"I feel like I'm on a date on The Bachelor."

As is often the case with any trip, we felt pressed for time in Spain. Although I would have loved to travel to other parts of the country (hello, Ibiza and Mallorca!) and neighboring Portugal, we decided to really only spend time in Madrid and Barcelona, in hopes of getting a closer look at the country's two most populous cities. We did, however, make a brief exception on...

Day 2

Toledo and Madrid, Spain

Highlights: Toledo Cathedral, Las Carboneras Flamenco Show

Even though we had barely seen any of Madrid, we scheduled a day trip to Toledo (through Julia Travel) for our second day in Spain. We opted to tour the city on our own, rather than have a tour guide all day, so we could explore at our own pace and delve into what we found interesting. We met the rest of the group at the Julia Travel office, hopped on a bus, and after a 45-minute drive and a quick stop at a touristy shop, we arrived in Spain's former capital city.

Toledo is a beautiful, medieval city (and UNESCO World Heritage site) perched on top of a large hill that overlooks the Río Tajo (River Tagus). It is also a city with a complex and interesting past, as it has been inhabited and heavily influenced by Christians, Jews, and Muslims that at times coexisted within the city walls. As you get lost wandering through the maze of cobblestone streets, you can spot evidence of this influence in churches and architecture, food and design. Vestiges of Roman aqueducts blend with Moorish arches while views of the countryside beyond conjure images of Don Quixote, leaving you with a rich understanding of this centuries-old city.

In order to get a quick overview, the first thing we did upon arrival was take a lap on the double-decker city tour bus. This tour, which was included in our day trip to the city and had English explanations of what we were seeing, was an excellent start to the day. We learned about the New Bisagra Gate (Puerta de Bisagra Nueva), the original gate to the city that features the city's coat of arms - a double-headed eagle.

Puerta de Bisagra Nueva

We decided to hop off the bus at the Plaza de Zocodover, the city's main square, and explore the winding, narrow streets that surround it. These streets were lined with countless restaurants and shops that sell swords, marzipan candies, and damascene ware, steel that is meticulously decorated with threads of woven gold and silver. Our first stop was perhaps the best one of the day - the enormous, breathtaking Toledo Cathedral. Wheat and I paid to go inside and it was truly worth every cent. Aside from impressive Gothic architecture, the cathedral boasts ornate gold ornamentation, countless sculptures, stained glass windows, and even its own art gallery.

Massive gold monstrance encrusted with rubies and emeralds.

Once we'd had our fill of the Cathedral, we met my parents for lunch at a nice place with a fixed-price menu. The guys had their first paella of the trip, but my personal highlight was the ice cream cone for dessert. After lunch, we decided to split up again and Wheat and I spent the next couple hours roaming the streets on what felt like a super romantic date (hence Wheat's quote that serves as the fitting title for this post). We stopped by the Church of Santo Tomé to see El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz, the most famous painting by El Greco (who spent much of his life in Toledo), and checked out a swordmaker's shop. We saw nuns making marzipan and listened to live music on the street. Most importantly, we got lost, hand-in-hand, and enjoyed our gorgeous surroundings. Bliss.

Cute recreation of nuns making marzipan.

Statue of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote

Eventually, we met my parents again at the main square and began our slow descent to the bottom of the hill. We had some time to kill before the bus picked us up, so we explored a nearby park and got a closer look at the city's famous gate. 

Once the bus arrived, it immediately took us to another touristy shop because they want ALL THE MONEY. It ended up being a pretty cool stop because Wheat got to hold a massive sword, we saw a damascene worker in action, and we finally tried a bit of the city's famous marzipan (mazapán).

When we finally arrived in Madrid, we made a quick pit stop at the adorable popsicle shop (Lolo Polos) next to our apartment and freshened up while enjoying the sunset from our rooftop. Although we were pretty tired after our full day in Toledo, we had scheduled a flamenco show that night through Julia Travel. So, we rested up, hopped in a taxi, and after a lot of frantic searching, finally found Las Carboneras, a little restaurant/theater that hosts nightly flamenco shows.

I know it sounds crazy, but this flamenco show (which included a drink) was honestly the highlight of Madrid for all four of us. Videos and pictures don't do it justice, but the energy and intensity of the dancers was absolutely incredible. Flamenco is a traditional, folkloric style of dance popularized in southern Spain. It is typically associated with gypsies and it has a haunting, but sexy appeal. The ridiculously talented guitarist and singers were complemented by the impassioned stomping of the four dancers that entranced us over the course of the hour-long show. The venue was small and intimate, which was perfect because we could clearly see the emotion in their faces and the beads of sweat fly off as they twirled. Guys, I can't explain it. You just have to see it. I think all four of us legitimately fell in love with a dancer by the end of the show.

With stomachs growling and stars in our eyes, we left Las Carboneras and made our way to the Mercado de San Miguel, an upscale, covered market nearby. Although it was midnight, the market was still bustling with young adults sipping sangria and indulging in local treats. My parents ordered some fancy olives and sea urchin while Wheat and I opted for our first Spanish churros and chocolate. Much more to come on that later...

Are you dying to go to Spain yet? Because I'm already dying to go back...