We’re kind of spoiled in the US. Theaters and grocery stores are still often open on major holidays. Even public transportation still operates. That is not the case for much of Europe. Stores and museums begin closing early on Christmas Eve and hardly anything is open on Christmas Day. We still managed to make the most of our time, preferring to get out and explore instead of staying in the apartment doing nothing.
Toledo
Many people recommended Toledo (pronounced Toe-lay-doh, not Toe-lee-doh). It’s only a 30 minute train ride from Madrid, although it’s in the Castilla-La Mancha community. We decided to spend Christmas Eve morning in Toledo since the cathedral was open. The clock sign at the station read a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius, or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Brr. Unfortunately, we weren’t quite prepared for the freezing weather.
It was so cold and it was foggy. We had no idea where we were going, so we took a taxi into the town. We arrived to the grand cathedral and went to buy our tickets in the warm shop. Note to travelers: they have yet to upgrade to the 21st century and do not accept credit cards. Bring money. Do not be like us and walk around forever trying to find an ATM.
La Catredal de Toledo
It’s a very beautiful cathedral, I mean find me one that isn’t. Because it was so foggy, it was really dark since no sunlight could come through. I was cold and my audio guide died in the beginning of the tour. My day was not off to a good start.
Work began on the chapel in 1227, but wasn’t fully completed until 1493 under the reign of Fernando and Isabel. It is very Gothic in structure, with its high vaulted ceilings, very appropriate for the time. The cathedral is huge, with many chapels and lots of art. There were lots of jewels and stolen Incan treasure. Let’s be real. We all know where they got that gold.
Apparently Toledo is supposed to provide gorgeous views of the landscape since it sits on top of a hill. By the time we left the cathedral, the fog still hadn’t lifted. We ambled around a little, but we were just so cold and miserable, we decided to head back to Madrid early. My mom says I have to go back and see what it looks like when the weather is good.
The Prado … JK
My favorite painting is Las Meninas and it’s located at the Prado in Madrid. I’m not a huge fan of art, so the Prado wasn’t high up on my list. We figured since we had time to kill, we could go walk around the Prado. We walked over there and CLOSED. It closed at 2 PM on Christmas Eve. What a bummer.
How would we kill the time? Well we did one of the things that I HATE to do. Something that totally undermines the spirit of a traveler. We hopped on the red double decker tour bus. I mean, I guess there are worse things in life. At least we got a good view of the city. Unfortunately we did not make it off in time to go to the Taco Bell, which led to a grumpy Erika.
Christmas in Madrid
Even though we were in a foreign country, we still wanted to have some of our traditions from home. My mom baked our family’s traditional “Swedish Braid” (a sweet bread we eat on Christmas morning) and we opened a few presents. We then went to take a walking tour of Madrid through Sandemans. They give free walking tours in many European cities, although they do ask for tips at the end.
The tour was very interesting and funny and lasted about two hours. Our guide was from Northern Ireland, but had lived in Madrid for the past eighteen years. We saw the world’s oldest restaurant, Sobrino de Botín. It’s not overly fancy, but the former King Juan Carlos II likes to dine there. We saw the former headquarters for the Spanish Inquisition and learned why Spanish people have two last names. It’s not progressive, like some people claim, but rather a way to discover if you had any Muslim or Jewish ancestry from either parent. We stopped by the Palacio Real, but were unable to go inside since they were preparing for the Christmas Feast. … and more.
Navibus
Since there isn’t much open, we ended up back in the apartment for the afternoon. At night, we went on the Navibus, which takes the tourist double deckers and gives rides around the city to see the lights. The bus is really affordable, only 2 euros per person for about a 30 minute ride through the city. Two tips: Get there ahead of time because the line is long and bundle up! We waited in line for nearly an hour and I had not worn enough layers to ride on top of the bus.
The city was peaceful with only a few cars driving through. I couldn’t leave Madrid without taking a picture of the statue of Cibeles with the “palace” in the background. When Real Madrid wins a title, they come to this plaza and drape the Real Madrid scarf and flag around Cibeles. We managed to get a picture without a single car driving through. Stunning, right?
It’s entirely possible to visit a country during Christmas. You might have to work your schedule around a little and cook your own dinner, but it’s always interesting to see how different countries celebrate the holidays.
