Madrid/Toledo

May 25 Friday

Today we had an excursion to the Castillo de Loarre and it was pretty fun but man was this day busy and like I was so tired by the end of it! First of all I didn’t sleep much and we had to wake up early and take a train to Huesca then a taxi to the Castle then once we got the the castle we met up with the other group and we went on a hike but it was kinda lame cause it was like a dirt road and not much happening and not like a distinct end but it was a beautiful Spanish country side so I can’t complain it was just long and hot so then we stop in this forest like At a river and have lunch then turn around and head back to the castle it was fun talking with everyone but then we got to the castle and I had an amazing popsicle haha then we went and explored the castle and it was really cool! Like from 1000ac but really well preserved and got some cool pics me and Jake climbed up this big rock and it was really fun! Then we headed back to Zaragoza and we had to hurry and shower and pack cause our bus left for Madrid but then we got to the bus station and the bus was an hour late so we got to Madrid super late man it was so great to see Priscila! I missed her so much!:) and so we just passed out but me and Jake were together in a small bed but hey we were both so tired it was alright haha

Saturday was awesome! It may have been one of the best days ever! I love madrid so much! I definitely prefer it over Barcelona! It’s been so fun! Just like seeing Priscila and Vicky today has been awesome I like don’t stop smiling and hugging them haha. Then me and Jake woke up and went down to the center and it’s so cool down there! Like flamenco dancers and cool statues so we decided to go into the palace and man was it impressive! It’s so cool like every room has amazing art and it’s just crazy how it’s like that and the armory was cool it was like how you see or expect in the movies the Spaniard conquistadores so that was awesome! We saw the throne room and every and the crown and the royal chapel it was cool then we went the the cathedral right next door and it’s so impressive also they have a room that’s like gold plated and mass was going on at the same time. It was a cool experience. Then we went and saw the Egyptian temple it was cool to see then we were starving so we went to this restaurant that Vanessa recommended and it was amazing! Best madrileña food I loved it and it was just so classic spain and soooo good! Then after that we had to go meet Priscila cause she gave us the key to her house for some reason so we go across town and get there and packed up our stuff then me and Jake separated he went to go meet up with Mitchell and I went to the temple to go pick up Vicky cause she was with Rosemary. I loved seeing the temple and mtc again!:) there were lots of people there too with marriages and baptisms going on I love how many members are in Madrid! But so I was looking for Vicky and I couldn’t find her I was looking everywhere! Then like this super attractive member came up to me and I had asked if she had seen Vicky and then Vicky showed up so I was with her and this member Lucia was just talking to me then she had to go to the baptism and she invited us so we went to the baptism and that was so cool but then Priscila showed up and we were going but Lucia gave me her number hehe. Then me vicky and Priscila went to the parque de retiro and it was just like being back in the mtc it was awesome but it was cool being there with Priscila and just so awesome like going from contacting random people as a brand new missionary to walking in the park as a rm with my convert. So cool! And we were just talking about everything and there was this magician in the park we watched for awhile and it was like the perfect day out, I loved it! So after that we walked to the metro so I could meet up with Jake and Mitch at the plaza de toros so we went and the plaza is so cool! Just so big and we went in and it was surprising how many people were there. It was a cool experience to be apart of everyone was on horses and dressed up like it was a real medieval feel to it. So yeah there were 6 bulls and three matadors and man it was cool but I totally feel why people don’t like it, the whole time I was cheering for the bull cause it was like unfair but there was one bull that flipped the horse over and then when he was going against the matador he flipped him up on his horns and was thrashing him it was great! It was such a cool experience but then the game was going to be starting so we went to find a place to go and couldn’t for the longest time, so I talked to Rhett and he just happened to be in Madrid and he was at the mtc in the institute room and so we went over there and watched it with the JAS it was so fun, it’s suprising how many jas there were but it was super fun! I saw elder Martin and it was great to see Rhett and meet a lot of the members then it was cool cause Priscila and Rosemary showed up and watched it too so we were all there and it was fun and Madrid won! It was a good game like some great shots and it was fun to watch with all them they were going crazy! Then after the game a bunch of the jas were going to this big plaza Cibeles where everyone goes to celebrate so we went and it was sick just like the hole city was going crazy like it was a movie! Cars honking everyone singing in the streets and we were like a big mosh pit chanting and like saying f Barcelona and man there were so many people and there was like smoke and flares and fireworks it was so freaking crazy! Like the city was just so many people at 2am like I’ve never seen a city like that and I totally gotta come back and party like this again during the champions! It was so fun like every little street you went down there were people partying haha it was unreal! And we met this cute american she was so hot and she wanted us to go to this bar with her called pecaditos haha but we just went back to the apartment and passed out and then on the metro this morning at like 7:30 going to the train station we just saw people getting on the metro that hadn’t even gone to bed they had been partying all night and they get on the metro and are cheering and just wasted haha it was awesome! Definitely a night for the books, one of the funnest days!

So after partying hard last night celebrating the win we had to wake up super early to catch a train to Toledo so I was like pretty tired but we got there alright and we had all day so we walked into the city and it was cool so old and medieval looking and we cross this super old bridge and went to the main plaza and had a really good big breakfast so that was nice! Then after that we went to the cathedral but they were in mass it was such a cool cathedral apparently it was Isabel’s special one where she would go all the time and her family is buried there but it was lame cause it was like €10 to get in but we could until 2 so we went to the manchego cheese museum and I mean it was super lame and small but it was cool to find that haha then we went and caught a bus that takes you out to this viewpoint where you can see the whole city and that was really cool! It was just kinda sucky cause like it was out far and most people went in cars so we were kind of stranded out there haha but it was a cooool view of the whole city then we climbed up some rocks jake and I and took a nap overlooking the city cause we was so tired haha then we took a taxi back to the city and went back to the catedral and meet up with the other kids in the group and then we went to look at the sword stores and that was honestly the coolest part there were so many weapons and armor it was awesome! It was like living my little kid dream haha. I found the iron throne from game of thrones and some cool Roman swords it was cool! Then we went and just got an ice cream and chilled until we had to go to the train station then we got back to Madrid and loved it there and we got some pretty good kebab before we had to take the bus back to Zaragoza but yeah so it was a pretty fun trip, I would said Toledo is really cool but lots of walking and not tons to do. But it was cool to be there for Corpus Christi.