I'm surprised an At Leisure concept has only been embraced by tour operators in recent years. Banishing wake up calls at ungodly hours, staying in one hotel for more than a night, not being forced to eat three meals a day plus morning and afternoon tea, provided with your own map, a hop-on hop-off bus ticket and given plenty of free time, is what I think would be e only way to travel, especially in a country as charming as Spain.

Added to the Australian and New Zealand Trafalgar top achievers and Acclaim famil, however is a bonus day trip to the quaint township of Toledo, situated just an hour from the Capital, Madrid.

Being the first real day of touring, as the agents settle on the bus, I quickly realise the similarities of a bus tour and a theatre performance. Clearly, our jovial Tour Director, Javier has cottoned-on to the concept, and treats the bus as his very own stage rehashing historical fact while throwing in one liners and off the cuff phrases and sing-alongs, making any stage performer proud.  

However, on top of this, his knack for being able to relate everything back to Don Quixote is simply amazing I want to test his hand at the party game, 6-degrees-to-Brian-Adams. The national 'celebrity' is somehow not just linked to regions, but to the sighting of a donkey, an olive tree, an old windmill, the list goes on, and I begin to wonder if any of the Aussies and Kiwis even know who Don Quixote is.  Unfortunately for Javier, it seems there's only a handful; most have absolutely no idea who he is never having read the books or watched the movie, leaving them very puzzled about why he keeps bringing him up as though he was real.  

Though, to be fair to Javier, it seems his obsession with the swash buckling character and his less-than-desirable side kick is shared amongst most locals through the naming of local inns, pubs and lane ways in his honour, as well as by colourful murals on old buildings.

Every so often, Javier checks and asks "is everyone still awake", but it is hard to sleep when surrounded by stunning landscape, listening to his stories as the Gypsy Kings play in the background.  Javier tells us that we're very lucky, Toledo is a jewel in the Spanish Crown, a town frozen in time over 900 years and he's not far off from fact.

The quaint cobblestone streets lined with bakeries, tobacco shops and pubs was once an area where Arabs, Jews and Christians all lived together for over 8 Centuries.  We learn more through our local-guide, Ignatius, who, via a nifty radio device Javier likes to call "Whispers" allows everyone to walk at their own place yet remain connected.  I feel like a secret agent when I put in the single blue ear piece, but think it works extremely well in large groups and maintains the pace of the tour.

As a Unesco World Heritage site, Toledo is also famous for producing swords and even has a Kiwi connection with the sword used in Lord of the Rings being bought all the way from Toledo.

For more information visit www.Trafalgartours.com.au