Roaming Toledo

After we got settled, we were too excited to get more rest. We have little balconies off of our rooms and we discovered the ladder (and unlocked door) that went to the roof – we took many pictures :)

























We left our room for lunch and to explore the city. We ate at the Restaurante Arrabal – I ordered paella de la casa, forgetting what I had learned in Spanish class about all it included: rice, squid, oysters, and whole shrimp. Most of it was good, but I left the shrimp alone. I don't like to eat food that's looking at me.













The pensión and restaurant are both on a lower section of town than the main street. We climbed the stairs to the upper road and checked out the Bisagra Gate, the old entrance to old Toledo. The Moorish architecture famous in the region is evident in this construction. We were able to climb to the top of the structure and get a great view of the city.



















From there we took the plunge into the tiny, twisting, stone streets of Toledo. We got lost a few times even with our map and resident iPhone carrier. Our original intent was to find an ATM to get cash (the banks are closed Saturdays and Sundays), and we ended up finding the Cathedral or Catedral (and touring it – it was beautiful!) and the Plaza de Zocodover (the main plaza). The plaza has plenty of ATMs and a plethora of activity. There are restaurants, banks, and clothing and knick-knack stores.


























We finally got our cash and made our way back to the pensión for our siesta – the time change finally caught up to us.
Everyone slept (except Ella) for three hours, and by the time we woke up, we were hungry again. Rick Steves' guide book suggested a yummy, fairly priced vegetarian option, so we decided to try it (Mary-Margaret is a vegetarian, but it meat is a specialty here and every time she gets a salad, it has meat on it, so we wanted to find a place that would cater more specifically to our tastes).


The place is called Madre Tierra Vegetariano Restaurante and it was delicioso!!! I had campera pizza: your average 10 inch pizza with mushrooms, red peppers, onions, and other stuff that I couldn't translate from the menu, but it all tasted good. The only downside to the place (in my opinion) is that it's a little hard to find. It's away from all the touristy centers and tucked down a little alley that could only be described as sketchy. The place itself was very classy and we had a very good, much deserved supper (albeit it was 10:00 o'clock at night – must note to take siesta more seriously).

And so ends our first day in Spain. Happily we have beds to crawl into at midnight; however, the local crowd doesn't yet seem so sleepy. I will report how the night went. Buenos noches…

¡Buen Viaje!

We're here! At last, the dream has become a reality. We arrived in Madrid this morning (Spain's morning) at 9:30am after a long, cramped nine hour flight. It was only 3:30am Atlanta time. All slightly dazed from the time change, we went to retrieve the van and headed down the expressway toward Toledo!

Those of us who weren't driving dropped off as soon as the car started moving. The drive in reality (from Madrid to Toledo) is 40 minutes to an hour, but it seemed only 15 minutes.

There are two parts to Toledo, the new and the old. We're staying in Pensión Arrabal, a little inn/hostel type place ("pensión" is the word for a cheap inn). The people who run it also operate a little restaurant (Restaurante Arrabal). The pensión is inside of old Toledo, which is surrounded by a giant stone wall. Old Toledo was once a large fortress as it is prime land for military stronghold (on top of a hill, surrounded by a river, you get the picture).

So, as we were arriving, there was some confusion about where the pensión actually was. The main control for traffic in Spain appears to be traffic circles and we circled around a couple of them many, many times before realizing we'd passed the place (and parking) twice. However, we made it, and are now safe, sound, and sedentary.

Waiting...

Okay, so here we are waiting at the airport and in the airplane - though you'd like to see :)