But I`m trailing off... okay! Back to what I was here to do in the first place!
It was a dark and... dark Sunday morning. Well, I guess it would be, being 6 AM in the morning! I had set my alarm clock for 6:15, so I was pleasantly surprised I woke up before it. The wonders of going to bed early.. amazing!
I still hadn`t packed for the morning, so I hustled to through the few things I had brought with me. Book, clothes, feather.. Hm. I seperated my bag, putting all my heavier items seperate from my new prize, as I wanted it to come back to Granada in one piece. I did a West family stalking of the room, to make absolute sure I hadn`t left anything behind, and headed out at about 6:15 AM.
Surprisingly, someone was just up in time for me- so checking out only consisted of a second worth of forking over my TV remote and key. The reception desk was a glass top, and beneath it listed a bunch of bus times, so I checked for Aranjuez. Hm. Looks like there was one at 7 AM, and 8 AM. Okay. 45 minutes. I can do that!
So I took the 5 second walk over to the bus stop, which was right next door to my hostel. Huh. There`s some other people out here too- I wonder why? I simply mingled into the small group of waiting passengers, as I soon saw why they were all here- 6:20 AM, a Continental bus rolled in, with a large sign in the front. Madrid. Hm. Not my bus.
The waiting passerby all got in, and the bus driver gave me a look over, as a silent question of, you coming? No, I want to go to Toledo, not Madrid! I simply looked off to indicate I was waiting for something else, and soon enough, the large bus pulled out and away at exactly 6:30 AM. I guess the earlier the bus, the more punctual it becomes!
5 minutes passed by, and besides the occasional screech of a nearby bat, it was quite boring all alone at the bus stop. What to occupy myself until 7.. well... hm.. oh! I was leaning against the Continental bus office, (don`t be fooled, this isn`t the airplane company!) and the window was plastered with bus times. Well, always good to double check on Aranjuez-Toledo times!
Hmm.. Aranjuez-Toledo, 7 AM, 8 AM and 6:45 PM... weekdays only.
.....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
My face fell at the news, as I whirled around, mentally wishing the bus would magically return. Weekdays only! I should have gotten on the 6:30 AM bus to Madrid! Augh!
Okay, when does the next bus come? 7:15 AM to Madrid. Okay. That`s not so bad.
So it was a bit of a wait, but it looked to be a connection from Madrid to Toledo, instead of straight from Aranjuez. It was a bit of a bummer in that it took longer than I would have expected, however, all the same it wasn`t too long! 7:15 AM I was on the bus heading back to Madrid. Now that I was familiar with the bus station in Madrid, I was heading out at 8:30 AM towards the city of Toledo.
I studied the Let`s Go! map in my handbook, but it was slightly confusing in that fact it`s small. Small enough to fit in the book, but too small for me to understand which way was which. Okay. I`ll just have to wing it when I get there.... right? I closed my book, opting to stare out of the window instead.
Not 30 minutes out of Madrid, the scenery began to change. Green turned into brown, and the trees became scarcer and scarcer. A sign declared we were crossing into La Mancha, and I couldn`t help but wonder if this really was La Mancha, or I mysteriously crossed into some time vortex that lead me straight back to Laramie, Wyoming. The similarity in scenery was astonishing!
The ride took about 70 minutes, complete with stops for locals going off to work. It was around 10 AM ish when our bus pulled into the small Toledo station, and I was eager to get going and explore Toledo- I had heard so many interesting things about the place, so I was really looking forward to finally being able to visit! I whipped open my Let`s Go book, determined not to spend my morning wandering around in confusion.
Okay, it says to follow right along the highway. Along the highway....but which one?
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Wait.. I need to take this literally... right! I need to go right!
I paced over to the highway`s intersection, and followed the right hand side. A family with cameras was headed the same direction, which made me feel a bit better- if they were going this way, surely I was going the right way, too? But it wasn`t the easiest way there- about 5 minutes up it all was an uphil climb for me, and I lurked in the shade, trying not to burn all my sweat making my way up. I followed along the castle-like way of Toledo, my excitement growing.. this really was a Medieval town!
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5032.jpg
But the climb was soon over, and I came up to a large plaza and roundabout.. here`! Here`s the entrance to the city!:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5033.jpg
And luck would have it, that straight across the way was a Tourist information booth. Yay!!! I jogged across the busy street, making sure not to become a hood ornament, and made my way inside the nice, air-conditioned building. The friendly staff, as always, gave me a handy free map- and asked me if I wanted a route to follow. But of course! I informed them I was only there for a day, so they highlighted a route I absolutely had to go on while in Toledo. A plan and a map.. hurrah!
