Sunday morning, 7:30AM we woke up to catch a bus to Toledo WITHOUT stupid Alejandro. Aliza, Laura, Michal, Miriam, and I got on the wrong subway, obviously, and then went to the wrong bus station... but after FINALLY getting onto the right bus after running after the wrong ones, I fell into the perfect seat.
Right next to an old, fat, smelly guy who's wife in front of me kept throwing up.... what a joy ride!!
When we got out of the bus station, we decided that instead of taking the bus up to the Jewish quarter, we would just find our way. We started up the hill and just kept going up and up and up... it was as if we were climbing Masada. It was such a relief when we got to the top!
The sights from the top of the mountain were breathtaking. We walked through the town and found random staircases and we just decided to go up with the hopes that we wouldn't get stuck, and low and behold we were standing at the top of the hill... looking down to see everything was crazy!
It was really SO cool!
When we finally went back down, we continued on our 'hike' to the Jewish quarter. It took forever and it was SO hot (Toledo is the hottest part of Spain - don't worry I got tan!!) but we followed the signs like stupid tourists to find it.
On the way to the shul, we were walking down this narrow alleyway when we heard some people speaking hebrew... just for fun, one of the girls said Shalom as she passed by. All of a sudden, a women starts screaming "Yehudi!!!!!! B'Spain!!!!"
We were alll cracking up; we took pictures with them and we were singing "Am Yisroel Chai" in the alleyways. It was such a classic Israel moment, but it really hit me that there are NO Jews in Spain, let alone Toledo.... No one lives here, yet, somehow, we met total strangers who we didn't know, who weren't even religious to sing with in the alleyways of Spain, where we were kicked out of so many years ago.
We continued on our "voyage"to find the two shuls in the Jewish Quarter of Toledo...
We got to the first one, paid our 2 euro and walked in.
The second we walked in, we realized that this wasn't a Jewish shul - it was a Messianic Jewish/Christian church -- kind of like "J for J" ....
Next to the painting of "The Virgin and the Milk" (as if we didn't get enough in Museo del Prado), there was a painting of "Kibbud av Va'Aym."
Interesting, no?!
So because we were with Chabadnicks, they went to complain and ask for their money back, but obviously... no such luck.
We really should've realized that there was something strange about it because the name of the shul was "Santa Maria La Blanca Synagogue."
Down the block was the REAL synagogue, also known as the Sefardi Museum.
It was crazy amazing. There were SO many things saved from the past and this once-shul had been taken over so many times by so many people... it was used as a hospital, as a war base, and so many different things, yet it was revived to it's former state... it was also very cool that this is the only shul that had both hebrew and arabic writing engraved on the ceiling.
There were a lot of different sefarim shown, clothing, utensils, mezuzahs, sefardi clothes, etc.
When we came out, we ate lunch in the shade... the weather was beautiful and we started our voyage DOWN the hill.
On our way, we saw the people who we met at the Chabad rabbi so it was funny running into them!
They were so excited to see us and made us take a group picture with them so that they could show their kids that they're ''cool'' parents!
They told us that they were going to a bullfight at night and alll Aliza wanted to do was get back to find out if we could go... and that's exactly what we did!
When we got back, we realized that the bullfight was only a few metro stops away, so we hopped on the train, paid 5 euro and watched the MOST DISTURBING SPORT ON THE PLANET.
I was appalled by what I saw!
People in the crowds were "oleing"and gasping and screaming all at the same time, it was priceless!
They taunt a bull and then just kill it!? - I don't know, but it was sick to me.
So, instead of watching all 8 bulls get killed, we watched 2 get killed and then left.
We met Laura (the cello girl) for dinner at the ONE restaurant, whose name I will not say because I can't pronounce it.
After giving us a menu and deciding what we wanted, the waitress told us that there are only three things available: kabobs, hamburgers, and steak.
Since the 2nd day of our trip, Aliza and I have been craving for hamburgers and french fries and when we heard her say those special words, we saw the light!
The best part: the food was GREAT!
There is nothing better then feeling full at the end of the meal... I can say I haven't felt that in quite a while...
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