This trip has gone very smoothly so far so it’s is time for excitement. After being 1 hour early for the train back to Madrid and then another hour early in Madrid for the train to Valencia; one of us almost missed the train.
They call the train and I give the gate agent our ticket and he says where is the other one? I don’t have another ticket. I know I purchased 2 tickets not sure why only one was printed before we left? Dan gets on the the train. Meanwhile I attempt to access my email to down load the pdf ticket to show the gate agent. It is a good thing they started boarding 30 minutes before the train was too leave. Meanwhile hundreds of people are all ready boarded. The gate agent gives up and sends me to information. Why he didn’t do that in the beginning I do not know!
At this time Dan is on the train. I told him the seat number but if I missed the train he had no idea of the name of the hotel. He had both bags so I had no clothes if we were separated. The information clerk was able to pull up the reservation with the booking number and printed me a ticket. It was a great train ride we were in first class so they fed us lunch and alcohol. How much better does it get?
It only took 30 minutes of the train ride to bring my heart rate to normal. Another travel lesson learned. Send the confirmation emails to Dan or put in an accessible file, although he had no internet unless it was WiFi. We are still having problems with international travel and connectivity. If T mobile worked in my house I might consider switching because it is great when we travel. It has unlisted us several times
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Monday, April 9, 2018
Trip to Toledo
Okay, a side trip to Toledo is a must if you are in Madrid. So we planned an early morning train sight see the day spend the night and then hang out until about 1:00pm then the train back to Madrid and on to Valencia. Why Valencia? Read the next installment?
Okay, out of the apartment and a walk to the train station. Good news is no rain, the sun is out. All is great when the gods of travel start to intervene. Get to the major street in front of the train station and it is cordoned off. Seems there is some type of marathon or something. The street monitor suggested we haul the bags down to the metro station and come up the other side. I told her no. They were too heavy. We just waited for a break between runners. They were pretty spaced apart so it was easy.
Finally determine how to buy a ticket and the machine has no way to insert a credit card. It has some sort of optical reader. Now to the ticket office. I buy the round trip ticket and the early train ended up getting to Toledo at 1PM. So much for an early start. Also on the way to Toledo I figured out we had 3 more horse to see some of the town. Back to the ticket office in Toledo and surprise of surprises the changed the time and didn’t even charge us.
Toledo is built on a hill with the train station outside the city walls. Needless to say it was the best 6 euro we spent. Dropped off at the hotel door. We had several things to see that were closed on Monday. Toledo is like a rabbit warren of curved streets that are all cobbled and seemed to be all uphill.
Every single shopped was selling knives or swords including decorative and kitchen knives. We found the museum of tortures and of medieval machines of war. As we worked our way back to the center of the city we stopped to see the cathedral. This is the oldest one in Spain but 10 euros each to enter is a little steep especially after waiting in line for 25 minutes to buy a ticket. It was beautiful and even had a move describing how gothic style cathedrals were built. Unfortunately. I think we are both church and museumed out and we still have one more city to go. We bypass the alcazar and will see it in the morning since it is closed on Wednesday. We also have to have something to do since are train doesn’t leave until 1:25pm
So today up packed and off to the museum. Of course closed on Monday. I found another museum that was converted from a hospital that had a great mix of displays, we checked out the shops, back to the hotel to get our bags since Dan was not into another city tour and did not want to navigate up and down hills. We get the cab back to the station. Funny how it cost 1.5 euro more to get back. Because Dan always needs to be early we get to the station 1 hour and 10 minutes before I train is to leave. I guess it is better than missing it. We have one more day in Spain and Dan is getting antsy, not to mention cathedraled out!
Okay, out of the apartment and a walk to the train station. Good news is no rain, the sun is out. All is great when the gods of travel start to intervene. Get to the major street in front of the train station and it is cordoned off. Seems there is some type of marathon or something. The street monitor suggested we haul the bags down to the metro station and come up the other side. I told her no. They were too heavy. We just waited for a break between runners. They were pretty spaced apart so it was easy.
Finally determine how to buy a ticket and the machine has no way to insert a credit card. It has some sort of optical reader. Now to the ticket office. I buy the round trip ticket and the early train ended up getting to Toledo at 1PM. So much for an early start. Also on the way to Toledo I figured out we had 3 more horse to see some of the town. Back to the ticket office in Toledo and surprise of surprises the changed the time and didn’t even charge us.
Toledo is built on a hill with the train station outside the city walls. Needless to say it was the best 6 euro we spent. Dropped off at the hotel door. We had several things to see that were closed on Monday. Toledo is like a rabbit warren of curved streets that are all cobbled and seemed to be all uphill.
Every single shopped was selling knives or swords including decorative and kitchen knives. We found the museum of tortures and of medieval machines of war. As we worked our way back to the center of the city we stopped to see the cathedral. This is the oldest one in Spain but 10 euros each to enter is a little steep especially after waiting in line for 25 minutes to buy a ticket. It was beautiful and even had a move describing how gothic style cathedrals were built. Unfortunately. I think we are both church and museumed out and we still have one more city to go. We bypass the alcazar and will see it in the morning since it is closed on Wednesday. We also have to have something to do since are train doesn’t leave until 1:25pm
So today up packed and off to the museum. Of course closed on Monday. I found another museum that was converted from a hospital that had a great mix of displays, we checked out the shops, back to the hotel to get our bags since Dan was not into another city tour and did not want to navigate up and down hills. We get the cab back to the station. Funny how it cost 1.5 euro more to get back. Because Dan always needs to be early we get to the station 1 hour and 10 minutes before I train is to leave. I guess it is better than missing it. We have one more day in Spain and Dan is getting antsy, not to mention cathedraled out!
Rainy Saturday
As we start out walk some drizzle but no wind. We only got lost once while negotiating the walk to the Prado. Of course we explored the the botanical garden first. The best admission fee of the entire trip. $1.0 euro for both of us (senior rate). Good news is we can see the Prado from the garden, no chance of getting lost.
After spending the rest of the day in the museum, Dan is not interested in seeing and more Spanish masters or another church. The sun is trying to peek through the clouds and we head for the apartment Stop at an outdoor restaurant to have a glass of wine and something to eat. Outside with heaters so we won’t freeze. Need to wait to get food since the kitchen doesn’t open for another 45 minutes but this is a great people watching place not to mention the table next to us passing the “pipe”.
Back to the apartment tomorrow will be sunny as we walk to the train. Heading to spend the night in Toledo
After spending the rest of the day in the museum, Dan is not interested in seeing and more Spanish masters or another church. The sun is trying to peek through the clouds and we head for the apartment Stop at an outdoor restaurant to have a glass of wine and something to eat. Outside with heaters so we won’t freeze. Need to wait to get food since the kitchen doesn’t open for another 45 minutes but this is a great people watching place not to mention the table next to us passing the “pipe”.
Back to the apartment tomorrow will be sunny as we walk to the train. Heading to spend the night in Toledo
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Every now and then you are blessed by knowing or being acquainted with a special person. This person will often encourage you to do somethi...
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As we start out walk some drizzle but no wind. We only got lost once while negotiating the walk to the Prado. Of course we explored the t...
