Viajes Viajes Viajes – Edición España

For this blog, we can choose what we want to write about! My first thought was to write about my travels here in Europe and Spain since I have not gotten to talk much in detail about them. I am very passionate about seeing the world and I prayed that I would get to see a bit more of it while I was here. One of my goals for my semester abroad was to travel around Spain and Europe in general. Before arriving in Spain, and during the first couple of weeks, I was a bit too ambitious with my hopes for traveling. I had a list of 10-plus countries I wanted to visit with the things I wanted to see and do in those countries. Now that I have spent about two and a half months here, I am thankful for the changes in my mindset about travel. 

While I’ve been here, I have relaxed on trying to plan trips months in advance and instead have just let travels come up naturally. Plans change. There have been so many instances where my original travel “plans” got changed. At first, this stressed me out and made me worried that I would not LOVE what I ended up doing or where I ended up going since it was not part of my original plan. I can confidently say that I have not felt any regret about any of my travels. I have learned to take things a day at a time and see where prices fall and travel goals lie. 

For this blog, I will focus on the trips I have taken so far, specifically in Spain. Keep your eyes peeled for a Part 2.

I’ve kept a daily journal of my time abroad so I thought it would be special to include some excerpts from my journal from each of my trips. Welcome to Alaina’s Travel Journal. 🙂 

 

Toledo: 

About a 40-minute train ride from Madrid stands Toledo, a city set on a hill above the plains of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. Toledo was the former capital of Spain and is known for having the three cultural influences of Christians, Muslims, and Jews throughout its city and history. Another fun fact is that the famous painter, El Greco, lived in Toledo for a time before he passed away. 

My first trip to Toledo was with my program, ISA. This trip was on February 10th, about 7 days after we arrived in Spain! 

 

Journal Entry: 

“ONE WHOLE WEEK HERE, PRAISE GOD! Today we had our day trip to Toledo, Spain’s old capital, one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is about an hour bus ride from Madrid to Toledo. We left from the bus stop around 9:30 and arrived at 10:30. First, we stopped to pick up our guide and then went to a lookout point over Toledo to see the entire city. Wow…so, so breathtaking. It was super windy when we were looking over the city so some of the pictures we took were funny because our hair was all over the place. After the lookout point, we drove to the start of our walking tour. The first location we visited was called the Monastery of San Juan de Los Reyes, originally built for Isabel and Fernando to be buried in, but they later changed their mind and are instead now buried in Granada. The Monastery had a courtyard in the middle and it was so peaceful and beautiful. The sun was shining in the courtyard at the perfect time as we walked around it. When we wrapped up there, we walked and had a short break for a snack and coffee as well as a bathroom break. I walked over to another lookout point, snacked on some crackers, and stood there while people grabbed snacks. The next location we visited was the Synagogue of Santa Maria La Blanca. It looked more like a mosque but it was still very beautiful! We then headed to the Cathedral of Toledo. The view both inside AND outside was incredible. Everything is so detailed and hand-painted and carved. It just shows how much time, talent, and effort went into these beautiful structures. There was so much gold decor and so many beautiful paintings. We spent a long time in the Cathedral and then went to briefly see one of the most famous El Greco paintings, “The Burial of the Count Orgaz.”After, we walked to the square and split off for lunch. A group of us ate at a place called, “Nuevo Almacen.” Sarah and I split Croquetas de Jamon and Tacos de Costillas. They both tasted great! After lunch, we only had a bit of time to walk around in some shops so we wandered until it was time to meet back up with our group. The tiles around Toledo were so beautiful…” 

When my boyfriend, Dylan, visited Spain, we also took a day trip to Toledo. I loved this day even more than my first time going. There is something about the sun shining and being with one of your favorite people that just elevates experiences. 🙂  

Journal: 

“…We began our hike up to the viewpoint around 4:45. We took our time and of course, took photos on the way. While we were walking, we both saw this pretty green hill with a super cool view and we both said, “We NEED to climb it!”. (We did on the way down) Dyl was absolutely amazed, which made me smile. I was amazed too. The view was incredible and the the sun came out during “golden hour”, the hour before sunset. It was perfect. We spent a lot of time sitting and looking at the panoramic view of the city. I was so happy in that moment. <3” 

Segovia: 

About 1 hour away from Madrid in the region, Castile-León, is the city of Segovia! Segovia is most widely known for the famous Roman aqueducts that have been standing since the 1st century. Spain’s last Gothic Cathedral is also located in Segovia, along with the Alcázar of Segovia. 

On February 16th, Emily, Sarah, and I took a day trip to Segovia together! 

From my Journal: 

“Eeeeeek! Today was so so amazing and almost magical.” 

 

“…After seeing the aquaducts, Emily and I wanted to find our old host Dad’s library shop, from the last time we were in Spain on a school trip. We did find it!!! We were hoping he would be in there but sadly, it was closed….” 

 

“…After exploring around the Cathedral, we had our tour of the tower of the Cathedral at 1:30. There were 190 steps to go up. It was a very winding/small stairway. I was almost getting nauseous and dizzy in the stairs, but I knew it would be worth it. We had breaks along the way too. The last stop was the TOP. The bells were up there and a view of the city from every angle. It was so so amazing. We said, “is this even real?” SO MANY TIMES. I felt like I was looking out into a world from a fairytale….” 

