At last! Christmastime: travel version (Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia!)

One of the main reasons that I wanted NOT to go home for Christmas was to have more time to travel around Spain. It was insanely expensive to stay ANYWHERE on the 31^st and 1^st, so I decided to stick with a week’s worth of travel. And even though I’ve done several shorter excursions on my own, this was going to be my first time traveling alone for an extended period of time. Valencia and Italy were both with Katie, so I became a bit spoiled with having another person to talk to and figure out where things were. :-P However, I really, really, REALLY wanted to see those places, and as always, everyone here is so helpful when I’m planning trips. Both Javi and Eli (from church) said that they knew several people in Madrid, so if anything went wrong, I had some connections. Javi and Cati also wanted my schedule and where I’d be staying. :-)

By now, traveling around Spain via the train isn’t a big, traumatic deal for me. I left for Madrid on Sunday, Dec. 26^th from the now VERY familiar Lleida train station, and for the first time, I was able to take the famous AVE train—more expensive, but a pretty cool high-speed train that can get you to the major cities in Spain in no time. Like Barcelona, Madrid is HUGE, so there are several train stations. I went to the main station, Atocha, which is where the 2004 terrorist bombings took place. It’s so big, it’s like an airport! My goal was to find the metro, which is right inside of the train station and wasn’t hard to navigate. The best thing I liked about my hostel in Madrid was that it was just two short metro stops from the train station AND had a metro stop almost literally right outside! So anyway, finding the hostel wasn’t too hard, and I was provided with a map and was soon on my way to explore Madrid.

Having learned my lesson from Italy, I wanted to make sure that I saw some of the “major” things to see on the first day. Who knows if a strike will randomly occur! :-D There are three main art museums in Madrid, and they’re all really close to each other. They’re also pretty close to my hostel! Anyway, I walked around that area to get my bearings and decide what I should do first. I decided to try the Thyssen museum (the Reina Sofia was closed by then), which is what I’d consider to be the least famous of the three art museums. Anyway, the ticket cost €8, which was a bit more that I wanted to spend (I mean, it’s not the Prado or anything! :-)), and I saw a sign that said the MINIMUM time it takes to get through the museum was two hours. Two hours?? I was hoping to do some more stuff before it became dark (when I didn’t want to be out alone), so I was determined to see it in less time. Ha! No worries there. I did it in 30 minutes. And that includes the boring gift shop! :-) Not being an art nerd and not seeing any paintings I specifically wanted to see in Madrid, I just kind of quickly paced around, glanced at the different rooms, and only looked at the more interesting works in more detail. But personally? You can skip the Thyssen if you’re not an art fanatic. It’s nothing special.

Having more or less wasted eight euros, I decided to try the Prado. On the downside, there was a fairly long line, but on the bright side, I had completely forgotten that you could get in free after a certain time. Yay! So I was able to see the Prado free. :-) It was huge and fascinating, but there was no way I’d have time for everything. Fortunately, they list the most famous/important works of art on a brochure and give you the room number, and everything I wanted to see was on that list. Ahh...I saw so many paintings that I studied in Spanish classes—in real life! Such a special feeling. Las Meninas, La familia de Carlos IV, El tres de mayo, Goya, Valásquez, all sorts of goodies! We’re not allowed to take pictures, so I bought postcards of my favorite paintings. The Prado is set up well and quite impressive, and it deserves the place it has as being one of the world’s top 10 visited museums!

It was pretty dark by the time I left, so I decided to call it a day and head to the hostel. But the nice thing about seeing Madrid at night is being able to see all of the lights. Everything was still decorated for Christmas, and it was so beautiful! To be honest, I was visiting Madrid more out of duty than anything else; I was convinced that it would be huge, stressful, and...well, kind of ugly. But really, it IS lovely...in its own big city way. :-)

