Toledo and Alcalá de Hernanes

So I had a very historically Spanish weekend this weekend. Friday night we went back to the cueva bar that we went to on my birthday. It was kind of cool cause there were some guys playing flamenco music and singing while we drank sangria and ate tapas...I felt so authentically Spanish. haha.

Saturday was the last trip with CEA to Toledo. It's only about 45 minutes away from Madrid, but it's a very different atmosphere there. The city itself is surrounded by a river (of course I forgot the name of it), but it kind of created a natural defense system. According to our tourguide, Toledo is known for three things: priests, nuns, and military. It was also the first capital of Spain, even though it's fairly small.

We took a walking tour through the city and saw the main cathedral. Apparently it was the cathedral where Isabela and Ferdinand went to hear mass. The architecture and decoration was amazing. The church itself took over 200 years to build. It's amazing to me the time and dedication that was put into it. Today if a building project takes more than a few months, people start to complain. Even though I am not Catholic, it was really cool to me to see how much the people of Toledo invested in their house of worship.

In the cathedral there were about 18 original works by El Greco. He is a super famous painter that I remember studying back in high school. I couldn't believe I got to see some of his works (we went to the Prado Museum on Friday too where I got to see some of the more famous ones along with works by Velazquez and Goya too...WOW).

After the main cathedral we saw a smaller church and then went to lunch. After that we had some free time to wander. Toledo is in the part of Spain known as La Mancha, which is where Don Quixote is from. I believe part of the story is in Toledo as well (I should remember this I apologize) because there are signs all over Toledo showing the "route of Don Quixote." If I have learned one thing this weekend it is that Spaniards are very proud of Don Quixote. The author, Cervantes, is many times compared to Shakespeare here.

Speaking of Cervantes, I continued my historical and educational weekend today with a trip to a little city called Alcalá de Hernanes where Cervantes was born. The year is debatable, but it is widely believed that he was born in 1547.



Alacalá is a cute little city about 30 minutes outside of Madrid. There is some Arabic influence, many historical buildings, and some modern buildings as well. Like much of Spain, it's a good mix. We mainly walked around the city and saw the Plaza de Cervantes as well as his childhood home. I really enjoyed the city. It was a good break from the bustling atmosphere in Madrid, but it was still a good taste of the Spanish culture. People were out on the streets, enjoying one another's company, and the streets were decorated with lights for Christmas.

It was a nice little day trip outside of Madrid. As much as I love this city, sometimes the crowds are a lot to take, and it was nice to get away for a few hours. But they lit up the Christmas lights in Madrid this past week, so the city sparkles everywhere you go. It's really cool. I do miss the familiar Christmas preparations and traditions from home, but it's cool to see the way another country does it.

There is definitely not as much emphasis on Santa Clause and shopping here. People actually celebrate the arrival of the three Magi way more than Papa Noel (Santa). To me it is really cool how they have preserved the religious importance of Christmas more so than we have in the United States. Although there are decorations up and merchandise out for Christmas shoppers, I don't feel the same pressure to BUY here as I do at home. It's kind of refreshing. Here, there is way more emphasis on traditions, family, and customs than the gifts under the tree...well many families don't even have a tree anyway. Not gonna lie, the holidays are making me a little homesick, but I am really enjoying seeing Christmas from a Spanish point of view.

ps- I added a bunch of new pics, so check them out! (new additions to Madrid 2 too)