Toledo was our first jaunt outside Madrid and even getting on the train was at a literal run. Though we caught the right train, we
started out with a major disappointment in that Toledo's Alcazar was closed for restoration until late June/July. The Alcazar was kind of first on the hit list, where we might see some purported Christopher Columbus' artifacts, El Cid's sword, a ton of arms and armour, and well so much more from this fortified and fascinating city. The kids didn't care but Ed and I were deflated and as the entire town is built on a hill (mountain) everyone quickly lost their legs. And then, of course, it began to rain. Fortunately it didn't last long (as you can see in these photos) and it forced us into a cafe where Nate found a newfound love for pisto manchego/ ratatouille and Ben found yet more bread. (Ben has a remarkably narrow palate right now but a huge appetite as he grows, so Spain's bread has become increasingly important.) Toledo's cathedral was very impressive, even for the kids, and we sampled Toledo-famous marzipan (note the sword made of it with Nate's excited grin). We took the faux train (essentially an open-air bus) around the outside of Toledo which gave us some terrific views. We also saw one of El Greco's masterpieces (The Burial of the Count of Orgaz) and spent a lot of time in the Jewish barrio to see the two remaining synagogues and the Sephardic Museum. Toledo is alive with history but we'll have to come back for the Alcazar. p.s. Dad, the bridge shot is for you.
started out with a major disappointment in that Toledo's Alcazar was closed for restoration until late June/July. The Alcazar was kind of first on the hit list, where we might see some purported Christopher Columbus' artifacts, El Cid's sword, a ton of arms and armour, and well so much more from this fortified and fascinating city. The kids didn't care but Ed and I were deflated and as the entire town is built on a hill (mountain) everyone quickly lost their legs. And then, of course, it began to rain. Fortunately it didn't last long (as you can see in these photos) and it forced us into a cafe where Nate found a newfound love for pisto manchego/ ratatouille and Ben found yet more bread. (Ben has a remarkably narrow palate right now but a huge appetite as he grows, so Spain's bread has become increasingly important.) Toledo's cathedral was very impressive, even for the kids, and we sampled Toledo-famous marzipan (note the sword made of it with Nate's excited grin). We took the faux train (essentially an open-air bus) around the outside of Toledo which gave us some terrific views. We also saw one of El Greco's masterpieces (The Burial of the Count of Orgaz) and spent a lot of time in the Jewish barrio to see the two remaining synagogues and the Sephardic Museum. Toledo is alive with history but we'll have to come back for the Alcazar. p.s. Dad, the bridge shot is for you.
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