I made a quick stop at a nearby restaurant, getting a plate of churros for a Euro, as was a bit hungry for breakfast, and the price had me estatic as well. My hunger sated, I got up and walked back to the plaza, map hand.. to enter in the castled city.As I walked through the huge doors, I couldn`t help but notice a large statue on my right hand side, of one of Spain`s more famous leaders:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5037.jpg
(notice the castle structure behind him! Welcome to the Spanish Round Table!)
This city felt and looked old, and it wasn`t going without saying that it was. As soon as I passed through the large doorway, I ran into yet another older structure, this one being a Church:
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The road went three different ways, so my handy map assisted me in which way I ought to take. Straight past the church... I walked a good ways down the main road, wanting to start at the very bottom of the city, and work my way up. I passed alongside opening tourists shops, locals sweeping out dust to tidy the store for the hordes of tourists still yet to come. However, I didn`t go too far past the souvenir stores when I noticed something they all had in common..
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Swords! Lots and lots of.. swords! Every single store I passed had elegant swords on display, shields, plates of armor... and some postcards. I mean, I had heard Toledo was world-famous for their swords (check them out in the Lord of the Rings- swords from Toledo) but I didn`t realize that they were that sword crazy!
I immediately stopped in several stores just to look at all the swords, and I kept mentally berating my self that I didn`t come all the way to Toledo just to shop! It took some effort, but I finally came to terms with myself that I would certaintly not miss out on looking at all the beautiful blades before I left. Anyone who likes swords, hide your wallet at home.. or you`ll end up buying a dozen!
I continued on past the rows of shops, the road bending and becoming an uphill climb. I watched cars and buses pass on by, and stared ahead at the continously medieval-looking scenery of Toledo, and the surrounding La Mancha:
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Tromping up, then down the road, I passed several groups of familes, obviously tourists, so I knew that I had definately chosen the right way. I continously checked my map to double check I was on the right way, (since getting lost my 2nd day in Granada, I`ve developed a slight paranoia of getting lost) I couldn`t help but put the map down as the road`s narrowing drew my gaze upwards:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5042.jpg
Some kind of Church-like structure.. what could it be? I had to investigate further.
A walk through a large plaza, and a couple of turns later, I came up to what looked like the beginnings of a concert. Hundreds and hundred of people were gathered in front of a large plaza, as different tour guides with sides yammered on in different languages to the hustle and bustle below them. Yikes! I heard Toledo was a popular destination, but this was just pushing it! I cautiously made my through the horde of people, to see what all the fuss was about:
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The fuss wasn`t without it`s due, I mean this Cathedral was incredible! Hundreds of carvings, looming gothic-like structure... wow. I remembered reading on my map that the Cathedral didn`t open for tourism until about 2 PM, so I mentally reminded myself not to miss the Cathedral on the way out!
I left the sea of tourists, looking up at a sign that pointed down a winding road to more historical sites. Okay- There was a monastery I had wanted to start off at, and the map indicated it was the very bottom of the route highlighted for me. So off I continued, in the shady, narrow pathway through Toledo:
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The road winded around for a good ways, and I wondered if I was ever going to get to that main road again. But all roads lead to the main road, and soon I was back in the sunshine- admist tourist groups again. (When traveling, you always know you`re at the right spot if there are other tourists!) I passed by an impressive looking building, not the monastery, but I still had to take a picture of it:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5051.jpg
(I think it was a school of some kind.. art school?)
I checked my map, and looked on ahead- yes! The monastery! Another helpful sign indicated to me that the monastery was straight up ahead, and yet another one simply pointed to the left hand side. A large set of wooden doors beckoned me inside the dim room, and I entered.. my eyes drawing to the grinning skeleton hanging above the doorway:
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This monastery had been circled, so I knew it was going to be good- the tourist information booth never lies. And it was all that and more- A combination of a monastery, a gorgeous chapel, and two levels of sculptures, paintings, gargoyles, and spiraling gothic scenery:
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I wondered who had given money to make this beautiful monastery, and my suspicions were confirmed when I glanced up at the ceiling: F and D, Ferdinand and Isabella. Apparently, they had funded this monastery and adjoining Church to become their final resting place, however, they were so proud of their Granada conquest they decided to be interred there instead.
My path had my climb up, down, and all over the monastery in awe. The one thing I`ve been so impressed with here is the old buildings- it`s amazing the way they are built, with so much attention to detail and sculpture. Call me cycnical, but I really don`t think they could do it today with that amount of effort!
