Toledo is a stunning example of hill city fortress design. Surrounded on three sides by the Tagus river (which happens to be in full flood at the moment), it's obvious why any military leader would want to own this piece of real estate. Yolanda had Lois find optimal photo spots for us and we enjoyed views of the city from several angles.
We were ultimately dropped off at the northern side if the hill. It had been sunny so far, the hill looked steep, and I was warm, so I opted to leave my coat in the car. As we neared an ancient gate, we saw a very spectacular series of escalators. Score! Peter tried to make us feel like fluffy bunnies (a derogatory term for lazy photographers) by choosing real stairs to climb, but I believe one should never look a gift escalator in the mouth, so to say.
Our first tutoring was at the Mosque of Cristo de la Luz. This is the oldest standing building in Toledo and one of the oldest in Spain, dating back to the year 999. Built as a mosque, it stands on an ancient Roman road. In 1182 it was converted into a christian temple after the Castilian reconquest. A lot of history stuff happened after that and it wasn't until 1899 that the aforementioned 999 date was discovered. And it wasn't until 2006 that the Roman road was discovered, so I'm not the only one who's loosing track of who built what when. The gist it this small building is very old and has been a place of worship over many centuries for more than one religion, a testimony that sometimes buildings get recycled rather than razed.
Yolanda wove us through remarkably quiet streets and passageways toward the Toledo Cathedral, the third largest in Spain.
Somewhat hemmed in among other buildings and with a relatively small plaza at its front, you don't quite get the feeling of grand cathedral-ness. That is until you step inside -- it's vast!
Similar to the Cathedral in Seville, the large choir is like a building within a building. I could spend days here examining all the carved imagery. The massive altar is also similar to that in Seville. The one thing this Cathedral has over it's sister in Seville is a flat floor. I have no explanation but I didn't find one ankle twisting hazard in the whole complex.
Attached to the Cathedral is a small but stunning art gallery. Grecos were prevalent but my favorite is of a young John the Baptisy by Caravaggio.
The gallery was heated, the Cathedral not. The juxtaposition made me regret leaving my coat behind.
I'm going to pause posting this day. There is more to come but I'm turning in for the night.
Sleep tight, love you!
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