I am now nearing the close of my second month in Madrid, and these past few weeks have been largely characterised by the easing of COVID restrictions. Early on in May, the curfew was lifted in Madrid, bars and restaurants were allowed to stay open later, and travel outside of the city was allowed.
I excitedly began my exploration of the wider Community of Madrid with the city of Toledo. About 30 mins away by train and 50 by bus, Toledo makes for a perfect day trip, which I gathered to be a shared feeling based on the number of other people, both tourists, and madrileños, waiting to board the bus on Saturday morning when I arrived at the station.
The day in Toledo was spent in a whirlwind fashion, trying to visit many sites we had already planned on, as well as stumbling upon places coincidentally that ended up being amazing. For a small city, I was definitely aware of how rich it is in history and culture, and the extravagance of Toledo Cathedral was unexpected. One of my favorite finds was the Colección Roberto Polo, a historical building that had been reimagined into a contemporary art gallery; the way in which this space managed to not only hold but celebrate Toledo´s vast history, as well as weaving contemporary pieces into it, gave me an interesting insight into how Spain´s smaller and older towns can stay current.