To Toledo

An hour or so south of Madrid is Toledo and we arrive late morning at a site on the banks of the Rio Tajo where cormorants and egrets throng the islands in mid-stream. We toured the city once or twice to find the site as is our wont when the map, the signposts and the sat-nav refuse to agree on where we are or where we should be going. To be fair (and with hindsight) the sat-nav had a jolly good go and got us within twenty metres but failed to recognise the Tajo was between us and the campsite.

We make camp and set off for the city taking a ten minute bus ride from a stop right outside the site gates. The sun is out and our first objective is to find a wi-fi connection to update the blog. McDonalds beckons but the link is so slow we give up and decide to enjoy the warmth and the friendly atmosphere that seems to emanate. If you have never been to Toledo you should put it on your list of places to spend a day or two. The old town is very accessible and provides some interesting sites thanks to its past occupation by the Romans, Visigoths and Muslims before becoming a major centre for Catholic Spain.

You do feel a little sorry for the city, it was almost going to be the resting place of Isabel and Fernando after the re-conquest, they even built a church here to house their remains, but Granada got the nod; it was within a whisker of being the country’s capital under Carlos I until his successor Felipe II decided to move up the road to Madrid; El Greco came here to paint pictures in most of the churches but only after being rejected by Madrid.

As we wander, despite a map, we get lost in the narrow alleys lined with buildings constructed from a mixture of natural stone and brick and we like what we see more and more. There is a consistent feel about the developments that have taken place over two or three hundred years whether Mudéjar or Gothic and the grand buildings are impressive. The whole sits high above the river and gives great views across the surrounding landscape.

With the help of Tourist Information we find our internet café in the Jewish quarter and spend a happy couple of hours uploading the blog and drinking apple tea. After some more sightseeing and as night falls we take a well-earned rest over wine and tapas before catching the bus back to the site.

The next day, Friday 5th, the weather looks like rain and so having done the outside of the buildings we target three or four to visit out of the weather. We skip breakfast at the van and enjoy a snack of pintxos with a coffee before seeing a mosque the, Mezquito de Christo de la Luz, which was built over an impressive Roman road, then converted to a church and which is in the process of being restored. Then onto a monastery with a beautiful courtyard garden, a convent housing a couple of original El Greco’s as well as his coffin and a nun who takes our entrance fee and insists we buy some of her marzipan fancies. Finally, a church which has a large El Greco, the Burial of the Count of Orgaz, behind the altar.

The rain is getting heavier so it time to buy bread for lunch and head back to the van for a relaxed afternoon. Saturday is our first day of continous rain and so we decide to stay put and wait for the promised better weather on Sunday when we plan to head off to Salamanca via the sierras to explore possibilities for some walking but will be sorry to leave Toledo.