I stayed in Way Hostel, in a 4-bed, female-only dorm. Everything was okay, but nothing to brag about. But travelers don’t stay in hostels to brag. :-D There were several free activities offered, but I actually had a pretty tight and organized schedule for the week, so I didn’t do any of them. I did meet a nice girl from Washington, D.C. named Julie, and she gave me some information on Segovia that she didn’t need. She also had some tips on what to do AND what to avoid in Madrid, and it was fun to chat with her. And since my schedule is quite different from most of the young people’s schedules in Madrid, I went to bed earlier and woke up earlier than anyone else. :-D

Since just about everything is closed in Madrid on Mondays, I thought it would be a good day to explore Toledo, which is about a 30-minute train drive from the center of Madrid. I took a pretty early train and planned on taking the last train out to spend as much time as possible in the former capital of Spain. Toledo is AMAZING. However, there are several downsides: one, it’s kind of confusing to navigate (at least to me :-D), and two, it was REALLY cold. Definitely the coldest day of my travels!

My first goal was to find a map, and that turned out to be more complicated that I was hoping. I was excited because there was a tourist info place right in the Toledo train station, but I was there TOO early and was told that it would be better to go to the center of the city to get one. Not a big deal, but...where was the city center? :-D I wandered around and saw plenty of signs, but I still couldn’t find the place I needed. I finally went into a shop near the bus station and bought one. So...I had a map! Yay! Now what? I could see some of the stuff I wanted to see waaay up on a hill, but I still wasn’t sure how to get over there. So I just did the best I could and kept walking. I walked around a really neat river that had all sorts of cool bridges and stuff, and before I knew it, I was on a trail marked “La ruta de Don Quixote”. Since I was Castilla-la Mancha, the part of Spain where Don Quixote travels in the book, you can imagine how popular it is! Since I like walking and didn’t know where I was anyway, I decided to hike for a bit. Later, I found another trail, with more Routes of Don Quixote signs, and even though it was really cold that morning, I LOVED both the tranquility of those trails and that goosebumpy feeling of being somewhere historic (even if it’s, you know, fictionally historic in this case!). It looked like you could spend all day following Quixote’s routes, but I finally found a church that looked somewhat touristic and asked for directions to the cathedral (one of the main things you should see in ANY city anywhere in Europe). And her directions became one of two you’re given in Toledo: go up...or go down. :-) And that’s pretty much Toledo! Everything is waaaay up. I still didn’t see any of those handy signs pointing to landmarks, but I took some side/residential streets up, up, and awaaaay to the top of the world. :-P It’s definitely a good city to get a workout! I also found a tourist office really close to the cathedral and picked up a better (and free) map. And then I started the more hard-core explorations of the city, which included the cathedral (one of the best I’ve seen in my time over here! It was beautiful...AND they had classical music playing in the background!), the church of Santo Tomé, which holds a very famous painting by El Greco—El entierro del Señor de Orgaz (another painting I studied in school...and one of the main things I wanted to see in Toledo), la Mezquita de Cristo de la Luz (ancient Muslim mosque), the monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, and the Royal Foundation of Toledo. The last one, the Royal Foundation, was more an impulsive thing to see since I stumbled into it (yeah...I kind of got turned around a LOT in Toledo...:-)), but I’m so glad I found it! First off, NO one else was there, so the ladies were helpful, bored, chatty, and were happy to take some pictures of me. I watched a 10-minute film about the history of Toledo (in Spanish, but with a little translator in English that I could put in my ear if I wanted it), and then we went up to a high point to see some epic views of the city. It’s retained so much of its historic feel, and I loved just looking out and seeing so much nature. Afterwards, I walked around the area and peaked in a few doors that were nearby. One had a random display of pictures from Africa, and another had a random statue of a dead guy that I’m still not sure who he was. Hee! But the view, film, and talking to the workers made that place well worth the visit!

