I took some time yesterday to purposely get a little bit lost in the city. The thing about Madrid that I didn't expect before coming here is its remarkably small size. The city center is very walkable which makes it difficult to get lost once you're familiar with the basics. That said, it was a fun experiment to climb some previously unexplored backroads and dive deeper into the winding maze of roads that composes this place.
Camila
Toledo
So many gems are located within close proximity of Madrid. Toledo is the first of many that I've ventured out of the city to see, a decision made after being told by a friend my dirt-cheap Madrid metro pass gets me to Toledo for free. I spent Halloween wandering the narrow, hilly city streets with three of my fellow English teachers.
Louis Velasco Vega, wood craftsman
He's been working in this same workshop since he was 16.
In Louis' workshop. His tools and the smell of lacquer caught my attention from the street; he kindly welcomed us inside to look around.
A gentle reminder that the human community outweighs the ones we draw on maps.
Sevilla
Much of my free time last week was spent trying to decide where to go for the final trip on my Eurail Pass before its expiration date on the 25th of October. This process consisted mostly of looking intently at a map while not making any decisions.
Friday, without any planning other than a hastily booked hostel reservation, I took the Metro to the railway station in Madrid and hopped on the high-speed train to Sevilla in the south of Spain. I settled into the all-too-familiar rhythmic hum of train hurling toward a place I only know as letters on a ticket. (Perhaps it was just the excitement and buzz of being back on a train, but the world outside the window seemed to hum along while spinning past.)
The following are some of the things and moments that caught my eye during my journey.
Swing
I was planning to go to a market, but I accidentally joined a swing dancing gathering at an abandoned slaughterhouse instead. Obviously. So here's some photos.
