Blog Mike

Here is a short travel write up that I submitted to the San Diego Reader:

Toledo, Spain
By Michael Lofgren | Published Saturday, April 16, 2011

Escape the busy streets of Madrid for the quiet walkways of Toledo. Forty-five miles away from Madrid, Toledo makes a great day trip for just about any traveler. Transportation is easy, with high-speed trains that can deliver you at the base of the city in 30 minutes or buses in about an hour. Arrive early in the morning to beat the tour buses.

Located on top of a hill, Toledo overlooks the Spanish countryside. It is compacted with history, with origins dating back over 2,500 years to the Romans.

Visitors flock to the city’s old cathedral. If you think every cathedral in Europe is the same, this one is not. It took over 250 years to complete and was finished in 1495. The Gothic altar is remarkable, with gilded Biblical scenes. Inside the cathedral’s sacristy is a mini art museum that houses eighteen El Grecos and other Spanish paintings.

The next must-stop is the Alcázar of Toledo, located in what was once a 3rd-century fortress. The Alcázar contains many historical army artifacts, from uniforms to firearms and swords.

A visit to Toledo isn’t complete without the sampling of Mazapán. Purchase a few almond desserts from one of the many shops and enjoy them while strolling the town. They also make great gifts to bring back to friends and family.

Consider staying at Castillo de San Servando Hostel. Dating back to the 14th century, the hostel was once a castle that was used to defend the walled-off city. Unlike youth hostels of the past, rooms have recently been renovated with private facilities. Room rates are reasonable, starting at 15 Euros ($21 USD) a night per person.

Link to article

I have been traveling for just over ten days and have already visited New York (2 nights), Paris (4 nights), and Barcelona (3 nights).

I am sitting on the train in the Barcelona train station waiting for my 8’oclock departure to Madrid. I am scheduled to arrive in Madrid at 11:52am via one of the many high-speed trains located throughout Spain and all of Europe. Train travel can be expensive, especially since I no longer qualify for the youth rate and I do not have a rail pass. Today’s direct train ride from Barcelona to Madrid is 118.5 Euros ($163 USD). Paris to Barcelona was $156 USD.

When I have the option of flying vs. taking the train, I always will take the train. Today, I could have flown and arrived a little faster, however I would have to go through more security, taken more time consuming public transportation to outside of the city center, and then taken public transportation again back to the city center of the next city. Not to mention the fact that I had my luggage lost for 32 hours when I started my trip. However, I was given a $100 voucher towards my next ticket.

Spain so far has been better then I remember. The main reason would have to be the fact that I can speak a little Spanish. I am not the lost English speaker who doesn’t know any of the local language and I can get around just fine.

Some highlights of my trip have been:

New York City, United States of America
Being in the audience for the Tonight Show with David Letterman
Times Square
Xi’an Famous Foods (as seen on Anthony Bourdain)

Paris, France
Eiffel Tower
Champs-Élysées
Walking along the Seine River

Barcelona, Spain
Communicating in a language I understand
Sagrada Familia (Antoni Gaudí designed Roman Catholic Church)
Tapas

Lowlight of my trip:
Lost Luggage

On Tuesday, I decided to take the train from San Diego to Los Angeles, as I had received a free train ticket. Unforunatly, I arrived after all the morning trains had departed and would need to wait an additional two hours until the next train would arrive. I decided to drive myself and arrived an hour and a half later. Weather was great, a little cool, but no longer raining. For the past couple days it had been raining and finally the sky cleared.

I found $5 parking at the U.S. Post Office- Los Angeles Terminal Annex, which was much cheaper then the $14 parking I considered using. My first stop in LA was at Philippe’s The Original, which opened in 1908. They are well known for there sandwiches and have been featured on the Food Network. I ordered a lamb sandwich, double dipped with a lemonade. The lamb sandwich cost a little more ($7.70) then some of the others, but was highly recommended. Lemonade is only 75 cents. They do make one good french dip. It should be, as they say they invented it.

From Philippe’s, I headed to China Town. LA’s China Town was packed with restaurants, Chinese medicine stores, and souvenir stores. The first thing I noticed was that most of the restaurants had received a “B” grade from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. This didn’t seem to stop people from eating at these locations, but it did stop me.

From China Town, I headed to Little Tokyo. On the way there, I passed a bunch a bunch or reporters who were standing in front of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. I asked one what was going on and was told that it as for Dr. Conrad Murray’s preliminary hearing for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. Just 558 days ago, I was in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina when Michael Jackson died. I remember going to sleep after seeing something mentioned on Yahoo’s front page about Michael Jackson found uncontentious. I woke early, entered the common area where the TV was showing live coverage of his passing.

Little Tokyo was definitely little, compared to China Town. Not too much to see in the Japanese area, a few restaurants and theaters. From Little Tokyo, I headed home just in time for rush hour. Trying to delay the inevitable traffic jams, I stopped by the Grand Central Market. The market has 50 stalls, all offering a variety of foods, medications, and services. All types of food is available, including Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. I was very tempted to try some of the delicious looking tacos.

Two hours later, I safely made it home.

The itinerary is set! I fly out of San Diego to New York on February 14, where I will be for two nights. From NYC, I fly to Paris. I will be in Europe for two weeks, which is hardly any time. There is only enough time to visit a few cities, so here is my 2011 two week Europe itinerary:

New York City (2 nights)
Paris (4 nights and take night train to Barcelona)
Barcelona (2 nights)
Madrid (2 nights)
Toledo (2 nights)
Madrid (1 night and fly out in the morning back to Paris)
Paris (1 night and fly home in the morning)

I met up today with travel writer/blogger/podcaster Jen Leo and Michael Hodson, who has been traveling for the past two years.

Jen can be heard weekly on This Week in Travel Podcast and is a partner at Best Kids Apps.