It's cold in May!?!?!

5/14/10

We have finally started adapting to the time change and made it to breakfast, we haven't however gotten used to, nor are we are we prepared for, the freezing, windy, rainy, unlikely weather that has hit us this weekend. We have managed to wear all of the two sweaters we have brought and had to use Ana F's mom's brilliant Tide in the sink packets to wash them.

Today we headed toward Toledo but stopped at El Escorial, an amazing summer palace built by Felipe II. Ana RC jumped on the bus first and managed to get us the best seats, where Ana RC was able to RICE her broken toe. Before we reached El Escorial we saw el Valle de los Caidos... a monument commemorating the fallen soldiers. Once there, we took a tour lead by Fernando Fernandez (no joke, that was his name). He was a great tour guide and through his humor made everything really interesting. We now know that even though Felipe II was only four and half feet tall he was able to have 4 wives, a real-life Don Juan. Felipe II built this palace as a vacation home and told the architects that he wanted "un palacio para Dios y una choza para mi." For this reason, the basilica that was built was very ornate and amazing and his palace was much more humble. We also got to visit the second most important library for the Catholic church. The tour on a high note in the royal crypt. Awesome. We learned about el cuarto de los podridos... this means exactly what it says, rotting bodies of royalty waiting to buried... gross!

On to Toledo... Olé! We checked in and immediately took a bus to el centro where we explore the historic city on our own for a while and had probably the best dinner yet! We ate family style like how we do back at home (Thanks Norm!) so we got to try a little bit everything. We ate it too fast to take pictures... sorry Mimi! Amazing nonetheless.

Finally time for bed and as the Anas look forward to a good night's rest... ACHOO!! ACHOO... ACHOO.......... ACHOO!! and ACHOO! No not us, these hotel walls are really thin. Vale.

Until next time... Anas