Toledo

At 9am we went to pick up Liana's friends Heather and Ben, who had arrived from London to celebrate their 1 year wedding anniversary in Spain. Our intention was to drive a rental car to Toledo, but faced with a daily charge of 100 euros, we decided to take the train instead. Half an hour later, we arrived in the beautiful pre-Roman city, which is known for the peaceful coexistence of its Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures. One of the former capitals of the Spanish empire, Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983. The city was famed for its production of steel and especially of swords and it is still a center for the manufacture of knives and other steel implements. When Philip II moved the royal court from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the old city went into a slow decline from which it never recovered.

Presently, Toledo is an absolute delight to visit and its main source of revenue appears to be tourism. Spread across several hills and surrounded by a river which once offered protection to its citizens, Toledo is a maze of streets, walls, castles, and religious institutions. We visited a Safardic museum, a 12th century synagogue - an absolute jewel! and the El Greco collection of paintings, among others. After a delicious late lunch, we walked to the outskirts of the city, where we crossed an old bridge and enjoyed the wonderful panorama of the city. The trip was fantastic - I hope you enjoy the pictures! :)