Toledo's Twists and Turns

Mid-Friday afternoon, October 8th, Nicole and I boarded a bus here in Madrid and took a 45-minute ride into the Castilla-La Mancha providence and to the Spanish city of 3 cultures: Toledo. Christian, Muslim and Jewish populations over the past 1,000 years have shaped this city into the historical gem that it is today.

Once we had hopped off the bus, Nicole and I decided to walk from the station to our hostel since it was a pleasant day and an hour until sunset. During our leisurely walk, following the river around the city and to the Alcantara Bridge, we took many pictures of the city glowing in the perfect lighting. After crossing the picturesque bridge, we found our hostel...an 11th century castle! We went inside, paid less than 15 euros for a 2-person private room/bath for the night, regrouped, then headed out to find dinner.

We got lost almost immediately. *Understand* Spain is already against big, clear road signs. Here in Madrid, you may find a decorative tile square sporting the name of the street along with the picture of a queen or saint, but in Toledo...you are lucky to find a sign at all. The people who constructed Toledo also didn't believe in a grid system. The narrow, cobblestone streets twist and turn like spaghetti noodles thrown onto a map. If this maze of alleys hadn't been so enchantingly European-looking, we would've gotten discouraged and headed back to the hostel, I'm sure. We were rewarded, eventually, with a restaurant near the Plaza de Zocodover that boasted a fairly-traditional and fair-priced Menu of the Day. I had some delicious gazpacho, baked chicken with a salad, a little pre-packaged ice cream cup, bread and olive oil, and a drink for less than 12 euros. Nicole opted for the paella over the gazpacho (see pictures).

After dinner, Nicole and I wandered through the streets again, peeping into bars here and there, seeing what looked good. At one point, we found a supposed "cider" bar (I was VERY excited), but the bartender informed me they hadn't served cider in over 5 years. Well, drat. Eventually, my partner and I ended up at a popular bar called "Picaro" and had some good conversation over mojitos and daiquiris. We also had a good laugh at being the only single people there. "Dear Spain, why must there be face-sucking couples everywhere we turn? Sincerely, Devon and Nicole." Our walk back to the hostel was gorgeous, especially when we crossed the bridge and looked back at the city against the nighttime sky.

We woke up Saturday morning to cold and drizzle. Rain jacket, umbrella and guidebook in hand, I headed out with Nicole to explore the city like a real tourist. We had a quick pastry for breakfast in the Plaza de Zocodover then visited the Museum of Santa Cruz, full of ancient tapestries and tile exhibits. Then we headed toward Toledo Cathedral...at least we thought we were. After about an hour, we finally found it (it's the tallest building in the city, how could we not find it?!) and spent a few hours inside. I split from Nicole and did a rewarding audio tour, which pointed out works by famous artists like Caravaggio and El Greco. I may or may not have squawked with joy. After several hours of complete bliss (I'm finding that I'm addicted to visiting cathedrals), we left and visited an old synagogue/museum. By this point, it was later in the afternoon, pouring and our feet were hurting, so we didn't linger. We also had a bus to catch back to Madrid. When we did, we were two exhausted, drenched but happy gals.