madrid & toledo – a travelogue

Oct 11 – midnight: Reached Madrid late at midnight and met Ines.

Four and half years back, we were here. The smell of fresh memories vivid.

Oct 12 – Went on a stroll to the familiar places around Madrid, I was pleasantly surprise that I could recollect so many buildings, gardens from my past visit. We went to the same Irish pub. Surprise. Chocolate bars, and local Spanish tapas filled the palate for the day.

Oct 13 -Bidding goodbyes, I left for Toledo, an hour train ride from Madrid. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site with a spectacular architecture, a place of coexistence of Christian,

Jewish and Moorish cultures. It reminded me of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico – small alleys, crooked shaped buildings, pebble-stone roads. Ironically, there aren’t any hostels around the area but I got a cheap Hotel for 30 euros and with a map in my hand, I headed south. The Cathedral was one of the finest I’ve seen. The Jewish Quarters and the towers are a must visit, and by 6pm I was pretty much done with all the attractions (at least that’s what the map says.)

I had dinner (veggie kebab) at a Pakistani restaurant, browsed internet for an hour and headed back to the hotel by 11:30. Off to Athens, the next noon!

For all the pics, click here