“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” ~ Anthony Bourdain

We just returned from a 2-week vacation in Europe. On this trip, we went to beautiful places I never thought existed. I was amazed at the engineering structures of the 1700s. We visited remote towns lesser known to tourists as well as popular tourist destinations. We also spent some time getting to know some of the locals – owners of some of the hotels/restaurants – and hearing about their stories when renovating the properties that belonged to their ancestors. It was a great experience.

We arrived at Madrid with a pre-planned itinerary which consisted of Toledo, Sevilla, Ronda, Setenil de las Bodegas, Caceres, Sanxenxo, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and even crossing into Lisbon, Portugal. Thirteen days and 3000 miles of Spain exploration was our agenda during this trip.

Our first visit was to Toledo. We drove from Madrid to Toledo as a day trip. Toledo is in central Spain and one of the most popular tourist destinations. It dates back as far as 192 BCE. This walled city depicts the ingenuity of the Romans, Visigoths and the Moors.

Its city walls inspire you to learn about Toledo’s rich history. There are many quaint local shops, restaurants, and even the famous tax-free Tuesday market, which dates back to 1176 during the Muslim period. There’s no shortage of things to do in Toledo.

Walking is a must in Toledo. If you want to explore and enjoy the beauty of Toledo it is highly recommended to bring your most comfortable footwear and prepare yourself mentally to walk, walk, walk and walk some more.

In fact, a one-day trip is not enough to take in this spectacular city. Toledo warrants another trip and probably two days would suffice. I look forward to returning to this historic city.

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