Toledo

 23 June

We had some taxi drama leaving Santiago - Greg asked the driver who pulled up if he was the one we had ordered, he said yes (probably misunderstanding, English is not widely spoken in Santiago) and we'd no sooner taken off than our taxi pulled up.  Greg offered our driver 5 euro to placate the other guy, rather than move, but no, a long conversation with lots of yelling and hand shaking had to occur.  Luckily we had plenty of time to get to the train station for our first train, to Ourense.  We had a two hour wait there: although it appeared the first train we were on was going to Madrid, we had to change.  I blame Trainline, who I had booked with,  of course!  Anyway we filled the time with a phone call to Bella, Thomas and Hayley, which was lovely  Hayley is very excited about her upcoming holiday and has all the arrivals and departures worked out, including Bella arriving from Brisbane on Thursday night (early hours of Friday morning).  She had also won an award at school, for Inclusion, which was very special! 

Onto Madrid.  It was a direct train, and very fast - just over 3 hours.  We arrived into Madrid-Chamartin-Clara Campoamor and I casually looked at google maps to see how far it was to the bus station.  I wasn't worried, it was 4.10pm and our bus was leaving at 5.20pm.  I got very worried though when I saw it was nearly an hour away by metro!  We hot footed it to the metro station but it took us over 20 minutes - the train station we had arrived into is being renovated and is in a state of chaos.  I realised we'd never make it by metro so we had to turn around and rush to find a taxi.  Which we did, and 30 euro later, we were at the bus station.  Another drama when the trainline app, which usually has the tickets for each journey attached, did not have any tickets for the bus component.  I quickly raced through my emails, found one from trainline, and found the tickets attached to that.  Whew.  An hour later we were finally in Toledo.  And it was 37 degrees at 6.20pm!!  We waited for a taxi.  It was a 20 minute walk and in addition to Greg's concern about our suitcase wheels (he doesn't want mine to be the next one to go!) it was really bloody hot.  I had been complaining about how cold the north was, now I had my hot weather!  The taxi driver was quite irate - he had no idea where our apartment was, despite showing him the address - but eventually he agreed to take us.  It was only a 10 minute drive but my goodness, was I glad we were driving.  Note to those planning a visit to Toledo: it's very, very hilly and most of the streets are cobblestoned.  Greg was right to worry about our suitcase wheels!  What a relief to make it to our lovely apartment.  Oh, and only one flight of very well worn stairs to navigate with our luggage!

Our apartment is blissfully airconditioned.  It feels so wonderful after the intense dry heat outside!  We had to brave it for dinner (the temperature doesn't start dropping until 9pm, and its highest at 6pm, so strange, but it was the same when we were in southern Spain in April!)  The restaurant Adriana had recommended as one of the best, La Cabala Taberna, didn't open until 8.30 so after unpacking a bit and having a little rest we set off for a wander.  It turns out that Toledo is the city of knives and swords!  I have never seen so many in my life and they are very good quality, and HEAVY!  Greg is in heaven and wanted me to take some photos to show Liam.  They are pretty impressive!

La Cábala Taberna is also in the Michelin Guide.  So why not?  There was a full menu but you could also get the Gastronomic Menu - appetiser, six dishes plus pre dessert and dessert (love these double desserts!) for 56.90 euro per person.  Was it possible to have this menu for a pescetarian I asked?  Foie Gras was OK!  Yes, they could do it, but we both had to have the same menu - no meat options for Greg, he was quite disappointed but agreed for my sake!  It was a good meal except for the double dessert - one was underwhelming and the other much too sweet, but who needs it anyway??

24 June

We turned up at 10am for our walking tour of Toledo and the guide didn't show.  I messaged them, then checked the booking and saw... it started at 12 noon.  It seemed a strange start time when it was going to be such a hot day!  Oh well.  We walked around the Alcazar and took some photos.  I was not feeling 100%.  Perhaps... I needed food?  On top of the 9 courses I'd had last night?  Outrageous!  Anyway we walked the circuit around the Alcazar and found a café that was busy and serving breakfast!  Then we went over to check out the Alcazar. First we discovered that most of the Alcazar was closed for restoration after a minor fire a few months ago.  The Alcazar started life as a Roman palace in the 3rd century, was demolished and restored around 1540, then suffered enormous damage in the Spanish Civil War.  Only one wall was left standing, and you can still see the bullet holes in it.  So it was completely rebuilt in 1960, so is in fact only 63 years old!   It now houses the Army museum, the General library and state rooms filled with interesting objects and art, but that (big) part is closed.  Due to the closure of most of the building we were able to get in for free.  There were two exhibitions: the first one was Armies before the Army.  A huge and impressive collection of ancient weapons! The next exhibition, La Nobelza de las armas, had a large display of armour and more weapons!  I could not imagine how hot it would have been to wear that armour in this weather!  They were made of sterner stuff than me!

