While living in Buenos Aires in 2006, I bought the cheapest guidebook of Argentina imaginable before leaving, not wanting to pay over $20 for those travel books like Fodor's, Rick Steeves, or Let's Go! Yet during my time in Argentina, I soon discovered that my frugality, inherited from my father, should have been a trait to have skipped me in the gene pool, as I was surrounded by peers who owned the latest edition of The Rough Guide to Argentina, a travel book series that truly is one of the best, despite its $24.99 pricetag.
The one thing I have learned since those moments of constant borrowing of my friends' copies of The Rough Guide, is to always invest in a good travel book before jumping on that plane, train, or automobile. So before last year's move to Madrid, I logically bought the latest copy of The Rough Guide to Spain, trusting in its recommendations and insight.
However, on a recent day-trip to Toledo with my family, I became a skeptic to guidebooks in general and opted to follow my own travel instincts throughout the day. The Rough Guide to Spain states that "despite its reputation as one of Spain's greatest cities, a visit to Toledo can, in some ways, be a bit of a disappointment." Au contraire. Not disappointing at all and the best day-trip I have yet to take in my time living here.
Dear Rough Guide,
Toledo is the city of Spanish artist El Greco, as well as the former Spanish capital that preceded Madrid. The city itself contains curvy streets, historic military walls, steep walkways and lots of stairs, the gorge of the Río Tajo, churches, synagogues, mosques, and houses. It's also the city in Spain known for its damascening of jewelry - you name it, they'll have it. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, or rings made from iron or steel that have had gold or silver decorative threads applied to the objects fine, narrow grooves. Its desolate landscape brings to mind Cervantes and his Don Quijote and Sancho Panza, the land of windmills and the Visigothic, Moorish, Jewish and Christian cultures.
Certainly not disappointed.
Sincerely,
A very content visitor to Toledo
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El museo del Greco realmente vale la pena. . y además, Toledo tiene una vista preciosa sobre todo cuando hay una puesta del sol! We should write our own travel book!
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