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Day 3: June 18, 2025
Today we woke up early because we had to be ready at 9:00 to head to Toledo.
Toledo is a city with over a thousand years of history, where Christians, Jews, and Muslims coexisted for hundreds of years. It's also a city perched on a mountain surrounded by the Tajo River, which made it almost unconquerable. Cristina, the local guide, was in charge of showing us around Toledo.
First, we went to the viewpoint to take some incredible photos of the city.
Next, we visited a sword factory, as the finest swords in the kingdom were made in Toledo thanks to the tempering technique. There, we also saw how artisans work with damascening to make jewelry.
As I mentioned, Toledo is on top of a mountain, so we had to take the escalator to reach the city center. There, we visited the old Synagogue and the Cathedral, which is an architectural marvel. We were also lucky because the next day was Corpus Christi in Toledo and the city was beautified with awnings, flowers and decorations; it looked wonderful.
At noon, we returned to Madrid, and after a brief lunch stop, we continued the day with a panoramic tour of the city. From the bus, we toured Paseo del Prado and Castellana, where we saw the Neptune and Cibeles fountains, the Puerta de Alcalá, the Post Office, the National Library, and of course, the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid.
We then took a guided tour of the Royal Palace, and although the King and Queen don't live there, we were able to see all kinds of furniture, paintings, and jewels held by the Spanish Crown. For me, without a doubt, the most beautiful pieces were the Stradivarius violins, which are over 200 years old.
But the day didn't end there. We still had dinner and a flamenco show, and to our surprise, the dancers chose several of their companions to come up on stage and dance with them. It was so much fun...
Now, off to the hotel and off to sleep. Tomorrow we'll continue discovering Spain.