Toledo was once the capital of Spain until ------ and was a mixed city of Christians, Jews, and Muslims. It was a beautiful city and a great site to walk around for the afternoon. The cathedral at Toledo, called the Primate, or- wait for it- the Cathedral of Toledo, was a breathtaking cathedral of the gothic style. No pictures inside, but it was astonishing in its size, scale, and grandeur. The choir section had battle scenes from the Reconquista (the reconqu...

Woke up this morning and had a nice breakfast in the hotel. I was told to try tomatoes, olive oil, and salt on toast and found it to be delicious. I added smoked ham, and cheese, and realized I was essentially eating pizza for breakfast. I was fine with that. Everybody looks more rested, brighter eyed, and bushier tailed this morning. Last night most people were, to quote ms. Matthews, "pretty well knackered". We head out to see the royal palace today, and the ...

Today was a long day- but tonight we went to bed in a bed, in Spain, so in the grand scheme of things, a good day overall. We arrived in Madrid after a short flight. A layover in Paris gave us some time to rest, or in the case of mr. Lovatt, sleep on the floor. I shouldn't talk though, as I did too. Madrid seemed quiet when we first arrived. Good Friday is a big deal here, as most of the country goes on vacation for 5 or 6 days. Almost no one around as we too...

Just finished dinner on the plane. On the menu tonight: shepherds pie, pasta salad with smoked salmon, fresh bread, Gouda cheese, applesauce, banana chocolate chip cake. Well played, Air France. Things I like about supper: 1. Seatmate Justin Banh has a discriminating palate, and gives me his food ("dang, you ate your cheese?) 2. Get to break out the old "Gouda, not great-a" line. Things I don't like: 1. Beef is a purplish hue not found in nature. 2. Stude...

Disembarked from our air France flight. Consensus seems to be that most people got about 30 minutes of sleep. Spirits are nonetheless high as we walked the 17.4 miles through the terminal to our next gate. A 4 hour layover here, then on to Spain. Been wearing the same clothes for 22 hours, and am noticing less people sitting near me. Informed at customs that the bags under my eyes now too large for carry-on. Many students indignant that wifi is not free. Morgan...