is the town that inspired El Greco, and we had the opportunity to view several of his works while touring the Catedral del Toledo. The cathedral is said to be one of the greatest gothic structures of all time. The church was finished in 1493, and is itself, a work of art. We had a crazy tour guide, who got us through pretty quickly at about an hour and a half. After touring the cathedral, we headed to a tavern for lunch, where I’m not sure any of us know exactly what we ate. The whole meal, including the wine (the school provided it), was only okay. Shortly after lunch, we headed back to Madrid- we all took siestas on the bus to rest up for las noches blancas!
LAS NOCHES BLANCAS- Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
Okay, so apparently this is a new thing, but I’ll do my best to explain las noches blancas. It’s happening in several cities across Europe this fall, including Milan and Paris. The way it worked in Madrid was that all of the museums were open from 10pm-3am, FOR FREE! There was live music, karaoke on the streets, reduces covers at the discothèques, vendors, and millions of people out all night. It was crazy, but so much fun! I went with several other girls and we hit up the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, an incredible modern art museum which houses works by Salvador Dali and Picasso, among others. On our way to the museum, we definitely passed a Dunkin Donuts, sandwiched between a Chicago Style Hotdog joint and KFC. Beinvenidos a l’Espana. The highlight of the museum was seeing what many people consider to be Picasso’s most famous work Guernica. Unlike the Guggenheim, I was actually able to appreciate the modern art in the Reina Sofia. We walked all over Madrid for the rest of the night, in search of churros (we never found any) and coffee (but got 4 euro cokes instead- rip off!). We had a blast seeing Madrid in a new light, but for real, I couldn’t take that many people on a regular basis. And how many people can claim that they’ve seen Picasso for free? not many!
EL MUSEO DEL PRADO
While the Reina Sofia is known for modern art, the Prado is known for classical art. On Sunday, we had the opportunity to tour the museum and see works by Rembrandt, Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, and Murillo- among others. The place is huge, but I definitely enjoyed it. The Prado made me anxious to see the French impressionists at the Louvre in Paris. I’m headed to Paris in October and I can’t wait! Basically, the Prado was great and another must see if you’re headed to Spain. Some of us walked back to the hotel from the Prado and found a park- el parquet de retiro. It’s a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the weather. There are several cafes around, along with plenty of running trails, playgrounds, fountains, and a lake with boats. Once again, the weather was impeccable. Shortly after lunch, we boarded the bus and headed back to el pais vasco, my favorite place in Spain.
OVERALL THOUGHT
I like Madrid, I really do, but I love the Basque country. The Basque country is a place that most tourists don’t ever see and that’s a shame. El pais vasco is beautiful and very different from the rest of Spain with its rolling hills and greenery and mountains. Central Spain is dryer and redder and flatter. The Basque country is not, and it’s gorgeous! I also love the fact that Bilbao is a small town- I’d get lost in a place like Madrid. So for any of you planning a trip to Spain, make sure you don’t miss the most unique area- el pais vasco. It’s off the beaten trail, but trust me, you won’t be disappointed. I had a great weekend, and I have a crazy busy week with a test and an essay due on Thursday. I’m excited about this weekend- I’m headed to Geneva, Switzerland, and I can’t wait. I’m still looking for shoes (it’s getting colder and I need something besides my beloved Chacos) and Amanda and I need to find a place to stay in Switzerland. Anyway, I love you and I miss you all. For all my friends dealing with rush this week, I’m praying for you- your sanity will come back eventually! Hasta luego, and I’ll write again when I have a chance!