Aside from getting turned around, another thing that kept distracting me was all of the souvenir shops. There were so many, and they were all so cool! Toledo is well-known for at least two things: swords and a specific sort of handiwork involving pieces of gold (typically turned into jewelry, etc.). It’s hard to describe, but one you see it, you KNOW it’s from Toledo if you ever see it again. And because I was 1) a tourist, 2) looking at trinkets, 3) clearly intrigued by the stuff there, and 4) glowing with that “people like to talk to me” glow, I had several conversation with the store owners. Some described how they make certain things, others asked about where I was from (one lady even knew that there was a Toledo in Ohio! :-)), and one guy in particular took his time to show me the different products and explain how they were made. With this guy, it was still fairly early in the day, and I didn’t want to buy a bunch of stuff and see more interesting things later on. So I said that I would probably be back. After looking around at the other 500 shops that more or less sold the same things, I went back there. He recognized me right away and gave me discounts on the stuff I bought. :-) If you like swords, medieval things, Spanish history, and shiny stuff, Toledo is definitely a place to go! Another common thing to see was Don Quixote figurines. They were EVERYWHERE. They’re obsessed with the guy!

So between wandering around trying to get my bearings, things being closed or under construction, and spending too much time in souvenir shops, I didn’t get to do everything I wanted, but I did the main stuff. The city has retained its unique blend of Jewish, Arabic, and Catholic history, and it was fascinating just to walk around and explore. If it wasn’t so cold, I would’ve done a lot more!

Because I wanted to make sure I made it to the train station on time, I left the city center fairly early and had time to wander around a park that was about 5 minutes from the station. By then, it was early evening and starting to get dark, and it was so peaceful just to sit on a bench, watch the river, and experience another side of Toledo. The train back to Madrid was fine, and all in all, it was one of my favorite days of the trip!

But the day wasn’t QUITE over yet. :-) I was hoping to see the Reina Sofia museum, which is a famous modern art museum in Madrid. Now, I’m sooo not a modern art fan, but I did want to see Guernica, a Picasso painting that I studied in college. I would be pushing for time, but it would be closed on Tuesday...so it was the only chance I’d have to see it. I managed to get there before it closed, and as I pulled out my wallet expecting to pay for a ticket, the guy gave me a ticket and waved me on. Another free museum! :-) I then had to go through security, put the bag of Toledo souvenirs in a locker, and then I just kind of ran around asking where Guernica was. I finally found it, and it’s definitely the most famous and well-displayed work of art in that museum! All of the other paintings were...well, modern artish, so I only stayed a few minutes. THEN I finally headed to the hostel, exhausted but happy.

The next day, Tuesday, was my official all-day tour of Madrid. And it was definitely an all-day event! :-) I toured Lope de Vega’s house-museum (one of the highlights of Madrid!), which was just so cool! The tour was in Spanish as well, which for me, is always a plus. I was disappointed that we couldn’t take any pictures...AND there was not a single postcard, magnet, ANYTHING in all of Madrid (or Toledo or Segovia, for that matter) that was about Lope de Vega. Gah! Everything’s all about Quixote. I mean, Quixote is great, but there’s just so much more to Spanish literature! Vega is like the Shakespeare of Spanish literature to me, so...I don’t know. It bothered me that he had so little attention and Cervantes was so famous and touristy. But that’s a minor complaint. :-) Annnyway...

The National Archeological Museum was pretty neat, and the highlight was definitely seeing the Dama de Elche in person (another thing I studied in Spanish classes!). It’s just so cool to see all of this stuff I’ve studied before...in real life!

Another highlight of Madrid (but the place with the longest line!) was the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). The outside is impressive, but the inside is AMAZING. It’s kind of like palaces you might see in movies...only...better. :-) One room was full of tableware and silver, other areas also had an armory and a pharmacy (like jars of herbs, etc.), each room was distinctly and beautifully decorated, and the ceilings were painted with all sorts of interesting artwork (like Beauty and the Beast...but better than naked baby angels!). Outside of the palace, there are also nice areas with some scenic views. All in all, well worth the wait!