 

“…When we finished our tour of the Alcazar, we went to a place right next to it for churros with chocolate and a cappuccino. I need sweet things to drink, and it was not very sweet so I added chocolate when we were done using it for the churros. We were all SO giggly. We sat, talked, laughed, looked at the incredible views, and enjoyed each other’s company. Once we finished, we took our sweet, sweet time watching the sunset over the Alcazar, walking along the wall of the city. Today was the anniversary of Emily finding out she had cancer 4 years ago. I got emotional because, well, I have been with her through those years and more. It is so crazy to think how 4 years ago she was diagnosed with cancer, and now she is standing next to me, healthy and in remission, in a different country watching the sunset. God is good…” 

 

Tenerife: 

Tenerife is one of Spain’s Canary Islands, located off the West Coast of Africa. It is known for its beautiful dormant volcano and beautiful beaches, natural pools, and mountains. 

This was a trip that was planned VERY last minute, but we all made it work! Emily, Sarah, and I were in dire need of some SUN, so we planned a short weekend trip to the South of Tenerife. We flew to Tenerife, on Friday, March 15th, the day Dylan left Spain. We left Tenerife on Sunday morning, March 17th. 

 

Journal: 

“…After breakfast, we took our time and walked along the coast and ended up seeing a cool-looking cove with lots of flat rocks to lay on and a ladder to get out of the water. We were determined to find a way to get down there. There was another man who had the same idea….We laid in the sun and tanned (burned) for a while, soaking in the heat and sun we missed so dearly. It was so warm and SO beautiful. The water was SO blue. Before the man left, he approached us and asked us if we knew of any places to volunteer at, but we did not. The next thing we know, he was inviting us to his cave. Yes, you heard that correctly. We politely declined, and he left. We finally JUMPED in the Mediterranean! It was just us 3! The water was so cold, salty, and blue. When I jumped in, it was so refreshing. I could not help losing my breath because of how cold it was. After jumping in and treading water, I got used to the temperature. There is something kind of freeing and a bit scary (hehe) about swimming/floating in such a big body of water…” 

 

“….We found the natural pools!! There were more people at the natural pools but plenty of space to lay out and jump in. Once again, the water was SO blue and clear. We jumped in, dove in, and had fun rising and falling with the tide. I really lived out my Mako Mermaid H20 moment….” 

 

“…We took our ordered pizzas to the beach that was a 3 minute walk from our hostel and watched the sunset. We got a spicy pepperoni and BBQ and demolished them because we were so hungry. The sunset was pretty and it was calming to watch and hear the waves crashing into the shore….” 

Granada: 

Granada is a city located in southern Spain, in the region of Andalusia. Granada is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and is about a 40-minute drive from the beach as well! Those who live in Granada have the best of both worlds, mountains and the beach! Granada is most famously known for being the home of the Alhambra. The Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex,  is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. It not only has Moorish influence in it’s architecture, but also Christian influence. It is the most visited place in Spain. 

Just this past weekend, our program took us to Granada! We left for Granada on Friday, April 12th, and arrived back in Madrid on the evening of Sunday, April 14th. 

 

Journal: 

Friday Night: 

“…At 5:30, we began one of our activities with our program. We walked through the Albaicín neighborhood, a Moorish quarter and the oldest neighborhood in Granada. We walked through these streets up to a viewpoint of the Alhambra. The view was so beautiful as the sun was beginning to set, and the lights of the Alhambra turned on. There was also people clapping and singing, playing live music. We walked to the Flamenco show. It was super cool and I love Flamenco, but if I am being honest, I liked the one I saw in Madrid more. There was an elderly lady who danced and made jokes about being the oldest Flamenco dancer. She was very impressive for her age….” 

Saturday: 

“…It was so beautiful there. The gardens and the views of the city are my favorite part of the Alhambra. I also love all of the details and the differences in architecture. Because we went in bigger groups, we did not have much time to explore on our own, which made me sad because I love taking my time in places like that. I loved the Summer Palace. After our tour was finished, Sarah and I asked if we could stay and explore more, and the guide said we could! She and I walked back to the Summer Palace and just took it all in and slowly walked through it, looking at all of the flowers and detailing of the tiles. Sadly, we were unable to find the entrance to the other garden and decided to get lunch instead since we were very hungry. I hope to take more time there when I come back with my family at the end of my program…” 

Travel Plans for Valencia, Barcelona, and Mallorca: 

I have not yet traveled to these places, but it is my plan! I will be taking a solo day trip to Valencia this Saturday and Sarah and I will be going to Barcelona and the Spanish island, Palma de Mallorca over our break at the beginning of May. I was really hoping I could travel to the North of Spain but it fell through because of money, travel, and accommodations. 

Spain truly is a beautiful country and I adore Madrid. That is why I have been very content to keep exploring Madrid and Spain on the weekends we have left. Time has flown by and I am so grateful for every opportunity to travel and see more of God’s creation.

 

Con Amor,

Alaina Wiedoff