Toledo y Segovia

Domingo, 25 Enero
We just got back from our Toledo and Segovia excursion and I am POOPED. Here is Jesus’ schedule of events (with my own added commentary)

Horario Excursión de Toledo y Segovia

SÁBADO 24 de enero

7:30am Salida Avda. Mirat. (Plaza G.G.)
11:00am Visita de la Catedral
-Tesoro
-Sacristía- Cuadros de Greco
We weren’t supposed to take pics in here, but Jesús told us to sneak some anyways. The cathedrals in Spain all point towards the east (where the sun rises) because God is the Light of the World. Among other things, Toledo is known for this catedral, built in the 13th century. It’s the home to many paintings by Rafeal and many other famous painters.

12:00pm Visita del cuadro EL ENTIERRO DEL SR. DE ORGAZ en La Iglesia de Santo Tomé
He was buried here. This place was smaller and much less “guay” o chungo (less cool) than the cathedral, but did have some beautiful art.

12:30pm Visita a la Sinagoga Santa María La Blanca
This place was pretty cool because it was a sinagogue with lots of Arabic influence in the architecture…really beautiful. Apparently, the Arabs had a great deal of influence in Toledo.

2:30pm Comida con los bocadillos de casa
Allison and I definitely won the hugest lunch award. We had a massive spanish tortilla (egg and potato quiech thing) bocadillo (sandwich), a smaller ham and cheese bocadillo, 10 cookie crackers, 2 apples, 2 oranges, and a giant cheese pastry from Gil (the pasteleria on the corner near our apartment!) Thanks, Asencion.
This was also the time we got our roommate assignments. Savannah was mine. She’s so nice and laidback. She’s a senior, but didn’t treat me as younger. We ate our lunches in the room. This hotel (San Juan de los Reyes) was so nice (4 star)!
During our free time, Jeannie, Allison, Savannah and I did a little shopping and exploring of little old Toledo. I got 2 scarves (one solid black, and one mostly red with a hippie-ish pattern). Only 4 euros each.
The streets of Toledo are SO narrow and very hilly! When a car passed by, we all had to press our backs up against the buildings to make space. Everything is picture-worthy. Someone could be the absolute worst photographer in the world, but his pictures in Toledo World still be stunning regardless.

4:30pm Visita a la Mezquita EL CRISTO DE LA LUZ
This was actually under construction and we weren’t able to see it. Jesús said the cool thing about this place of worship is just that it’s so small, and they’re working to make it a place of worship in the 21st century. Guay.

5:30pm Tiempo libre
Shopping again. I got a black and gold pendant necklace for 8 and a half euros. A woman at one of the stores showed me how to make these (very impressive and time-consuming!) First, the make markings or tracks into the clay ceramic disk, then they lay the gold thread into the groves until their desired pattern emerges. They are also known for their swords (Allison got a pocket knife, but I had no desire or money to do so).
As we were heading back, a few of us stopped at store to buy wine. I got a white from Rioja for 4 euros (I´m connoisseur already jkjk). As we were leaving the store, I got a call from Alex!! He had mentioned trying to find a way to get to Toledo from Madrid, but I still hadn’t heard from him and wasn’t expecting much. BUT he found a train for 8 euros that only took about 20 minutes…I’d see him after dinner. All the girls were squealing with excitement for me…it’s like I’ve known them for years.

9:00pm Cena en el Hotel
For being a 4 star hotel, dinner was a relatively disappointing buffet. Everyone looked really nice though! All the girls dressed up in dresses (I wore my brown skirt, new brown boots, fusia button-up sweater, and flowered scarf from Hannah). Lots of people drank in Alex and Mallory’s room befote dinner…what’s the point of that??
I waited for Alex in the lobby, and he came around 10:30. We headed down to Alexandra´s and Mallory’s room and he was bombarded with “heeeeyyyyyys!!!” and “So are you the novio? I’ve heard so much about you!” Haha he was completely unfazed. We watched Mision Imposible in Spanish…somehow not as good. It’s so cool to share Spanish stories with Alex, knowing he’s seeing and experiencing similar things. We kept pinching ourselves: “are we seriously in a 4 star hotel in Toledo, Spain together!?” I’m an incredibly lucky girl.


DOMINGO 25 de enero
Alex and I woke up early and walked around Toledo a bit. Because it’s Spain, it’s dark outside until about 9. We said goodbye and he headed for the train station.

8:30am Desayuno en el hotel
Much better than dinner! Buffet style with lots of pastries, eggs, sausage café con leche, and fruit. They even had churros and chocolate!

9:30am Salida a Segovia
11:00am Llegada al Palacio de La Granja, Visita de Los Jardines del Palacio. (Provincia de Segovia)
12:45am Llegada a Segovia, y visita del acueducto
Unfortunately, the weather was awful (freezing rain, snow, and hail), so we had to see a lot of Segovia from the bus. The aquaducts were from the Roman Rule and were built without any cement or anything. They had still been in use until about twenty years ago. Incredible.
1:30pm (aprox.) Tiempo libre, comida con dietas JMU
JMU gave each of us fifteen euros for food. Several of the girls and I went to a sit-down restaurant that was educational to say the least. You received a drink, bread, two courses, and dessert for ten euros. We ordered a bottle of white wine and a few bottles of water. Allison and Kelsey got sopa de castellana (apparently made with egg and bread, but looked like brain). Our paella was filled with shrimp heads and legs and body parts and really creeped me out. The fish Angela got for her second course still had its head and fins. My steak was like an obstacle course to cut around fat and bones. We finished off with successful helados and leche con arroz (much like tapioca pudding). We learned a lot from this meal.

3:00pm Visita del Alcázar de Segovia
This was so cool! This was the palace that inspired Walt Disney and where Columbus asked Ferdinand and Isabella for Money for his America expedition. Way cool, even though it was even colder in the castle than outside! At the end, some of us decided to climb the 150 stairs to the top of the tower. I’m so glad I did, because what a view!

5:00pm Salida hacia Salamanca
Finally warm and dry (but still cranky) everyone passed out on the bus.

7:00pm Llegada a Salamanca (aprox.)
Dinner was a Spanish version of hot pockets? Ascensión also got us churros and chocolate because we said we liked them (how cute). I am a pig.