So finally it was 12 noon and time to meet our guide, Carmen, who was waiting for us as per the booking!  She was lovely and spoke English well.  She started with giving us the history of the Alcazar and showed us photos of how it had looked during various times in history, including when it was a palace for King Carlos V and a prison, and when it was bombed in the civil war.  It's always so sad to see the terrible things done in war.  She talked about the many changes in rulers in Toledo- Romans, Visigoths, Muslims, Christians - it's been a tumultuous time in this city! Carmen also talked about the religious harmony, of Christians, Muslims and Jews, which existed for hundreds of years - until the Spanish Inquisition put an end to it.  Another sad part of history.  We started our tour in the Christian quarter.  and she pointed out the painted trompe lóeil on some of the buildings which I hadn't noticed!  She said when Phillip II moved the court to Madrid, all the wealthy people  went too, and Toledo fell into poverty.  People didn't have the money to do up their houses so they opted for paint as a cheap way to add pizzazz!  The fancy door knockers in the Christian quarter come from the time when nobility lived here.  Carmen pointed out a gated street, and told us the story of how people got sick of bad goings on at night so decided to block off their streets with locked gates.  Only a few remain, because at some point it was decided by the powers that be that all these closed streets were making the city unlivable.  The gates could remain but could no longer be locked.  They were referred to as "stolen streets"!  Carmen also pointed out the knobs that were in the corner of some buildings.  Apparently most houses in Toledo had wells underneath them and these knobs alerted the firies to the house that had the largest well, so in case of fire they could access that water to put it out.  We walked past the cathedral, and the cathedral square, into the Jewish quarter (where Ainslie lived while she was in Toledo).  We enjoyed the views over the city from the Jewish quarter.  Carmen showed us how we knew we were in that area: street and wall tiles with Jewish symbols.  Apparently some Jewish families still live in Toledo but there is no active community any longer.  Walking back to the Christian area, we passed the university (or at least one of the buildings from that campus) and the former prison of the Spanish Inquisition, now the Museo de la Tortura - I think I'll give it a miss thanks!  Carmen finished off with some museum and food recommendations - it was a good tour!

So after a rest to recover from the heat, we set off again about 4pm. Museums are free on Saturday afternoons after 2pm.  Bonus!  We went to the El Transitioned Synagogue and Sephardic Museum
 first.  The carved wall as we walked in was even more spectacular than Carmen's photo had suggested.  It would have been a magnificent synagogue. Somehow, a few books, menorahs and robes survived the inquisition's ruthless destruction of the Jews, and they are on display.  As is a ritual circumcision kit!  Looks painful! 

Next stop was the El Greco House and Museum.  El Greco was a Renaissance painter who was born in 1541 in Crete.  He arrived in Toledo in 1577 and settled there in a large house rented from the Marquis of Villena.  Long after El Greco's death another Marquis, the Marquis de la Vega-Inclan, bought this old house in the Jewish quarter in order to turn it into a recreation of what El Greco's house would have looked like.   He collected El Greco's work from around Toledo and gathered them into his collection. The museum is attached to the house and there is a good collection of El Greco's works

We decided to spend 12 Euro and buy the red Toledo bracelet, which gave us entry to 7 different buildings.  The first of these was  the Singogoa de Santa Maria La Blanca.  Another Synagogue.  It was very sad to think about the relative harmony the Catholics, Jews and Muslims had enjoyed for so many centuries until Isabella and Ferdinand decided everyone had to be Catholic. Hidden away with a nondescript exterior, this beautiful building was quite breathtaking.  Apparently the Jewish people like the architecture of the Muslims, hence the Moorish design, but it is bright and white, symmetrical, with elaborately carved column caps and ceilings.   Once the tour group left, we had it almost to ourselves.

Our last effort for the day was the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes. This monastery and church were built by Isabella of Castille.  The cloister is lovely, with a beautiful garden and the most interesting collection of gargoyles I've ever seen!  The upper cloister has a beautiful coffered ceiling.  We had a very quick look at the church, as there was a wedding about to start and all the beautifully dressed guests were arriving.  I don't know how the women had so much makeup on in 39 degree heat, it was sweltering!

Dinner that night was at Le Cave, a recommendation from Carmen.  We didn't have a booking, but they said we could order and eat at one of the tables at the bar - however a couple who were booked in decided they'd rather eat in the bar, and we were given their table.  The waiter was really lovely and spoke great English!

25 June

It was going to be a scorcher today - 40 degrees.  So we set off at the crack of dawn (9.50am in Toledo!) to get to our first stop at exactly 10am when it opened. This was the Mezquita Cristo de la Luz, this lovely piece of Muslim architecture is located next to one of the gates of the wall that runs around the old city of Toledo.  The building is over 1000 years old.  It was originally a mosque of course, converted to a church.  The frescoes on the walls were only rediscovered in 1871.  In 2006, while searching for a roman sewer that could be seen from outside the walls, an impressive Roman street was uncovered!  This is dated from the 1st century AD. There is a lovely garden adjoining the building which gave us great views over the city too.

