DFR Travels: If It's Monday it must be Toledo...

Monday, June 4. Sunny.

Correction. Toros not Torros for bulls in yesterday's writing.

Another great sleep last night: this time seven hours straight through! Awake at five and coffee and breakfast and soon out the door to Toledo.

We took a coach to Toledo today. This city in Spain, where it is famous for it's sword-making facilities in days of yore, is pronounced Toledu, not Toledo. [That is the city in Ohio we were told by our guide], so Toledu it is for me. Like Budapesh instead of Budapest I suppose!.

I have wanted to go there for about 70 years, ever since I read about it's fascinating history. I never made it in 1960 so this was a big thing for me today

The coach ride was about an hour. There, we split into two groups: the regular walking tour and one called Gentle Walkers for those unable or unwilling to hoof it up the hill and tackle the cobblestones.

Toledo was first occupied by the Romans before the birth of Christ. It was a defended fortress on a 300 foot hill, surrounded on three sides by the river. After the Romans left around 500 AD, the Visigoths took over until the Moors then took it over for hundreds of years, Eventually the Christians got it back around 1085 and it has been in their hands ever since. The Jews were expelled in 1492. Quite an amazing history. [These figures are from memory from this very tired and over-saturated brain so if you know better, good for you.]

We have these Audio Vox things that you can hear the guide speaking even if you are some distance away. I tend to lag behind to take photos. Today was no exception. We visited inside the Jewish Synagogue, a first for us. Very interesting history. Built by the Jews obviously before they were expelled sometime around 1492. It was left abandoned for some very long time, until, about 1800, when it was renovated by some forward thinking folks who wanted to keep its past alive for others to see and understand the history.

Next we went to the Toledo Cathedral. Built by the Moors as a Mosque but converted to a Cathedral when the Muslims were defeated. Crazy history here. It is fascinating and very difficult to comprehend.

We had a bit of alone time at the top of the hill so we had a bite to eat. [Dare I say a MacDonald's hamburger] before we strolled a bit before the final descent to the awaiting coach where many had a nap on the way back.

The weather was coolish today, but good for walking which we surely did. I have fulfilled a goal today, which was to see Toledo, which feels rather good!

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I must say that we have been very much impressed with the beauty of Madrid the last few days. There is so much green space and the architecture is outstanding and well maintained. There is not the Western European bustle here, which is nice. The traffic seems to be very much less, not sure why. The people are polite and not in your face, or obnoxious. Most are quiet spoken. A very civilized place.

We ended our stay in Madrid with a dinner out with a single gent, from Atlanta, travelling alone. Quiet, deep thinking fellow whom we met earlier. Together, we had the adventure of eating out in a strange country. We were all outside of our comfort zone until we began to feel relaxed in the ambiance of the place and the pleasant and understanding staff. The wine helped!

I have not captioned all the photos...

Toledo. It took me 70 years to get here but it was worth it.

Crossing the bridge to enter the city itself.

Could be anywhere in Europe, but it has a Spanish stamp on it.

Inside the Mosque-come-Cathedral. Carvings for seats, Catholic.

These are some of the chains that the Moors had on captured Christians. They are on the side of a church built in celebration of when the Moors were expelled.