My next great, short adventure following Madrid was Toledo, Spain. Toledo is a very historical city with extensive history from the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian cultures. As we arrived into Toledo by bus, all of us were in awe at the incredible wonder that is Toledo. As you arrive to the foot of Toledo, one immediately views many homes, antique buildings, and grand churches in the middle of a desolate (but beautiful) area. It is amazing to see because amongst a much uninhabited area, is a marvelous city as Toledo.

As soon as we got off the bus, we saw a wonderful river, the Tagus River. Tagus River is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, at 645 miles long. It was amazing to view something so beautiful because I have not had the chance to view many things as powerful as this in my time in America. From here we began our four hour long walking tour, and I was not the smartest in this sense because I wore sandals as I was unaware of the distance of the walking tour. We walked approximately six miles on this tour, and by the end of it my feet were torn to shreds. This is one of the times I would have changed in order to make my time a little more enjoyable, but all in all the tour was still absolutely amazing.

We began the tour walking over a grand bridge called the Alcantara Bridge (pictured below) over the Tagus River. This was an incredible bridge built originally by the Roman Empire in 106 A.D. Through the tour we were able to see many astounding Gothic style buildings, including the Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary. The Primate Cathedral was my favorite site in all of Toledo (and maybe in all of Spain) because of the amount of its historical value and the astonishing size of the Cathedral. The Roman Empire built the Primate Cathedral in the 13^th Century. Over the years the Cathedral had been changed into a mosque, then into a Jewish temple, and then back into a Catholic Cathedral. It is interesting because there are still Jewish and Muslim traces within the city of Toledo, and the Primate Cathedral itself.

One of the most beautiful paintings I have ever viewed was on the ceiling of the Primate Cathedral. Pictured below, is an incredible painting created by Luca Giordano in 1697. The miraculous thing about the painting is that Giordano created this masterpiece in roughly 3 months. I could not believe this as the painting was so large and beautiful. Toledo has been an incredible part of my trip in Spain, with it being a very relaxing city while involving much historical significance and many beautiful sites.

Sitting at my desk with the most beautiful view, and thinking about how I can gather such a memorable time in words. First, I would like to begin my blog from the first city that I visited in Spain. I began my study abroad trip in a jaw-dropping city, Madrid, Spain. From the moment I stepped off the plane and into the terminals, I could already realize the amount of unfamiliarity I was viewing. As soon as I stepped into the terminal, I was welcomed by many Spanish workers blowing whistles and yelling Spanish phrases. I was quite surprised!

From the airport, I grouped with a few fellow American ISA (my study abroad program) students and was off to the hotel. As we were driving through the city, I felt so much excitement realizing how incredibly lucky I was to have the chance to participate in such an unbelievable program. As I arrived to the hotel, I was greeted once again by more American ISA students. This moment felt amazing also because I knew these student were going to be future friends and peers that I would have the chance to laugh, celebrate, and enjoy my time with in the coming weeks. We all introduced ourselves, shared our revelations of the previous trip, and laughed hysterically at the realization that we were finally in Spain!

On the following morning, we all met in the lobby for a walking tour of the city of Madrid. We began the walking trip at the Plaza Mayor, an incredible square in the middle of Spain. The square is where many Spaniards walk and talk while reveling in the amazement of their city. This was an unbelievable place to listen about the history of Spain from our tour guide. From the plaza we kept walking (so much walking) around the city enjoying the spectacles around us. We walked around the city viewing some of the most beautiful attractions one could see in the world like the Museo del Prado, Royal Palace of Madrid (an enormous mansion for the King, owned by the people of Spain), and Puerta del Sol. This was by far one of the most amazing cities I have ever visited, until I viewed the city of Toledo. To be continued…