Onto the Iglesia de los Jesuitas. We'd passed this church during our walking tour.  It was hard to get a good photo of the exterior beause of the awnings that were hanging above the streets.  I'd assumed they were to help provide some shade, but no, they were from a religious festival and are due to come down anyday!  Its an 18th century Baroque church. It took over 100 years to build. We could climb the 131 steps to the top to get some good views of the city.  It was breathtakingly hot already, no breeze at all, even when we were so high up!

The Colegio de Doncellas Nobles is a former girls school in Toledo.  It was founded in 1551 by the archbishop of Toledo. The object was the education of young women to be good mothers!  They were a mixture of weathly young women and those from more humble families (selected by the Archbishop).  Point of interest: there is no ladies loo here, so just hang on if you need to go...!  You enter through a very impressive chapel with the large sarcophagus of Cardinal Siliceo, as he had such passion for this project.!

We managed to time our visit to the Ingelsia de Santo Tome with a huge group of Asians -possibly Japanese - who stood in front of the only thing to see in this annex, the large famous painting by El Greco.  The painting is considered one of  his most complex and richest in meaning.  I carefully pushed my way to the front and took some photos.  Being big and tall has advantages sometimes!   The church itself was closed, I presume because it was Sunday.

We went down the road again looking for somewhere to eat.  We were early - it was only just noon!  Greg spotted a little place that was only open for lunch.  We went inside: it seemed very authentic, which is something Greg really loves!  And we had a great lunch!  Despite the waitress speaking very little English, she understood our attempts at Spanish and pointing!  I have to say that my gazpacho was outstanding!  The Spanish omelette was not quite as spectacular but still good.  Greg had pickled quail soup, which he said was good, and then ox tail stew, which he said was amazing.  So it was an unexpectedly good lunch.  We went back to the apartment for a rest - as everything closes between 12 and 2 (or 4!).

At 4pm we ventured out again into the heat to visit the Toledo Cathedral. Our last church for this visit, I promised Greg!  It's a bit disorganised getting into the cathedral: when you go up to the entrance you are sent across the road to buy a ticket, but when you join the general queue a harassed looking woman is calling out "next gate, next gate".  Eventually I realised she meant we had to go out the door we'd come in on, and go into the door right next door.  Here you pay, then you go around the corner to join the original queue to pick up your audio guide.  A little signage might be helpful!  The audio guide was very good and very detailed but it did assume a certain knowledge of how a church was set out and where things were, we did a bit of aimless wandering looking for the next number!   In fact Greg got quite lost, which I didn't realise as I was busy listening to all the stories in the guide.  Don't worry, I found him again!  The audio claimed the church was the pre-eminent cathedral in all of Spain.  It took over 200 years to build, beginning in 1226 and finishing in 1493.  I had to laugh when the guide explained that the opposite nave door had been closed because locals were using it as a quick way across the city!  There is a huge amount of amazing art (including by El Greco and Titian), and sculpture.  Even the choir seats have the most beautiful sculptures on the back of the seats and above the seats.  This last bit shows Isabella and Ferdinand's conquest of Granada, each chair has a different bit of detail!  We noticed people heading into the crypt which wasn't part of the audio tour.  Down there we found the body of St Ursula, who was murdered in 451 by Attila the Hun for refusing his advances.  Her body was passed around to various individuals, including a pope, and was eventually gifted to the cathedral, where it lies in eerie state.  There seemed to be a lot of chicken wire holding the bits of bones together, but I'm certain it actually is St Ursula!  It was beautifully cool in the cathedral.  Greg even thought it must be air conditioned but we didn't see any evidence of that.  Must just be good design!

After the cathedral we retreated again until 7pm.  We walked back to the Alcazar to get on the Little Train trip of Toledo, even though I'd declared after Toulouse I'd never do one again - the reviews won me over. For 8 euro, this was good value, as it took you around the outskirts of the city, over the Tagus River, and up to a great vantage point for photos of the city. Boy it was hot though - I had sweat trickling down my back for the first time in a long time!

Dinner was at Madre Tierra vegetarian restaurant, another recommendation from Carmen, and it was open on a Sunday night which was a bonus as many other places were closed! We were given an appetiser - boiled potatoes with a coriander pesto, very tasty!  I had the mushroom lasagna, Greg tried the seitan cordon blue, and we shared a salad with goats cheese ice-cream.  I was sure that was a misspelling, but no, it was a savoury cheese ice-cream!  And it was delicious, just like the one we'd enjoyed in Santiago!  Greg did not enjoy his seitan.  He said the crumbing was not good.  I enjoyed being able to choose anything I liked from the menu!  Oh - and it was good bread, not the crappy stuff we've had in every other Toledo restaurant (except my brunch on the first day).