Before our recent trip to South East Asia we went to the Department of Transport (the dreaded Trafico), to pick up our international driving license. The guy behind the desk asked us where we were going. I told him we were heading to Thailand. “Tailandia…”, he replied, “…con lo bonito que es Toledo.” And with that pronouncement, that with beautiful Toledo on our doorstep why on earth would we go to Thailand, he gave us our documents and wandered off shaking his head.

Well, ten years ago I would have said that this was a typical Spanish reaction, that the Spaniards had no interest in going on holiday beyond Spain. Judging by our jumbo full of Spaniards flying back to Madrid from Bangkok, who had caught connecting flights in from all over Asia and Australasia, things have changed. Still, during various strange moments on our holiday (rabies shots for cat attacks, anti-biotics for infected mosquito bites, illness-aborted motorbike trips, rainy beaches…), that phrase kept creeping back into conversation… “Con lo bonito que es Toledo…”

Photos from the trip, for interested parties.