This is an ex ante post ... We are so bad at blogging.
On day three we went to Toledo, but not before having a nice breakfast at a local cafe. We wandered down to the train station to find that the next train to Toledo was fully booked. We had to wait another hour and a half before the next train, so we purchased tickets and then went for a walk. We didn't have anything in mind, just wandered up to the Observatorio Astronómico de Madrid and then tried to make it into the El Retiro Park. We were defeated by a large wall the blocked us for a good ten minutes and had us wandering around looking for an entrance, which we eventually found. We cruised through the park and then back to the station, and then took the very quick train to Toledo. Arriving at the train station there is a tourist office in the train station, selling tours and maps etc. but walking a further 10 metres down, we found the official tourist office dispensing free maps and information! They told us to follow the "pink line" out of the train station and up the road, which would eventually lead us to the escalators which would carry us up the hill... lol
We got to the top and took in the views, then continued our walk into the old quarters. The rain started to fall and before long it was a proper downpour and we were getting WET. We kept wandering the streets but it was quite unpleasant, so what else can you do but eat. We ended up at a nice place where we had some really good wine and food, so all was not lost. Plus once we were done for lunch the rain had gone and we were treated to some sunshine and some really nice views. We kept exploring and walking around, visiting the famous church Santo Tomé, best known for housing El Greco's most famous painting, The Burial of Count Orgaz. Ok I copied that bit. We went in but there was religious fanaticism all over the walls, telling people to not abort and how a foetus is a life and don't be a murderer etc... fuck off with that stuff. We walked out unhappy we had paid money to these idiots.
Jackie really wanted some traditional sweet which had been baked in Toledo for something like 700 years, but alas siesta was in force and the church where the nuns/bakers sold their goods was unresponsive to our pounding on the door. We then walked over to the more touristy side of the Toledo out town, which was nothing like the area where we were previously exploring because it was filled with tourists and your classic tiger/h and m etc stores. We sat down at a cafe which was meant to have good traditional sweets, but the one sweet that we tried was not very amazing.
It was getting late so we began our descent down the escalator, and on reaching the road the heavens opened up again and we got wet. By the time we reached the train station our legs were soaked, so jackie sidled up to a heater in one of the cafes and tried to dry herself off. We had to wait along with a train full of people in line on the platform, thankfully undercover, while we cleared security, then a quick train back to Madrid central. We went back to the hotel and dried ourselves off. We didn't end up going out for dinner as we were still full enough from lunch and the many meals we had on the previous days.
The next morning we had brekky at a modern cafe just around the corner, then set off for primark so Jack could return a pair of pants that she had bought but which broke. After that we took a tube to Parque Quinta De Los Molinos which is a random park I had seen that has lots of almond trees. Unfortunately the plants had already flowered so they weren't in bloom anymore, but we still walked around for an hour taking in the random suburb where we were. We then grabbed lunch at a pizza place nearby, then walked around some more and then wandered back to the tube station. From there it was back to central Madrid where we walked around for a bit, walked up to the Prado but didn't go in, and then chilled out in the hostel before dinner.
For dinner Jack found a restaurant nearby, Mas Al Sur, and we had an amazing dinner including squid, prawns, moussaka. Was one of the best meals I've ever had to be honest. After dinner we walked around for a little bit, then went back to the hostel because we were leaving early the next morning for our commute home.
On day three we went to Toledo, but not before having a nice breakfast at a local cafe. We wandered down to the train station to find that the next train to Toledo was fully booked. We had to wait another hour and a half before the next train, so we purchased tickets and then went for a walk. We didn't have anything in mind, just wandered up to the Observatorio Astronómico de Madrid and then tried to make it into the El Retiro Park. We were defeated by a large wall the blocked us for a good ten minutes and had us wandering around looking for an entrance, which we eventually found. We cruised through the park and then back to the station, and then took the very quick train to Toledo. Arriving at the train station there is a tourist office in the train station, selling tours and maps etc. but walking a further 10 metres down, we found the official tourist office dispensing free maps and information! They told us to follow the "pink line" out of the train station and up the road, which would eventually lead us to the escalators which would carry us up the hill... lol
Jackie really wanted some traditional sweet which had been baked in Toledo for something like 700 years, but alas siesta was in force and the church where the nuns/bakers sold their goods was unresponsive to our pounding on the door. We then walked over to the more touristy side of the Toledo out town, which was nothing like the area where we were previously exploring because it was filled with tourists and your classic tiger/h and m etc stores. We sat down at a cafe which was meant to have good traditional sweets, but the one sweet that we tried was not very amazing.
It was getting late so we began our descent down the escalator, and on reaching the road the heavens opened up again and we got wet. By the time we reached the train station our legs were soaked, so jackie sidled up to a heater in one of the cafes and tried to dry herself off. We had to wait along with a train full of people in line on the platform, thankfully undercover, while we cleared security, then a quick train back to Madrid central. We went back to the hotel and dried ourselves off. We didn't end up going out for dinner as we were still full enough from lunch and the many meals we had on the previous days.
The next morning we had brekky at a modern cafe just around the corner, then set off for primark so Jack could return a pair of pants that she had bought but which broke. After that we took a tube to Parque Quinta De Los Molinos which is a random park I had seen that has lots of almond trees. Unfortunately the plants had already flowered so they weren't in bloom anymore, but we still walked around for an hour taking in the random suburb where we were. We then grabbed lunch at a pizza place nearby, then walked around some more and then wandered back to the tube station. From there it was back to central Madrid where we walked around for a bit, walked up to the Prado but didn't go in, and then chilled out in the hostel before dinner.
For dinner Jack found a restaurant nearby, Mas Al Sur, and we had an amazing dinner including squid, prawns, moussaka. Was one of the best meals I've ever had to be honest. After dinner we walked around for a little bit, then went back to the hostel because we were leaving early the next morning for our commute home.
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