Toledo - A Hop-On, Hop-Off Adventure

We've never used a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour bus before, so this was going to be something different. Since the place is mildly hilly and the lookout is way on the other side of the river, we figured that walking it all would be a tad too arduous. So we took a ride on a converted open top London double-decker bus instead. You think the taxi had trouble getting through the narrow streets? We took a complete circuit of the route to familiarise ourselves with the stops it would make and where we could hop back on. We even got some handy information about the stops and sights between them from the on-board audio headphone system, selectable in 12 languages. A plan was coming together.

We stayed on the bus for a second circuit and made a hop-off at the Puente Alcantara, one of the two ancient bridges leading into the city. This was built by the Romans, the second owners of this city. The first were the Carpathians from around 700 BC. The Romans were ultimately ousted by the Visigoths, who in turn were ousted by the Moors, who eventually got it from the Christians around the late 15th century. The Christian conquest of Spain was finalised in 1492 with the fall of Grenada, the last Moorish kingdom to go.

Toledo all through this turmoil maintained a cohesive and harmonious community of all three of the major cultures of the period, Jewish, Christian and Arabic Moslem. Having disposed of the Moors by conquest, the Catholic zeal of Ferdinand and Isabella reached new heights and the Jews were ordered to either convert to Christianity or leave. Many converted, many left, but this still didn't really satisfy the rulers' appetite for Catholic devotion. They asked the Pope for assistance and he commissioned a investigatory body to establish who the true believers were and who were only faking it. We know this body today as the Spanish Inquisition and we know of its investigatory methods. It was always primarily aimed at the Jews. The Inquisition was largely established in Toledo and its surrounds and there is even a museum of the gruesome implements of torture they used in their attempts to save the souls of heretics. We didn't go there.

Snuck in another shot of our accomodation. This is the breakfast room.

Isn't it gorgeous?

Church of Santa Ana (I think) reclaimed from the earlier Mudjar building on the site.

Th eastern gates in the City Walls.

The Alcantara bridge, built by the Romans.

The Toledo Cathedral Primera, taken from the plaza in front of it.
It's just too darn big to fit it all in.

Toledo is a showcase of many artesian crafts. Swordsmithing in finest Toledo steel is one. Damasquino, the laying of gold and silver into steel, is another.
The beautiful artistry in the finished product can't be denied.

Some detail of the Damasquino articles on sale in the shops. Quite exquisite.

An unusual advertising stand outside a cake shop? Not really.

Another tradition of Toledo and invented by the nuns of the convent is ...

Marzipan, a fundamental almond based paste made into delicious cakes and savouries.
The best marzipan in the world is found here in Toledo.

The Damasquino shop, one of hundreds all over town, where we bought our goodies.
They also sold cast statuary and beautiful Lladro ceramics, all made right here in Toledo.

Toledo features heavily in the Cervantes classic, Don Quixote.
To perpetuate this connection, there are Don and Sancho knick-knacks in every shop in town.
Here is his likeness in the park near the Monasterio San Juan de los Reyes.

 The other bridge in Toledo is the Puente San Martin, but built by the Moors 'tis time.

A picture book shot of Toledo from the other side of the Tajo river.
You can see the Alcazar, the City Walls. the Cathedral and the Church of Ildefonso in one shot.
You can also see why it is a UNESCO rated world heritage city, no?