Holy Toledo and Air guitar in inner Madrid

We'd wasted yesterday completely, so we made sure today to get on our bikes out of Madrid and go and see some cool stuff surrounding the big city. Of the multiple little medieval villages and towns that surround Madrid, we heard Toledo was the place to see, possibly the place where the saying 'Holy Toledo' was first muttered, though dont hold me to that. Caught the bus with Rev and arrived about 45 minutes later, through the streets of one of the coolest looking old school towns i'd ever seen, complete with original medieval fortress wall and seriously historic Spanish vibe. The sloping, brown and patchy olive green hills in the background, the windy, uphill, sloping laneways and cobblestoned streets - it was a significant and refreshing departure from the big city, the feeling of swimming through an abundance of history.

BIg old building in Toledo

Back in day, Toledo was one of the few towns in Spain where all three major monotheistic religions (ie Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) co-existed in relative peace, and the remaining 400 year old ornate churches and breathtaking mosques are visible testament to this tolerant past. The weather was not on our side today, as Rev and I got punished in style by a thick downpour, at one stage barrelling madly through the Labrinth like laneways before huddling under an enclave on some gringo's patio. Old women with umbrellas walked passed and looked at us like we were loco.

Cant believe i ate the entire squid

The province where Toledo sits is typically associated with the fictional character Don Quixote, who was the main dude in a book of the same title, a novel revered as one of the finest local efforts in Spanish history. The Don was a middle class farmer who went insane one day, donned some makeshift armour and a cardboard hat, then jived around on his donkey battling against farm animals and inanimate objects which, through his deluded state, appeared as wild beasts and goblins. You learn something every day.

Anyway, the story of Quixote has a romantic, poignantly human underside that the Spanish love dearly, and every bloody souvenir shop in Toledo was chockers with Don paraphenelia, not to mention armoury and swords out the kyber. I came across a seriously awesome replica Centurion helmet complete with red broom on top, however the 100 Euro pricetag and logistics of lugging the bastard around Europe put me off the deal. Took in some more Toledo action, the rolling vistas and surroundings, and digested the entire squid that i consumed at a huge Seafood fest earlier upon arriving at the town. Bussed it back to HQ in Madrid to Mad hostel, hooked up with the cats from last night, then hit the hostel for another bloody night of 1 Litre beer cauldrons. My beer gut is growing at an exponential rate, its only day 10, im concerned. And they only charge 2.50 Euro for these bohemoths. The concern is warranted.

Dreamy

At midnight we walked through the buzzing city streets to a random club where our group of Canadians, Aussies, Poms, Sth African and randoms partied on well into the early hours, an absolutely pinnacle evening, with the DJ pumping out staple Bon Jovi and Acca Dacca that charged Brooksy, the Rev and myself with the firepower to unleash our air guitar prowess on the locals.

Left at roughly 4.30am, walked around the streets on a very 'scenic route' - (read we didnt know where the hell we were), then crashed triumphantly for a 3rd consecutive night. Will there be no end to these mammoth beverages?

Getting punished by rains

Johnny used to work at the Docks...

King arthur i aint

Me and crazy Don

Me and the rev kickin it old school

Phil, Joy and us

Said we gotta hold on...to wot we got

shootin it with Quixote

The Gang

The gang with Random Poms

Toledo baby

Toledo goodness

WHOA! Halfway there...WHOOAA! livin on a prayer