day trip to toledo
"Holy Toledo!" is right. This was our final day in Spain and we took a day trip to see Toledo. The bus ride took only about an hour or so. We stopped outside the city so we could get a view of it from a distance. It is much older than Madrid and once (years ago) functioned as capital of Spain. The river surrounds the city on three sides and the architecture is old and a mix of Moor, Roman, Jewish, Visigothic, and Christian influences.
It was really cool to be able to walk through the streets of an old city and see a Spain that is very different from Barcelona and Madrid. There are local artisans that specialize in swords, jewelry, and marzipan (if you'd believe that)! Federico treated us to some marzipan shortly after we arrived. My advice: don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Fresh marzipan is an almond candy that is quite good when fresh.
This was the only day that was cold and rainy. Although walking the city in the rain was a bit of a downer, the crowds were low (because it was March) and the colors of the city were saturated. The weather made for some beautiful pictures.
It was really cool to be able to walk through the streets of an old city and see a Spain that is very different from Barcelona and Madrid. There are local artisans that specialize in swords, jewelry, and marzipan (if you'd believe that)! Federico treated us to some marzipan shortly after we arrived. My advice: don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Fresh marzipan is an almond candy that is quite good when fresh.
This was the only day that was cold and rainy. Although walking the city in the rain was a bit of a downer, the crowds were low (because it was March) and the colors of the city were saturated. The weather made for some beautiful pictures.
el greco and the burial of the count of orgaz
Our first visit is the Church of Santo Tomé, the parish church of El Greco. In 1586, he was commissioned to paint The Burial of the Count of Orgaz which was an actual event in 1312. This painting is El Greco's most famous. As you can see, it gets quite crowded. We entered the back of the chapel and slowly moved forward toward the painting as others exited. It was very organized and magnificent to see.
Sinagoga del Tránsito / Museo Sefardí
The next stop of our visit was to the Spain's national Jewish museum. This synagogue was built in the 14th century during a time in Spain's history when Christians Jews, and Muslims all lived and worked together. All three religious influences are seen in the architecture. It's a beautiful building which is totally worth visiting.
Toledo's cathedral
We made our way through the old streets of the city to the Cathedral. With small narrow streets, the outside isn't strikingly impressive. The inside is the gem. There is a lot to see and we made our way from one area to the next. It's hard to imagine the amount of craftsmanship that went into creating this place. It's understandable that it was under construction for more than 250 years (1226-1495). I think one could appreciate this place regardless of their faith. Being Catholic, I especially enjoyed the visit and was amazed at the details that are everywhere inside this structure.
It's difficult for me to decide how to best show you what I saw. I'm including the best of the best photos I took inside the Cathedral. One of the things to notice in some of the pictures are the hats of Cardinals that hang above the burial places of the Cardinals inside the Cathedral. I lost count. Here is what they look like... it is the red colored hat with tassels hanging off of it in the picture to the right. Rick's guide book provides a self-guided tour of this Cathedral which contains detailed information about all the areas of the church. |
free afternoon in toledo
As you should expect by now, I had a free afternoon! After the Cathedral tour, I was ready for lunch. My tour buddy and I found a restaurant and ate lunch (I didn't think to take pictures of this one). After eating, we walked the city and did some shopping. As I mentioned earlier, Toledo is known for making swords and for its jewelry. I can't imagine what it would take to get a sword on a plane these days but I wasn't about to find out! I settled for a pair of earrings and also picked up a pair for the friend that was watching my dog. After that, we stopped at the place that sold the marzipan we sampled earlier. It was delicious; I wanted some to take home.
The pictures below were taken while walking the streets that day. It is a beautiful little city. I was very glad it was part of our trip. We met late afternoon to return to Madrid for our last group dinner.
The pictures below were taken while walking the streets that day. It is a beautiful little city. I was very glad it was part of our trip. We met late afternoon to return to Madrid for our last group dinner.
our last supper in madrid
It was hard to believe this was our final evening. To me, it was bittersweet. I was sad the adventures were over but was also happy to head home and reunite with my dog. Our group's farewell dinner was downstairs in a nearby restaurant. We enjoyed wine, cheese, and more delicious food while reminiscing about things we had seen and done over the past week.
Taking advantage of the wonderful acoustics, Federico sang a variety of Spanish songs to us (he is a great singer and has been taking lessons recently). Next, we had the pleasure of learning about about the art of guitar making. Spain is famous for guitar and the art of making them has been passed down from one generation to the next. It was informative but not overly detailed... a perfect way to end our final day.
Taking advantage of the wonderful acoustics, Federico sang a variety of Spanish songs to us (he is a great singer and has been taking lessons recently). Next, we had the pleasure of learning about about the art of guitar making. Spain is famous for guitar and the art of making them has been passed down from one generation to the next. It was informative but not overly detailed... a perfect way to end our final day.