Toledo

November 1-4
Puente (4 day weekend)

I've been fascinated with Toledo since Day 1 of Basic Spanish. I can't believe it took until my 3rd time to Spain to see it. It may have been a school project that made Toledo stand out to me, but I also remember being with my family and hearing the story of Don Quixote in Man from La Mancha.

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza

From what I remembered,  Toledo was a magical place. Even more than magical, it's historical and known for its religious tolerance. (Someone else's words, not mine.) Back in the day, Christians, Jews and Arabs lived together for centuries, and were able to practice their own religions so there are a ton of architectural monuments, bridges, towers and the fortress wall surrounding the hilltop town. So while we were there we explored a little of each, among other things.

Me and Don near Zocodover Plaza

Toledo Cathedral, gothic

Sword collection - Toledo is known for its steel

And intricate designs with gold

Stretching rack in the torture museum

Iglesia de los Jesuitas, baroque church

Going up to the bell tower for a great view

At the top

Leonardo daVinci museum

El Greco's house/museum

Synagogue of Santa Maria La Blanca in the Jewish quarter,
mudejar style

Cathedral

Courtyard of Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes

 

Cristo de la Luz Mosque

Bocarone (sardines) with parsley, garlic and olive oil

Puerta del Sol gateway into the city

Along the Tagus River

Puerta de Alfonso VI gate, Arab part of the city wall

The specialty here is meat, like lamb and anything grilled,
but the only pics we have are half-eaten servings. So instead,
here is a photo of paella.

Catalan Soup with onion, bread and egg

Zocodover Square

A very rainy morning walking to the Jewish quarter

Ruins along the river

Part of the skyline

San Martin Bridge

I like river and bridge photos. It's a good bet that  most of them are Roman.
Not this one!

Tagus River

Alcazar and Military Museum (now) - no photos
inside. Sorry!

As you can see, we saw a lot of the city, but there were plenty of monuments we didn't get to, as well. It was a whirlwind weekend of walking up hills and through cobblestone streets. A lot of our traveling is not as relaxing as we would like. To see as much as possible means go, go go! After 8 hours of walking we usually chill for the evening, even if it's a dim-lit and smelly hostel. At least we can always find cheap wine and good food, even an occasional free tapa. No complaints here though, I'm definitely enjoying this opportunity!