However, the downside about the looong wait was that I had to cram the last of my sight-seeing in before things started closing. The two main things left that I wanted to see were the cathedral (right next to the palace) and an Egyptian temple (the Debod temple). Since the temple closed earlier and it seemed the most unique (trust me, there are a LOT of cathedrals in Europe :-)), I decided to try that. It took awhile to find, but it was really interesting! I thought the outside was actually the coolest part, but inside the small area, you could see those typical Egyptian carvings on the wall...pharaohs, weird creatures, etc. Since I’m most likely not going to see Egypt in my lifetime, it was a taste of a new culture for me. There wasn’t a lot to do and see there, but it was fun.

And then after that, I was still hoping to make it to the cathedral before it closed at 7. However, I...well...sort of got distracted in a special Christmas market in on of the main plazas. :-) One booth was selling handcarved villages made out of pieces of logs, and there were just so many interesting things to see! That, plus the fact that it was insanely crowded, led to me getting stuck in there longer than I was hoping...and I got a little turned around. I ended up leaving the opposite side from where I came in (without realizing it), and between it getting dark, being in a more unfamiliar part of Madrid, and trying to push my way past a LOT of people, I probably was the most “lost” during that time throughout my trip. After reading random street signs, crossing streets, etc., I eventually found something familiar: the entrance to the market. :-) I had made an entire circle! However, I knew where I was at that point, so I quickly made my way back to the palace/cathedral area, but even though I made it there before 7, everything was closed. I’m still not sure if I had the wrong times or if it just closed early, but I wasn’t able to see the inside of the cathedral. Next time, right? :-)

I then more or less headed back to the hostel (after some more pictures and dinner). Really, it turned out to be a fun day (and great weather compared to Toledo!), but I was ready to leave busy Madrid and spend some more relaxing time in Segovia for the next few days.

The next morning, I woke up and left even earlier than the other day, and I headed to a different train station (farther away). Everything went pretty well, and it wasn’t long before I was bored and waiting around in the station for my train to come. It was then when I checked my cell phone and discovered that I had a text message...from my dad! :-) He was at the firehouse in the middle of the night and decided to send me a message. It was perfect timing, and it was good to hear from him!

One of the nicest things about Segovia is that it’s almost impossible to get lost. There are signs everywhere, and right in the train station, there was a helpful tourist info place with maps and everything! Yes! The only thing that happened that I didn’t expect was that I had to take a bus to the city, but it turned out to be right next to my hotel. There really aren’t any hostels in Segovia (that I could find), so I decided to book a “real” hotel and have a more relaxing time there. Anyway, the hotel was great, and as I was taking my time freshening up and playing with all of the gadgets in the hotel, I received a call from Javi! He was just checking up on me, making sure I was okay, and letting me know that he and his family were headed to Sória (where Javi and Cati are from). Between two texts from my dad that morning, a call from Javi, and the ever-present comfort of my Heavenly Father, I really didn’t feel like I was traveling alone!

I was in a great location, very close to the city center (well, actually, Segovia’s small enough that EVERYTHING is pretty close to the city center :-)), and the main thing I wanted to see was the alcázar (castle/fortress). I wasn’t able to see the one in Toledo, but this one especially interested me because it’s thought to have inspired the castle in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. :-) It was definitely the best part of Segovia! AMAZING. It was epic from the outside and inside, and it had everything: a drawbridge, a moat, decorated rooms, Spanish history, pictures of royalty that I’ve studied in classes, thrones, a tower (by now, climbing steps up to towers aren’t that difficult. The other tourists were whining about the measly 100 or so steps though. Snort! :-P), an armory, AND you could take pictures! :-) The only annoying (but mostly amusing) part for me was a woman outside of the alcazar who was trying to sell different things. She saw me, and for whatever reason, she was DETERMINED to get me to buy a handmade tablecloth for my mom. :-) It was white and okay, but it was €50 and huge. There was no way I was lugging that thing around and spending that much on a tablecloth that my mom could probably get somewhere in the States! :-) She kept bugging me about it, lowering the price and insisting that my mom would love it. She brought the price down to 30 euros, and I started walking away and apologizing. When I tried to sneak past her a few minutes later, she shouted, “Guapa! 25 euros!” Sigh. I then basically ran away, thanking her, and managed to escape. :-) So sorry Mom, I didn’t get it. But I did get other things for you, really. :-D

