December 23, 2011

10:54pm. Toledo was beautiful. It has been a long day, but I cannot complain. Everyday is something new and beautiful, and today was no exception. Toledo is full of history. There are castle ruins, old churches, fortresses, and authentic buildings made of brick and stone. The streets, which made of stone, are extremely narrow and I have to admit that driving in the car was a little nervewrecking. When you walk in the streets, you have to pin yourself against the wall or get in a door frame so you do not get run over. You can, however, immediately tell that Toledo thrives off of tourism. There are hotels everywhere and gift shops for days. We ate at a Hostal restaurant called Hostal Palacio. I had paella, which everyone raves about, and it is pretty good, but because of the sea food in it, it is not my favorite. The wine was good too. I learned that if a wine is too bitter, you can ask for a bottle of La Casera, which makes the wine more of a bubbly, and is much easier to drink and enjoy that way. After Toledo, we went to a small town about fifteen, twenty minutes away from there where we went to a ladys house whose name is Julia. Every year, she puts up a nativity scene which takes up almost an entire room. I have noticed that the Belen, which is spanish for nativity scene, is an important part of the holidays here in Spain. I have seen one almost everywhere I have been to. Plaza Mayor, in fact, is dedicated to the selling of the stuff you need to make one. After going there, we went to Leonels old seminario, which is in the middle of nowhere outside of the town. The view was incredible and I got to see the sunset there. We drank coffee, which was my third cup of the day. I am addicted to the coffee here. We went to El Corte Ingles before we went home and it is a huge, six story store that is kind of like a mall. We got home and I was able to talk to my family. It makes me sad to be away from them for so long, but I am really happy here, I have not been this happy in I do not remember how long. It is a wonderful feeling. I am however, very excited to see my Mom, who is coming on Monday. I also leave for France on Monday. I will be drinking champagne in Paris at the Eiffel Tower, while ringing in the new year. My life is out of a movie right now, and I love it. Goodnight and happy holidays.