¡Bienvenidos a España! Upon arriving in the airport, we immediately knew that we were not in Texas anymore. Everything was in Spanish which makes communicating and traveling quite difficult. The only thing that we could identify with was the heat! After our few awesome days in Madrid, we loaded the bus and visited the Escorial, the royal palace of King Phillip II. After our tour, we boarded the bus once again to journey to the historical city of Toledo. No one really knew what to expect, but we speak for everyone when we say that it was quite a pleasant surprise. Of course we enjoyed the hotel and an escape from the heat, but after sightseeing from the confines of the bus, we were ready to explore. Toledo used to be the capitol of Spain until it was moved to Madrid, but its history and culture is very well represented by its citizens and its appearance. The Tajo river snakes along the outside of town, which we admired from the top of the hill…que bonito! The steeple from the Cathedral protruded form the skyline along with the massive Alcazar, an old fortress. We set out as a group to explore the contents of this great city with our new friend Mario (the tour guide). He took us to view the Iglesia de San Juan de Los Reyes, which was not only massive, but beautiful and ornate as well. As we continued to walk throughout the city, Mario pointed out that Toledo was a city of three cultures: Christian, Jewish, and Islamic ideas shaped this magnificent city. Our tour ended with a visit to a local synagogue along with a visit to one of El Greco´s most famous paintings in the Church of Santo Tome. Everyone was in awe of the city and wanted to do some individual exploration. The girls set out to do some shopping in the many quaint shoe and apparel stores, while the men did what men did best….have a look at for swords, shields and samurai equipment. Toledo is known for its armories and metalshops and the things we found were out of this world. The great food combined with the rich history and bustling city streets combined for a wonderful few days in the historic city of Toledo. We all had a great time and will remember those few days for the rest of our lives. The history, culture, and language are all things we have learned thus far, however; the most important of these is “¡No fiesta sin siesta!” Adios amigos.
John Heard
LPI Sevilla 3-Week July 2011
Houston, TX
Jack Pellegrin
LPI Sevilla 3-Week July 2011
Houston, TX
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