DAY 8: TOLEDO

Panoramic view of Toledo...

Picturesquely sited on a hill above the river "Tajo" is the historic city of Toledo. Behind the old walls lies much evidence of the city's rich history. The Romans built a fortress on the site of the present-day Alcázar. The Visigoths made Toledo their capital in the 6th century AD, and left behind several churches. In the Middle Ages, Toledo was a melting pot of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures, and it was during this period that the city's most outstanding monument -its cathedral- was built. In the 16th century the painter El Greco came to live in Toledo and today the city is home to many of his works (Greco's masterpiece "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" is housed by the Iglesia Santo Tomé... where, for obvious reasons, pictures weren't allowed).

Toledo is about an hour away from Madrid. We first drove around the city to have a panoramic view of this magnificent place. Our companions were Mario (the driver), who is a "gato" (popular name for people from Madrid)... and Nick, an English teacher at Gonzaga (from Indiana, US!!!). Although you can drive inside of the walled city (well... for those who dare to manage the narrow streets, full of tourists, behind the wheel) it is best explored by foot. So... we walked... WE REALLY WALKED!

It was 11:30 when we arrived so we decided to have lunch before starting to walk. We stopped at "Cafe Toledo," where Carlos (the happy waiter) made our lunch delightful. We had pizzas and paella... and we also tried a delicious MORCILLA.

After "filling our tanks," we "embarked" on a Toledan travesy! A quaint city, full of little stores, history and different cultures. It is, perhaps, the only place in the world where a Synagogue gets the very Catholic name of "Santa María la Blanca" or the only place where you find a Mosque that celebrates Christ with its name. We also had the luck to enjoy some of the decorations left from Corpus Christi, the biggest feast in town. Fantastic!

Please check some of the pictures of our experience in this outstanding museum city... a magical place with a rich architectural and artistic heritage, derived from an unbelievable coalescence of Muslim, Christian and Jewish cultures (and medieval and Reinassance ideas and influences).

FYI: For future reference... if you plan to visit Toledo, wear reaaaaaaaaaaallllly comfortable shoes. The kids did; the chaperone did not (keds aren't made for walking).

TOMORROW: DAY 2 AT GONZAGA


A whole bus for us! On the road, going to TOLEDO!


Mario, who drove us to Toledo


Having lunch at "Cafe Toledo"


Street in... (guess where).... Toledo!!!!!


Famous "Toledan ceramics"



Domenikos Theotocopoulos a.k.a. "El Greco"



"Santa María La Blanca"- The oldest and largest of the city's original Synagogues, this monument dates back to the 12th century. In 1405 it was taken over as a church by San Vincente Ferrer after expulsion of Jews. Restoration has returned it to its original beauty- carved stone capitals and wall panels stand out against white horseshoe arches and plastework.





Different scenes... travelling to the past and back to the future!!


Nick, our guide from Gonzaga



"Mezquita Cristo de la Luz" (Christ of the Light Mosque)- This Mosque, one of the city's two remaining Muslim buildings, dates from around AD 1000. Unfortunately it was closed for archeological research.