The train station is beautiful -- as is the rest of the town. One of the primary reasons we wanted to visit this town was to experience the history and beauty of this ancient city.
Shortly after arriving, we hopped on the "hop-on, hop-off" bus for an inexpensive and beautiful tour of the outskirts of the city. Plus, we wanted to save our feet for the real walking we had ahead of us.
The city of Toledo is built on a hill, with the river surrounding the city wall. In ancient times, this was an advantage. But today, it's quite the hike!
Our first stop was the cathedral in the city's center -- heralded as Spains finest cathedral. We enjoyed every step of it. Rick Steves provided a grand and educational walking tour.
Following the cathedral, we explored the city...intentionally getting lost. We came across a pleasant surprise: some ancient Roman bath ruins. Quite the find!
We continued on to have lunch at a local cafe and visit El Greco's greatest painting at a small chapel. We even found some Marzapan at a local shop -- a tasty treat Toledo is famous for. We also toured the national Jewish heritage museum at a rare synagogue in town. There is so much history in this city, it was a challenge to absorb it all!
We departed Toledo via the Renfe (Spain's high-speed train system) in time for dinner at Pat's flat. He cooked us chicken paella as well as a fresh mediterranean salad. So good! Thanks Pat!
Tomorrow will be a laid-back day -- we're planning to visit a few local places we missed due to rain and stop by the Reina Sofia art museum to complete our pilgrimage to experience Picasso's Guernica. So exciting!
-Katy
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