I soon departed the beautiful monastery, going back out into the steadily climbing heat. I wanted to see the very front of the Church/Monastery, so I headed around to the back to snap shots, and pause in front of a nice overview of the Toledo countryside:
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Across the street, which I am not sure to what importance was, was a little statue imposed in front of a castle-like building. Why the picture? It`s because I really wanted to capture Toledo- and prove that yes, it really, really is a mostly medieval town!
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Castles everywhere!
After viewing the monastery, I checked my map again, finding my exact spot. Right where I had wanted to start at.. excellent! I had made a slight detour at the Cathedral, so on the brightside, I wasn`t going to see anything I had already seen before- and not 5 minutes away from the monastery, the next stops were to some old synagouges left over from before the Inquistion. Toledo used to have a big Jewish population and Islamic as well: it`s old history was famous for a period of harmony between the three big religions of Spain. However, time had a way of destroying that, but perhaps not what was left over.
I took a couple pictures of the synagouges I stopped in front of, but like Aranjuez, the ones I visited I wasn`t allowed to take pictures inside:
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Stars of David, carvings much like the Moorish ones I`ve seen here in my time in Spain were all over the place- the seconds synagouge I visited also had history on Jewish influence from the town all the way up to the Royal Court. Jews played a large role in shaping the future of Toledo with their excellent services such as advisors, treasures, craftsman, and more! It was nice to see an exhibition on Judaism, in a mostly Catholic-dominated history. I spent a good amount of time there, simply walking through the exhibits, and staring at all the carvings made by Jewish crafters long ago, try to reflect on what religious harmony they must have had to accomplish such a beautiful building.
After my synagouge stops, I definately took a couple of odd turns off my map, eventaully making a giant circle, but I did eventually figure out my route- stopping at one store briefly to try a bit of Marzipan, a doughy bread with a sweet filling famous in Toledo.. delllllllicious!!! I also passed by the Museum of the famous painter, El Greco along the way- however, it was closed for renovations, so I unfortunatly only got to take a shot of the old door:
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But luckily enough, a nearby church had a painting of El Greco, and a 2 Euro fee got me inside to see the painting. Once again, the no picture police were at it with entering tourists, so I put my camera back in my pocket, opting to stare at the painting. My camera definately got a break on my Toledo trip, that was for sure!
(however, a google hunt found me on Wikipedia, and I did find a picture of the painting. My question is, how did this photo get online, if you aren`t allowed to take pictures?)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/El_Greco_-_The_Burial_of_the_Count_of_Orgaz.JPG
The painting was of Count Orgaz, who had spent his life generously giving donations to this Church. One the day he died, he requested to be put in the most simple grave in the church, and the Church claims a miracle happened at his burial- two saints apparently appeared alongside his body, and laid him to rest. I`m not sure if that exactly happened that way, but there is definately a grave for him there, (a 2001 expedition located his grave in the Church) so he definately did exist! The Church comissioned the famous painter, El Greco, to paint the miracle- and so now it`s forever on display, depicting Orgaz`s rise to heaven.
After visiting the Church`s fancy painting, I definately did some unorganized wandering, making that giant circle what I had mentioned before. However, I did get another nice picture of Toledo, as I felt empty at not being able to take pictures in the previous areas:
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But I quickly checked my map again, and after finding a larger map-sign, I finally figured the right way to go- okay, I´m lying. I really just got frustrated with the map`s confusing road ways, so I simply began to follow road sides, and began to make cuts through roads. Whether this was the most sensible idea ever, luck was on my side. Earlier at the tourist office, I had seen a sign advertising for an exhibition that I really, really wanted to see- The exhibition on the Torture Devices used by the Inquisition.
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Sure, it sounds scary, right? Well, it was- I have an large imagination, and the devices were all authentic, and the atmosphere was downright grim in there. It was fascinating as each individual device had both a Spanish and English translation of it`s name and purpose.. and photos were allowed, so I practically took pictures of every single exhibit in there. There are more on my photobucket, but these were some of my favorites.. or perhaps, the scarier ones:
(NOTE: Items of Torture here! Read/view at your own risk!)
The Skullcrusher:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5081.jpg
Iron Maiden:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5082.jpg
(I poked my finger on one of the spikes... it was pretty painful!)
Water Torture:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5086.jpg
(a favorite of the Inquistion, where they would shove a cloth down a throat and pour water, inducing the sensation of drowing.. this could last for hours, irritating the throat and making it bleed)
The Stretcher:
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(They`d lay you out on this table, tying your arms to the top, and well.. I think you know what happens after that)
Spiked Chair:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5095.jpg
(This just goes without saying..and poke my finger on this one too. Ouch ouch ouch!)