Throughout the day, I checked with the bus station to see when a bus leaves for La Granja (a place outside of Segovia but recommended to me by a friend), visited the Museum of Segovia (inexpensive and interesting), Antonio Machado’s house (with a guided tour in Spanish. Only a few people were there, making everything more enjoyable. One person brought a little dog, which was adorable, and the tour guide turned to complete mush over the pup. :-) It was hilarious!), walked around the streets of Segovia, and tried the famous conchinillo (roast suckling pig). I also ate some part of an ox with cream cheese inside...as well as arroz con leche (soggy rice). My list of foods that I can say I tried continues to expand. :-)

The next day, which was a continuation of Segovia and my last sight-seeing day, started off with a bus ride to La Granja. Another man got off at the same spot I did and asked the driver where the palace was (exactly where I was planning on going), so I kind of hung back for a few minutes and subtly followed that guy. Hee! Once in sight of the palace, he turned around, saw me, and asked if I could take his picture. I think that really is something lone travelers can all relate to: trying to find people who will take your picture. :-) He then realized that we were both headed to the same place and asked if I wanted to just go with him so we could both have pictures. My “creepy radar” wasn’t going off, so I agreed. He was probably in his 40s or so and was from Sevilla. Remember how people just like to talk to me? Antonio was definitely one of them! :-) People from Andalucia (southern Spain) have probably the strangest and most difficult Spanish accent/dialect to understand, but they’re also known as being the friendliest region in Spain. He talked REALLY fast, and like a proper Andalucian, he dropped S’s and shortened words and everything. I managed to follow most of what he was saying, but even the security guards and locals had to ask him to repeat his questions. :-) But he was really nice, and we later found a few other people who were exploring the palace. Since it was December and not very crowded, we all just kind of hung out together and talked about different things. Anyway, the palace was beautiful (especially a room with huge tapestries), but if you’ve seen the Royal Palace in Madrid, it’s hard to compare. :-) But it was worth the trip, and the gardens outside were HUGE. It would have been incredible in the spring or summer, but everything was pretty much dead in winter. Regardless, it was neat to wander around it what essentially was a maze of bushes and trees. I’d like to go back there someday!

I encouraged Antonio to see the alcazar in Segovia, and when we parted ways back in the city, I felt like I had made another friend. The rest of the day was spent exploring the rest of Segovia, which included the cathedral, the Jewish part of town, and the epic aqueduct. That thing is HUGE! Segovia is known for three things: the alcazar, the aqueduct, and roast pig. All three are indeed worth it! :-)

After that (and a bit of shopping, which wasn’t nearly as cool as in Toledo), I really felt like I had done pretty much everything I could in Segovia. The opposite problem of Toledo! :-) I decided to get out of the city center and take a walk, and I found some sort of hilly area that was peaceful and beautiful. I only saw one other person, and he was sketching the alcazar and cathedral. What a great view of those two places from where we were! I suspect that very few tourists go to that area, so it just felt...special. I hiked around for awhile, and then I heard little bells. Bells? I looked up to see a herd of sheep walking on a trail and later grazing. Scenic, peaceful, and very...quaint or something. It was a good change of pace and a nice way to end my adventures.

The next day, New Year’s Eve, I took the bus back to the train station and proceeded to have a full day of train rides. Nothing particularly stressful, but...long. :-) Segovia to Madrid, Madrid to Lleida, and then Lleida to Montblanc! I didn’t see any mice when I came back (yaaay! But I did get another Christmas card :-D), and I was able to bring in the New Year (and new decade!) praying, reading my Bible, and watching Madrid’s festivities from the safety of my apartment TV. The “event” takes place in a plaza area where I had been just a few days before, so it made everything seem more realistic. Rather than “dropping the ball” like in New York, the tradition is to eat a grape for every strike of the clock at midnight. Fortunately, they don’t show people swallowing grapes on TV; they just showed the clock. :-)

And I think that’s about it! Thanks for reading!

Sarah