So we woke up in the morning, Vrinda Aunty had made upma. Ate that, and left in the car to Kulkarni Uncle’s place. Saw a little bit of Madrid en route there (didn’t stop anywhere). Then began driving to Toledo. The drive was about 1.5 hours, and we reached around 11:45 or so. Immediately went to the Toledo Cathedral, where we took an audioguide and visited the various (9) parts of the Cathedral. It was beautiful. Notable parts include the various chapels they have created inside, the fresco paintings on the wall, and the ornate sculptures and carvings in the choir sections. You’ll understand more about it’s beauty when you see photographs. While we did the Cathedral, Kulkarni Uncle & Jayant Uncle did an Army Museum – since they had been to Toledo earlier. It took us about 2 hours to finish the entire audiotour, after which we had a small photoshoot and then went for lunch. We found this vegetarian restaurant called Madre Tierra, which served incredible food – I had a zucchini dish, which was delicious, and some dessert. What I loved most about the place was how accommodating they were. Kulkarni Uncle was not eating much owing to Sankashti something and they got him potato fries and some fruit salad – despite it not being on the menu, and a language barrier. We walked to the car, got more photos, bought magnets, and set off around 4 toward Segovia.
Now Segovia is in the opposite direction to Toledo (in reference to Madrid), but the highway system meant it was only a 1.5 hour drive. We reached by 5:45 or so, and skipped the Cathedral, choosing to go to the Castle (Alcazar de Segovia) which was beautiful and picturesque. It was atop a hill and looked like it was out of a Disney movie. We didn’t take any audioguide or anything, but just walked around admiring the beauty of the place. What I liked the most here was their use of stained glass paintings – they used the light really, really well to get the most out of the stained glass windows.
Since Spain is largely Catholic, a lot of the paintings and artwork here depicts the life of Christ or the Old Testament. It’s very intricate work.
Post the Alcazar, we visited the Roman Aqueduct in Segovia, which was beautiful and historic since it was built by the Romans and still stands erect today. Post another photoshoot, we set off for Madrid, reaching back only around, perhaps 10? We ate dinner at an Indian restaurant, Everest Tandoori, and got back home at 11:45.
Tomorrow will be a day in Madrid.
Spain is beautiful and unlike anything else I’ve seen before.
Tejas Rao 