I might become a tour guide.

I just came back from one of the most magical week-ends of my life: traveling with the program to Toledo, España.
Just writing this post makes me crave going back, for so many reasons! Toledo is a vestige of arabic, jewish, and christian cultures, frozen in a bubble from the advancement of time, cocooned within the rocks of the mountain it perches on. My friend and I sat on the the top of one of the stone walls around the city one day and could see for miles; through the red and yellow fields of Castilla la Mancha, the rural region of Spain we were in, on one end, and over the rooftops of the cathedrals, mosques, monasteries, and castles on the other end. If I were to describe that side in a way that most of you would get, I would say we fell into Helm's Deep (Lord of the Rings fans, you're welcome).
Ironically, the city also boasts the making of various swords and samuraï...weapons?, including the elven sword used by Legolas in the three famous movies. Connection!!  The river lazily meandered between the valley's edges, adding a sparkle of blue to all the warm colors.
We took a scenic...short...five hour bus ride on Friday, arriving at a three-star hotel, which was more luxurious then most of us hostel-lovers have experienced in, oh, the past two months. I mean, really, the shower was hot and pressurized, and the breakfast was amazing. We were given a tour that night by a little man with red, square, hipster glasses, who took us down into the sub-levels of the city, where remains of roman architecture and islamic baths patiently wait to tell their story. The labyrinth of streets at night has a cozy feel to it that made me want to talk to the walls for longer than unos minutos, but that will be for next time, when less people might stare.
We took the more touristic tour the next day, visiting countless religious monuments left by the three co-existing civilizations. My favorite might have been the tranquil monastery, with its inner garden, because it felt the most peaceful (although the fact that we'd been our our feet for over 5 hours at that point might have contributed to the feeling). Another memorable sight was climbing to the top of the bell tower in one of the cathedrals and looking out onto the hills of Toledo...I know you want them, pictures to come!
That saturday night, after having spent so much time marveling at the intricacies of the religions in Toledo, we HAD to go to the famous discoteca located...wait for it...INSIDE one of the cathedrals (talk about functionality). All I will say on that, publicly, is that I feel like it was a very adequate mix of ancient art with modern day entertainment. Very nice, Toledo.
Sunday was spent rubbing our eyes and taking one last walk around Toledo, visiting the famous Museo del Ejército and learning plenty about the tumultuous past of España. The bus ride home was even MORE scenic, as we rolled through forests, fields, and vineyards, dotted with white and reds and burnt oranges, and watched the sun set over our heads. Though I was glad to come home to Valencia, all I want to do is go back...it was such an escape from "stressful" everyday life (in quotations because everything is a question of perspective, as my mom says). And the people on the trip, the 25 students as well as the two advisors, were absolutely the funnest of the program, which can only lend to a great trip with lots of stories to tell the jealous host family when we get back...
Spain, what else are you hiding?
To all of my fellow college students, this is why your life sucks studying for so long. Because we are making MONEY to TRAVEL and be merry for the rest of our lives!

Besos,
Roxy