What to see in Madrid and Toledo

Hello traveller. I am back writing about my Spanish adventures. In my previous post, you found out about my travel to Barcelona. I mentioned that on the way to Madrid, I got sick. I wasn't sure what was wrong with me, but I felt super bad. Our original plan was to see Madrid as soon as we arrived. We decided to have a rest day. Anyway, since we had time to spare in Madrid, we could afford to recharge and still make a day-trip to Toledo.

After relaxing at the hotel, we took a train to Toledo the next morning. It was actually a bit confusing, since most of the people do not speak English in Madrid, compared to Barcelona anyway. After a quick breakfast, we finally found our train and journeyed to Toledo. Toledo is located 30 minutes away from Madrid, which is not so bad. When we arrived to train station, we were immediately impressed by the beautiful architecture of the train station. It was raining and cold (with intermittent snow flurries). The first thing we saw was the City Tour Bus - one of those hop-on/hop-off tours. The driver told us that it goes around the city and we can also get gratis tickets to Alcazar of Toledo museum (As we found out later, it was free that day. Damn, we are losers again!). Don't waste your money on the City Tour Bus, because you can walk easily to the city by foot or catch a taxi.

If you plan your trip to Toledo, here is my top 5 things to do there:

1. Mirador Del Valle (the best view point of the entire city);
2. Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes (wish the door was open to the garden);
3. Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca (the finest example of Alhomad architecture);
4. Jesuit Church (don't miss out getting up to the roof for the view);
5. Toledo Cathedral (my favorite part was seeing the extra history exhibition).

TIP: get a tourist wrist band to save some money and visit 6 tourist attractions.

Mirador Del Valle

Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes

Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca

Jesuit Church

Toledo Cathedral

On our next day, we were discovering Madrid. I was glad that we went to Toledo instead of spending our days in Madrid. Most tourists usually skip the capital city. That being said, there are still a few things that you should do:

1. Buen Retiro Park. We strolled around a bit, and I was amazed at how many Spanish people are exercising in the park during fiesta time;

2. Palacio de Crystal. Besides the park, we went to check out Palacio de Crystal, where the entrance is free;

3. Royal Palace of Madrid (for EU citizens, you can enter for free from 4PM. Also, be aware that you are not allowed to take pictures inside. It is still worth visiting!);

4. Plaza Mayor. I really liked walking around the Plaza. You can find so many cute shops and cafes;

5. Almudena Cathedral. To be honest, we didn't expect to see the best view of the city from the Cathedral;

6. Market of San Miguel (In case you get super hungry after hours of walking, this market is the best place to discover local and super-fresh food!);

7. Sobrino de Botin Restaurant. It is the oldest restaurant in the world. You have to visit and try the famed roast suckling pig. They have very simple menu, which is surprisingly not too expensive! My favorite dish was the artichokes hearts.

Buen Retiro Park