Gotta have a Guillotine:
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The amount of imagination the Spanish Inquisition had when it came to tortute was frightening- they really, really did think of every which way to torment information out of a person. I particularly like this exhibit as it did give a darker side to Spain`s past, and gave visitors a reminder that the Spanish Crown`s word was law, and in those days, it was pretty much Catholic or bust.. or maybe in this context, death!However, while I was doing my own browsing around, I was approached by an older gentleman in his late 50s, with a small group of 20 something year olds about him. (3 of them) He noticed my interest in the exhibit, and how my eyes would trail over to the English translation.. and he suddenly began talking to me- in perfect English!
I knew he was Spanish by his accent, but his English was dead on. I wondered if he was their tour guide or something, as he was talking to them in English too! I guess he must have picked up on my interest, because he then went on to give me an almost `mini` tour of the place in English- while his group meandered around. He was particularly friendly and kind, like a teacher of sorts, pointing out things of interest to me and explaining each individual one. I kept wondering, is he a tour guide? Does he work here? I wasn`t sure, but he would contiously pop over to talk to me about an exhibit, seeming to enjoy practicting his English and broadening my horizons!
He would continously break off to rejoin his group of students?, going back to talking to them in English, and I made my way up to the second level of the exhibit, seeing more different sights. I soon noticed they must have made their way out before me, because as I left, I saw that I was one of the few left in there. I spent a good deal of time in that museum, just because it was so fascinating- and I got a mini tour to boot!
After the grim view into the Inquisition, I definately had to go see something a bit happier... oh! Here`s a sign- Museo of the Visigoths! That sounded interesting! I twined through the twisting, narrow roads as the sign pointed me ahead... and then it ended. Huh. No museum. Hm.
I paced up and down, all around that road- no museum. Was the sign lying to me? I wasn`t sure if it was closed, the sign was wrong, or maybe the museum didn`t exist anymore- either way, I did not find that museum. However, I did find a lovely, former Jesuit Church, which boasted a gorgeous view of Toledo. Remembering the Torre from Càdiz, I hurried inside:
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http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5109.jpg
(my one picture of the inside.. after that, an attendant came up and I got the `sin flash`bit. My camera doesn`t seem to have that option, or I just cant find it- either way, my only picture of the inside of the church!)
The inside of the large church was magnificient, with large, religious paintings and iconography all around. Jesus, Mary, Angels, Mary.. and more Mary. It seems to me in the Catholic Churches of yesteryear, they seem to pay a lot of attention to the Virgen Mary, as she shows up quite a bit. It`s always cool to compare different potrayals of her, from Church to Church, each one has got their own interpretation!
However, I really really wanted to get up and see Toledo.. so as I quickly hurried through the Church, I made my way up a very, very long flight of stairs:
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Burn those legs!
Walking up and out.. out to the beautiful, afternoon overlooking the town of brown.. Toledo.
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I looked from up on high at the city below, and the surrounding area of La Mancha. It was indeed beautiful and as picturesque as one could ask for.. and even a couple of times I scanned out onto La Mancha, trying to look for Don Quixote and Sancho Paza riding off into the distance.
After the aerial visit, and a more in depth look at the Jesuit Church, I checked onto my watch. Oh! It was heading on 3 PM. I should go check out the Cathedral! I also looked onto my map on the way out, and the Cathedral was pretty much the last stop I hadn`t made on my highlighted path. Well, I reasoned, I could go to the Cathedral, maybe do a bit of souvenir shop cruising, and head back to Madrid. Granada was still 5 hours away, so no matter what time I left, it was sure to be late!
I headed over to the Cathedral, only stopping in a few shops that caught my eye, as the temptation of forking over Euros for a gorgeous sword plagued my mind- but reasoning played in as well- I was never going to get a broadsword home. I simply plotted to become rich later in life and come back to Toledo to buy myself a fine sword- since now I know where to get them!
My way lead me up to the Cathedral, and a quick inquiry with a guard had me on the other side, paying my 7 Euro fee to get in. But who would have guessed, but right behind me was my friendly Spanish buddy from before, his little group in tow! He greeted me in gusto, seeming happy to see me, and his small group cast glances at me, probably wondering who the heck I was. I cheerfully greeted back, as he had been very welcoming to me earlier! I turned to pay my entrance fee and walked in, the group of them only aways behind.
(The front of the door, and the only photos I was allowed to take. Once again.. no photos allowed!)
