Weekend in Toledo
My Solo Plan
There are three different ways for me to travel through Spain, that are not by plane: by bus, train or BlaBlaCar. BlaBlaCar is a carpooling app, where drivers can post their route and you can join them. When planning this trip I initially decided to go by train. But one day before the trip, I saw on BlaBlaCar that a woman was leaving my small town, Saturday morning, to go to Toledo. I checked with a teacher at my school if she knew this BlaBlaCar driver, as she knows everyone is the town, and as a matter of fact she did, so I went for it. I was all set, the only thing missing was that I had no one to go with.
I was prepared to embark on my first solo trip, but thinking it would go nowhere, I reached out to a girl teaching English in a different city, to see if she wanted to meet a stranger, myself, in Toledo. She actually said yes, as she was looking for a place to go for the weekend.
The Beginning
At 5:45 Saturday morning I briskly walked through the dark streets, with my stuffed backpack, to meet up with my BlaBlaCar driver. I would like to think BlaBlaCar is similar to Uber, but my driver laughed when I told them that. On our way to Toledo, we talked a bit in broken Spanish and English and I tried incredibly hard not to fall asleep, but I did fail as I woke up blurred eye to the city’s lights.
We arrived in Toledo around 7:15 a.m. and the sun was not going to rise for more than an hour. My driver dropped me off a the curb, pointed at the churro shop and told me to get some breakfast. So that’s exactly what I did. I devoured fresh churros dipping them in piping hot choclate goop, that is considered hot chocolate here. With the rest of Toledo still asleep, I decided to go catch the sunrise at a well known lookout spot called Mirador del Valle. It was a 40 minute trek up the winding hillside, on the outskirts of the city. I would have liked the walk a lot better without my stuffed backpack.
I stood at the lookout taking in the city all by myself until at this very moment a tourist bus decided to drop off 20 people right next to me. My alone time was over, people were awake. I made my way back down, as a hot air balloon slowly floated over the city, making the journey worth it.
FUN FACT: Toledo was the capital of the Spanish Empire until 1561, when Marid became the capital by Phillip II. The city has preserved a mix of Christian, Jewish and Muslim cultures, which is why it is called the “city of three cultures.”
I dropped my things off at the hostel and started my travels throughout the city but first I needed a coffee. I made my way over to Masa Madre, and I picked a GOOOD spot. Not only was my cappuccino delicious but I choose to try two mini almond and white chocolate croissants, from their wide array of pastries. Walking through the historical old town of Toledo I easily ran into museums, churches, synagogues and mosques, all along the same road. I purchased a 12 euro tourist wrist band which allowed me to enter into 8 different sights. My favorite was the Iglesia de los Jesuitas, a Baroque style church with two bell towers to scale and see a complete view of the city. I also enjoyed the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes. It was restored in the 19th century, the lower cloister resembled the Renaissance era while the upper cloister has a Flamboyant Gothic style of architecture. You’ll have to figure out what that means for yourself. I entered the church from a balcony above and was mesmerized by the chandeliers and big glass windows, before I even realized that a wedding was going on right below me.
Day I: History & the Sights
For lunch, I finally met up with the other solo traveler. We discussed our experiences of teaching English over paella and a glass of wine. Then we made our way to the Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toledo. The entrance cost 12 euros and it was easy to purchase the tickets there on the site. Inside the cathedral, it was filled with gold everywhere and a huge organ that stood out in the middle. It was easy to stare at one spot in the Cathedral and be mesmerized by the details.
For dinner three more language assistants joined us for drinks and tapas. It was relaxing to understand everything that was being said at the table and to get the perspectives of other people in the program. Where they came from, why they are here and what their plans are for the future. As a spontaneous group of five we got turned away from many restaurants but finally settled on the restaurant Abrasador El Ambigú. Many of us tried the carcamusas, a well known dish of Toledo.
Day II
This morning started with a hike along the Tajo river. Surrounded by nature, peace and quiet, it seemed to be just us and the locals, walking their dogs, going for a run or fishing on the river. We ended the hike in what is considered new town, a different area of the city where University of Castille-La Mancha is located and many college students live. We then made our way back to the old town to see a couple more sights including the Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz, which has a stunning view and garden. I loved the garden so much that I came back in the afternoon as well. Another stop was at the Alcázar, the army fortification of Toledo. The Alcázar was free at this time, but didn’t impress me as much as I hoped. To finish the day we headed to El Trébol a popular stop for tapas, where we devoured Croquetón de jamón and bomba Trébol. They were big enough tapas for us to second guess if we needed to go to dinner. But I am glad we did as we ended the night on the rooftop of a hotel with a sight of the cathedral lit up.
The End
To travel back to my little town, I left Toledo at 10:30 am, took the train to Madrid, waited in Madrid for more than two hours because of a delay and then took another train from Madrid heading to Ciudad Real. Got off at another town and waited another two hours for the bus to my town. After almost 7 hours of travel for a place that is an hour away I finally stumbled into my apartment. I definitely preferred blablacar and churros before sunrise.