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I entered in, and the place was beyond amazing. I truly wish of all the places I couldn`t take a photo of, I could have taken a photo of this grand Cathedral- because it was really beyond grand. Every single inch of the place was carved, paintings that reached nigh-high to heaven, and enormous paned ceilings, golden statues, marble slabs.. words just don`t do this place justice. All I know is, I`ll someday return to see this beautiful place. It was beyond description. It was just a very, very beautiful Church.
I wandered in awe down the cool floor, the group not a step behind me. The gentleman from earlier approached me, and we chatted for a bit, me all smiles and him seeming extremely happy at my interest. And with that, he firmly insisted I join their group tour... and I blinked, being invited to join them. Of course, I said yes- he was extermely friendly and seemed to know everything about this history of this grand place!
He introduced me to his small clan as his American friend- and I gave him my name, and I was Natalie the American. He was actually the father of one of the two 20 year old boys- the girl present was his son`s girlfriend from Brazil, and the other boy was his son`s friend. Apparently his son had been studying in London to practice Law like his father, and to improve on his English. I was guessing the other two were of the same mind, because the entire tour was given in English!
Along the many things we saw, I asked my new friend about himself, thought I never got his name! He was from Madrid taking his son and company on vacation, and he himself had studied abroad in Kentucky, when he had been dating an American girl. Wow! I informed him his English was excellent, and he laughed, saying it was a bit rusty and he was happy to practice with me- honestly, I could barely tell. He was really, really good. He asked if I was going to be a Spanish teacher, and I told him I wanted to travel, and have a language at my aid. He seemed impressed with that!
Our small band traversed the whole church, seeing things such as paintings, sculptures, old graves for Knights, pews, Corpus Christi statues Queen Isabella`s crown on display, even a gift of a sword from Franco, and a sculpture from Mussolini. Hmmm......
Needless to say, the Church was a definate highlight! We spent a good time exploring the old place, and his son`s buddy soon was getting tired of all the walking! Our group then ventured outside, and I checking my watch- it was heading on 4. Hm. I still needed to stop and look at some sword shops to cure my curiosity, so I bid my new friends a hearty farewell, they in turn. One of the nicest bunch of Spaniards I had met in my stay here in Spain!
From there, I explored a couple of sword and souvenir shops, looking at everything from Lord of the Rings replicas to Carlos IV replicas. It was very neat to see all of the swords, shields, maces, crossbows, armor.... well, you get the idea. It seemed to be that store-browsing was almost part of the Toledo experience, just to see all the steelware!
My store-hopping was favorable to my direction, and I soon was at the castle wall from that early morning at around 4:45. I knew the buses left about every half an hour, so I hustled over to catch the 5 PM bus. I had accomplished a lot in Toledo, and it was nice to give my legs a chance to relax, and to enjoy the breeze of the bus`s air-conditioner.
Around 6 PM I was in Madird, and I went to try and get on the 6:30 bus for Granada- and it was sold out. However, the 7:30 PM bus still had tickets, so I bought myself one, and found myself a nice seat to wait for my bus time. I gave my folks back home a call while I waited, eager to share my experience of the last couple of days. My mom asked me what I was looking forward to most when I came home, and I promptly replied: More time to talk! International calls are a bit expensive, so the usual marker is about 1 hour- so I am definately looking forward on my return to be able to talk endlessly! (to the horror of my brother)
The hour passed by quickly as I talked on the phone, and I only paused in my conversation to find my bus, and climb aboard on my seat. I took a quick picture of the Madrid bus station, because my parents had wondered what it looked like.. so here it is!
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/natalia_en_espana/IMGP5121.jpg
busy busy busy....
The bus was packed tight, and only a bit of a issue with a woman and her seat kept us 5 minutes from being exactly 7:30 departure time, but we were soon heading off. I talked a bit more of my excellent adventures with mom and pop, soon bidding them farewell to watch a rather badly dubbed Chuck Norris movie! Yeah Chuck Norris!
We made a brief 30 minute stop at a rest station, (where I had a 5 minute heart attack- somehow I thought the bus broke down, and we were stranded in the middle of nowhere. Wrong!) I bought myself a nice waterbottle, as I was a bit dehydrated from Toledo. But after the small break, we were back and heading down to Granada- rumbling in at about 12:30 AM.
I made the long trip to the other side of town, always keeping on the main, lighted roads which were quiet, only the occasional groups of Spaniards or cars making any sort of noise. I got home about an hour later, making a quick call home to assure my family I had made it back in one piece. And with that, I carefully put down all my things, and climbed into bed- tired, but happy after an adventerous weekend.
(Tommorrow`s entry will be like last weeks, in which it will recap all the things I`ve done this week, and my weekend plans! Stay tuned!)
Until next time!
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